Faculty of Divinity
| Degree Awarded | Credit | Duration |
| MTheol (Master of Theology) Honours | 480 | 4 years |
| MA (Master of Arts) Honours | 480 | 4 years |
| BD (Bachelor of Divinity) Honours | 390 | 3 years (only available if you already have an undergraduate degree) |
The Faculty of Divinity is led by the Dean of Divinity who is also the Principal of St Mary’s College which houses the University’s School of Divinity. Full programmes within the Faculty of Divinity are provided by two degree structures (MTheol and BD) which both begin with two sub-honours years in common. The School of Divinity offers both single and joint honours options.
Many students now do Honours programmes in Divinity subjects as an MA Honours degree in the Faculty of Arts. For more information about these programmes, please visit Biblical Studies, Hebrew, New Testament and Theological Studies.
Neither Greek nor Hebrew is a requirement for any of the degree programmes in the Faculty of Divinity.
Degree Structure
First level
At First level, students take a module in each of the core subjects of which Divinity is comprised: Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Theology (systematic theology and philosophy of religion), Practical Theology (social and pastoral theology and ethics).The remaining credits can be chosen from additional modules offered within Divinity (such as New Testament Greek, Biblical Hebrew or An Introduction to World Religions) or students can pursue broader interests by taking a module offered by other Schools in the Faculty of Arts.
Second level
In their second year students must take at least three of the five core subjects on to Second level. For their other modules there are further options, including the opportunity again to take modules in subjects outside Divinity. Students are encouraged to explore cognate subjects (such as philosophy, history, social anthropology, and psychology) that allow interdisciplinary interests to develop. Within Divinity, Greek, Hebrew and World Religions are also available.
Honours level
MTheol (Master of Theology) Honours: This degree is the standard Honours degree taken by undergraduates, the equivalent of the MA Honours for Arts students.
Students must gain a total of 240 credits during their final two Honours years. Because Honours modules in Divinity are normally 30 credits each, this means that a student will normally take two Honours modules each semester during their third and fourth years. Most of these modules can be selected according to the student's interests, but there are a few basic requirements.
The third year normally begins with two special 3000 level modules: Biblical Exegesis and Theological Explorations: Texts, Issues and Application.
One module, taken in the fourth year, must be a dissertation. This is on a subject of one's own choice, selected in conjunction with a personal supervisor. A module (or modules) worth 30 credits can be taken outside Divinity, if the student so wishes; a second such module worth 30 credits may also be taken with the permission of the Head of School.
BD (Bachelor of Divinity) Honours: This is a fast-track three year Honours degree open only to those who are already university graduates in some other subject.
Students must gain a total of 150 credits in one Honours year, which will be their third and final year of study. This normally means that a student will take five Honours modules, divided between the two semesters. One of these will be a dissertation on a subject of one's choice, and another will be one of the 3000 level modules described above (see MTheol Honours).
The option also remains open for one Honours module (30 credits) to be taken in a subject outside Divinity, if the student wishes.
Structure of the Divinity Degrees (MTheol and BD): For the first two years, at First and Second levels, all degrees have the same structure. Students normally take six modules (20 credits each) each year.