Our distance learning MA in Catholic Theology offers you the freedom to explore Catholic theology with intellectual rigour and in depth, wherever you are in the world.
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
A limited CCS Bursary Fund specifically for this programme in Catholic Theology by Distance Learning is now available. For full details see Funding - Durham University
Small group seminars and tutorials make up the majority of the teaching on the course with the aim being to nurture the range of skills and activities that are necessary for academic research.
You will learn how to develop your own knowledge and form your own opinions in areas of particular interest to you and you will also strengthen your ability to offer critical analysis and systematic thought as well as hone your presentational skills, all of which are essential for independent and cutting-edge research.
Some classes include a lecture-style element which will provide you with the key information and knowledge required to go on and develop your own understanding of the subject, while the dissertation will be on a topic proposed by you with guidance from your supervisor.
Assessment
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.
Entry requirements
A 2:1 undergraduate degree in Theology, or Religious Studies or a related discipline.
The three principle exceptions to this rule are
Graduates of other disciplines who have studied at an undergraduate or equivalent level in one or more of the areas in which they hope to work, through their first degrees, through training for the ministry of the churches, and so on.
Students from overseas universities who have successfully reached a point in their theological, religious studies or studies in a related discipline comparable with completion of an English BA.
Students who have already passed the module ‘Catholic Theology: A Preliminary Tour’ with a score of 60 or higher.
A 500-word personal statement should include the following:
An outline of your interest in the MA in Catholic Theology (DL)
What skills and knowledge you would bring to the course
What skills and knowledge you would hope to acquire
A preliminary indication of the area in which you might like to write your dissertation.
For those who wish, a brief one-on-one interview with a programme convenor.
The tuition fees for 2025/26 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed here once approved.
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
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