Catholic Theology (Distance learning) (Taught)

Led by the University’s world-renowned Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS) within the Department of Theology and Religion, our MA in Catholic Theology will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of individual figures, periods, themes and areas of Catholic theology.

The MA is particularly suitable if you have an undergraduate education in Theology, Religious Studies, or a related discipline. It is an excellent foundation for doctoral work, and for those pursuing ongoing personal and professional development.

You will undertake a ‘Preliminary Tour’ as a core module while three further optional modules will enable you to adopt historical, philosophical, ethical and political approaches to the subject through the study of topics such as faith and reason, twentieth century Catholic theology and conceiving change in contemporary Catholicism, and through exploring the thought of Thomas Aquinas or medieval Franciscan thinkers.

You will also be required to complete a dissertation which will provide the opportunity for you to develop a specialism in a subject of your own choosing, under the guidance of a supervisor.

The course is offered part-time over two or three years via distance learning. It has been set up to enable you to study from wherever you live regardless of your time zone. There will however be a residential session of 2-3 days in the University each year. The residential is an important part of the course. It offers a valuable opportunity to connect with fellow students and lecturers and to attend a series of tailored lectures and seminar sessions. For those attending the residential, there is an additional fee to cover room and board for the days in Durham.

As a distance learner, you will be considered a valued and engaged member of the CCS and the Department’s student body as a whole. You will be encouraged to participate in the Department’s research seminars where possible and other online events. We also hold an early career conference in Catholic Studies, which in some years is run online. We are fully committed to making the high-quality academic study of Catholic theology available to students in different parts of the world and in a wide variety of life situations.

Course structure

Core module:

Catholic Theology: A Preliminary Tour provides a strong intellectual foundation to help you move from undergraduate studies in theology and religious studies or in related subjects such as classics, philosophy, history or literature to the study of Catholic theology at a more advanced level. You will also gain training in research methods and resources that are used in the academic study of Catholic theology.

In recent years, optional modules have included:
Conceiving Change in Contemporary Catholicism;
Twentieth-Century Catholic Theology;
Catholic Social Thought and Practice;
The Theology of Thomas Aquinas Selected Topics;
Faith and Reason;
High Medieval Franciscan Theology.

Assessment is rigorous and continues throughout the course. The majority of the modules are assessed by essays, with two including an oral exam. You will be required to complete a dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words on a subject of particular interest to you with support from a supervisor in individual tutorials.