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Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology

GENERAL REGULATIONS 

  • 1. The examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology shall be under the supervision of the Continuing Education Board, which shall have power, subject to the approval of the Education Committee, to make regulations governing the examination.

  • 2. Any person who has been admitted under the provisions of this section as a Student for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology, who has satisfied the conditions prescribed in this section, and who has satisfied the examiners for the degree, may supplicate for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology.

  • 3. No full-time student for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology shall be granted leave to supplicate unless, after admission, they have kept statutory residence and pursued their course of study at Oxford for at least nine terms. Time spent outside Oxford while registered as a student for the Undergraduate Certificate in Theological Studies or as part of an academic programme approved by the Continuing Education Board shall count towards residence for the purposes of this clause. No full-time student for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology shall retain that status for more than twelve terms in all.

  • 4. A student who takes the degree by two years of full-time study and the remainder by means of part-time study shall retain the status of Student for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology for no more than fifteen terms. A student who takes the degree by one year of full-time study and the remainder by means of part-time study shall retain that status for no more than eighteen terms. A student who takes the degree wholly part-time shall retain that status for no more than twenty-one terms.

  • 5. A student may transfer from full-time to part-time status or vice versa with the approval of the Continuing Education Board.

  • 6. Part-time students shall not be required to keep statutory residence, but must attend for such instruction at their Hall for such times as shall be required by the Continuing Education Board.

  • 7. Candidates may be permitted under certain circumstances to suspend status for a maximum of six terms. When a student is entered as a candidate in an examination following return from suspension of status within six terms of the term in which they were originally due to be examined, they shall be entitled to be examined in accordance with the regulations pertaining at the time at which they received teaching for the examination.

  • 8. Candidates for this degree may be admitted by such Permanent Private Halls as have been granted permission to do so.

  • 9. The Registrar shall keep a register of all candidates so admitted.

SPECIAL REGULATIONS

A

  • 1. Candidates may be admitted either onto Part 1 or directly onto Part 2 of the course. Admission directly onto Part 2 is at the discretion of the Continuing Education Board, and candidates so admitted will normally be expected to have satisfactorily completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Theological Studies. Applications for dispensation from this requirement will be considered, in exceptional circumstances only, by the Board. To be dispensed from this requirement, candidates must demonstrate that they have undertaken equivalent study to an equivalent standard. Where candidates are admitted on the basis of having completed the Undergraduate Certificate, work done for the Certificate will be deemed to be work done for the Bachelor of Theology.

  • 2. Part 1 is available on a full time basis over three terms and on a part time basis over six terms. Part 2 is available on a wholly full time basis over six terms and on a wholly part time basis over twelve terms.

  • 3. No candidate may attempt Part 2 until they have either satisfactorily completed or have been dispensed from Part 1.

  • 4. For any candidate who is successful in the examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology, and who has already successfully completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Theological Studies (and for the Bachelor of Theology examination has incorporated the assignments submitted for the Undergraduate Certificate) the Degree will subsume their Certificate.

  • 5. Any candidate who has successfully completed Part 1 and who does not either proceed to, or successfully complete, at least six papers from Part 2, and who has not previously successfully completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Theological Studies shall be awarded the Certificate.

  • 6. Any candidate who has successfully completed:

    • i. Either Part 1 of the Bachelor of Theology

    • or the Undergraduate Certificate in Theological Studies; and

    • ii. at least six papers from Part 2

  • and does not proceed to, or successfully complete, Part 2, shall be awarded the Undergraduate Diploma in Theological Studies. The Undergraduate Diploma shall subsume the Undergraduate Certificate.

B

Part 1

  • 7. Every candidate will be required to satisfy the examiners in written assignments or examination papers, format as specified in the course handbook, for six papers to include:

    • i. Each of papers A1 to A4 from Part 1 of the Schedule;

    • ii. Two further papers from Part 1 of the same Schedule, at least one of which must be selected from Papers A5 to A8.

