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Postgraduate Diploma in Theology and Religion

General Regulations

  • 1. It shall be lawful for the Board of the Faculty of Theology and Religion to grant Postgraduate Diplomas in Theology to candidates who have satisfied the conditions prescribed in this Section.

  • 2. The examination shall be under the supervision of the Board of the Faculty of Theology and Religion.

  • 3. Subject to the provisions of this Section, any member of the University who has obtained the leave of the Board of the Faculty of Theology and Religion normally may be admitted to the examination for the Postgraduate Diploma in Theology and Religion provided that they have passed all the examinations required for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts and have obtained First or upper Second Class Honours in the Second Public Examination, or have attained such honours in a degree examination of another university, such university having been approved by Council for the purposes of Senior Status.

  • 4. Applications for leave under cl. 3 shall be sent to the Registrar, through the Head or tutor of the college to which the applicant belongs or desires to belong. The board shall have power to determine the character and length of a course of study in Theology and Religion to be followed by the applicant before they may be admitted to the examination.

  • 5. The examiners may award a distinction in any subject in the examination.

  • 6. A student reading for the diploma who is not a graduate of the University shall wear the same gown as that worn by Students for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Special Regulations

  • 1. Every candidate is required to follow for at least three terms a course of instruction in Theology and Religion, and they will, when they enter their name for the examination, be required to produce from their College a certificate showing that they are following a course of instruction in Theology and Religion for at least three terms.

  • 2. Candidates may complete the course either in nine months as a full-time student, or in twenty-one months as a part-time student.

  • 3. All candidates will be required to offer three papers (and not more than four) from those which may be offered for the Final Honour School of Theology and Religion, apart from the thesis.

  • 4. Part-time students will study two papers in their first year of study, and the third (and fourth, if this option is chosen) in their second year of study. The examination will be in Trinity Term in the second year of study.

  • 5. Candidates may choose to offer either two short essays of 3,000 to 4,000 words or one long essay of 7,000 to 8,000 words in place of the written examination for one of their chosen papers, if that paper is normally assessed by written examination only. The essay word limit is inclusive of notes and appendices, but excludes the bibliography.

  • 6. Candidates offering three papers must be assessed by written examination for at least one paper or part of one paper. Candidates offering four papers must be assessed by written examination for at least two papers or part of two papers. 

  • 7. The final mark for the award will be calculated as the average of the three best papers.

  • 8. Any candidate may be examined viva voce.

Regulations concerning essays

Candidates may choose to submit either two short essays or one long essay in place of an exam for one of their chosen papers; information on restriction on topics and methodology is published in the course handbook.

Essays must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by 12 noon on the Friday of the first week of Trinity Term (or noon on the Friday of the first week of the candidate's second Trinity Term in the case of part-time students).