Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor of Arts in Theology, Ministry and Mission
ERMC offers four main pathways for academic learning – and lots of other permutations to fit with students’ individual backgrounds and circumstances.
Most of our Licensed Lay Ministry and Lay Reader students graduate with the Certificate of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission (CertHE). This is the equivalent of the first year of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.
Those with no previous formal theological education who are training for ordained ministry usually study for the Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), which is equivalent to the first two years of a three-year BA programme. Some Reader/LLM students also choose to complete the Diploma after their licensing as part of their continuing education, though this is entirely optional.
If you have a good first degree in a humanities subject or have some previous theological study, you might be able to jump straight to the third year of a theology degree course, which would give you a Graduate Diploma. If you already have a relatively recent Diploma of Higher Education, then this third year will allow you to graduate with a BA. Some people also choose to continue to study with us during their curacy in order to be awarded a full degree.
Finally, if you already have a theology degree when you begin training, then studying for a Master of Arts (MA) is likely to be the best option for you.
All these qualifications are validated by Durham University as part of the Church of England’s Common Awards programme for ministerial training, which ensures that learning is robust, vocational and of the same standard throughout the country.
The Diploma of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission (DipHE) modules are delivered partly at residential weekends and partly through evening classes. Evening classes happen at our centres in St Albans, Cambridge and Norwich. If you are unable attend one of these centres you can join our online classroom. Learning at all the Centres follows the same programme and staff meet regularly to ensure parity across the Region. The classes are enhanced by internet-based resources and a common Virtual Learning Environment especially adapted for ERMC. As fewer students take the Graduate Diploma (GDip), some of the evening classes will be offered in the centres, but many will be online to ensure a good-sized cohort and the best learning experience.
We teach theology, ministry and mission as an applied course right from the beginning. You will be helped to make connections between your ministry experience and the academic course content. At the residential weekends you will study subjects such a preaching and worship, reflective practice, and adult education and leadership. The evening classes cover subject such as Bible, Doctrine, Pastoral Care, Ethics and Spirituality. First year LLMs in training from the Diocese of Norwich also join us for a week-long summer school in August. Click here to download sample course outlines.