  • The written work, videos and other recordings will be submitted via the University approved online assessment platform, in accordance with the instructions in the course handbook.

  • 8. Full-time students must submit or be examined in at least two papers by the end of Hilary Full term, at least two papers by the end of Trinity Full term and the remainder by the Long Vacation submission deadline. Part-time students must submit or be examined in three papers in year 1 and three papers in year 2 with at least one paper by the end of Hilary Full term each year, at least one paper by the end of Trinity Full term each year and the remaining papers for the year by the Long Vacation submission deadline. The exact dates will be published in the course handbook at the beginning of each academic year.

  • 9. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in the written work or the examinations under 7. will be permitted to resubmit work in respect of part or parts of the examination which they have failed, on not more than one occasion, which shall normally be within one year of the initial failure.

Part 2

  • 10. Every candidate will be required to satisfy the examiners in written assignments or examination papers, format as specified in the course handbook, for a further twelve papers (or equivalent) to include at least one from each of Sections B, C, D, and E of the Part 2 Schedule.

  • Titles for papers must be agreed by a sub-committee of the BTh Suite Committee for dissertations or projects under Section E, and for assignments submitted under Sections B, C or D where the candidate departs from the list provided. Instructions for gaining approval are provided in the course handbook.

  • Candidates who do not submit titles for approval by the deadline given in the course handbook may be allocated a title by the BTh Suite Committee.
  •  
  • Paper A9 or A10 from Part 1 of the Schedule may be offered unless already offered for the Undergraduate Certificate. Papers B6 and B7 may normally only be offered if Paper A9 or A10 respectively were offered for the Undergraduate Certificate.
  •  
  • The written work, videos and other recordings will be submitted via the University approved online assessment platform, in accordance with the instructions in the course handbook.
  •  
  • 11. In each year of Part 2, full-time students must submit or be examined in at least two papers by the end of Hilary Full term, at least two papers by the end of Trinity Full term and the remainder of papers for the year by the Long Vacation submission deadline. Part-time students must submit three papers in each year of Part 2 with at least one paper by the end of Hilary Full term each year, at least one paper by the end of Trinity Full term each year and the remaining papers for the year by the Long Vacation submission deadline. The exact dates will be published in the course handbook at the beginning of each academic year.
  • 12. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in the written work or the examinations under 10 will be permitted to resubmit work in respect of the paper or papers of the examination which they have failed, on not more than one occasion, which shall normally be within one year of the initial failure.

  • 13. Candidates may be required to attend a viva voce examination at the end of the course.

Schedule of Papers

[Note: Not all options may be available in any one year]

Part One:

Section A: Introductory papers

A1 Introduction to the Old Testament

A2 Introduction to the New Testament

A3 The History of the Church

A4 Introduction to Christian Doctrine

A5 Christianity in the Contemporary World

A6 Introduction to Ministry and Worship

A7 Introduction to Christian Faith and Philosophy

A8 Introduction to Christian Faith and Science

A9 Elementary Biblical Hebrew

A10 Elementary Biblical Greek

Part Two:

Section B: Biblical Studies

B1 Further Studies in the Old Testament

B2 Further Studies in the New Testament

B3 Biblical Interpretation

B4 An Old Testament Book

B5 A New Testament Book

B6 Advanced Old Testament Hebrew

B7 Advanced New Testament Greek

Section C: History and Doctrine

C1 Issues in Church History

C2 Issues in Christian Doctrine

C3 Ecclesiology

C4 Theologies of Salvation

C5 A Special Theologian

Section D: Practical Theology and Religious Studies

D1 Issues in Christian Ministry

D2 The Person and Role of an Ordained Minister

D3 Christian Ethics

D4 Issues in Mission

D5 Issues in Christian Worship

D6 Issues in Christian Spirituality

D7 World Religions

D8 Philosophical Theology

D9 Issues in Christian Faith and Science

D10 Christian Faith and Psychology

Section E: Independent Study

E1 Dissertation (counts as 2 papers)

E2 Project (counts as 2 papers)