Postgraduate courses

Postgraduate courses

Postgraduate courses

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Develop as a passionate, articulate and prayerful advocate for the mission of God. Discover how to be more generous, open and empathetic in engaging and cooperating with others in and beyond the church.

Our training is designed to prepare you for roles in pioneering leadership, community projects and innovative ministry. 

The postgraduate programme is taught on Tuesdays with the following awards, validated by Durham University as part of the Common Awards (except for the DTh delivered in collaboration with the University of Roehampton):

  • Certificate – the first year of a master’s
  • Diploma – the first and second years of a master’s
  • MA – the first and second years of a master’s, with a dissertation
  • DTh – Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology

Postgraduate study is

  • Foundational: Build a solid theological foundation for mission and ministry, especially around pioneering mission outside of a church context.
  • Focused: You can choose an alternative focus from the standard pioneering pathway:
  • Relevant: Invest in a programme designed to complement your mission practice and fit into your life!
  • Transferable: If you decide to pursue further study, you can apply through the University of Roehampton to do the Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology (DTh) or a PhD.

We believe “everyone has a piece of the wisdom” and you’ll experience lively discussion, video content and group work as we learn together.

We look at theology in everyday settings: ministry and mission inside and outside the church. We’ll think about how to be innovative and adaptive so we can engage and serve effectively in diverse communities. 

Is it for me?

Students who take this programme are often…

  • seeking to grow in confidence in their pioneer practice and ministry
  • wanting a theological language to explain their pioneering
  • needing tools and resources to sustain them
  • preparing for a specific job or vocation
  • pursuing personal growth

“It has helped me knock down walls that I had built around my own heart, to see more clearly the fields that are before me, and helped to fill me with new courage and determination.”

Angel, MA (African Christianity route)

Application requirements:

You will normally need an upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed study. We do also take your life experience into account. If your undergraduate degree is not in theology, you will likely be required to complete our one-year undergraduate certificate in theology first. You also need to have a good level of spoken and written English.

Our awards are designed to complement your pioneer mission practice. Therefore it is desirable, but not essential, for you to have a mission context, be that paid or voluntary. All assessments give you the opportunity to apply your learning directly to your context.

Programme structure

PG Certificate
  • Entry requirement: normally an upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed study
  • Credits: 60
  • Duration: 
    • full-time: one academic year (a full-time course load is equivalent to five teaching days each term)
    • part-time: two academic years
  • Location: Oxford and online (pioneer route) / fully online (African and Asian Christianity routes)
  • Assessment: Not just essays! We offer the option to complete assignments in all sorts of creative formats. In order to graduate from this programme you will need to successfully complete 60 credits (three modules) with a minimum grade of 50%. If, for whatever reason, the academic assessment is not possible for you there is an option to complete the course as an audit student.
  • Cost: Please see our fee structure. An annual bursary of up to £500 is available to apply for.
PG Diploma
  • Entry requirement: normally an upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed study
  • Credits: 120
  • Duration: 
    • full-time: two academic years (a full-time course load is equivalent to five teaching days each term)
    • part-time: three or four academic years.
  • Location: Oxford and online (pioneer route) / fully online (African and Asian Christianity routes)
  • Assessment: Not just essays! We offer the option to complete assignments in all sorts of creative formats. In order to graduate from this programme you will need to successfully complete 120 credits (six modules) with a minimum grade of 50%. If, for whatever reason, the academic assessment is not possible for you there is an option to complete the course as an audit student.
  • Cost: Please see our fee structure. An annual bursary of up to £500 is available to apply for.
MA
  • Entry requirement: normally an upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed study
  • Credits: 180
  • Duration: 
    • part-time: two, three or four academic years.
  • Location: Oxford and online (pioneer route) / fully online (African and Asian Christianity routes)
  • Assessment: Not just essays! We offer the option to complete assignments in all sorts of creative formats. In order to graduate from this programme you will need to successfully complete 180 credits (six modules, plus a dissertation) with a minimum grade of 50%. If, for whatever reason, the academic assessment is not possible for you there is an option to complete the course as an audit student.
  • Cost: Please see our fee structure. An annual bursary of up to £500 is available to apply for.
DTh

CMS is co-working alongside colleagues at the University of Roehampton, and encourages MA graduates who wish to develop their studies further to consider Roehampton’s DTh in Practical Theology.

Our vision is to create a welcoming and creative research community into pioneering mission where students can not only research current praxis and trends but also innovate and incubate ideas for mission into the future.

  • Entry requirement: normally a Master’s degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed study.

    Prior to application you need to have a good idea of the topic you ultimately wish to write on. You may like to think about the following questions:
    • What do you want to research?
    • What is the point?
    • How will you do it?
    • Have you done some reading in this area?
    • Do you have some professional experience in this area?
    • What will be the impact of this research?
  • Duration: The programme consists of four modules taught over the first two years of the programme, followed by a dissertation. The modules are usually taught on three Thursdays per semester. The degree usually takes six years to complete.
  • Location: Roehampton. We also offer separate sessions at CMS for our CMS cohort of students.
  • Cost: Please see the Roehampton website for the up-to-date fees.

Modules

PG Certificate

Choose three from the following modules (some may be mandatory depending on the route you are following (eg, African Christianity, Asian Christianity):

Anthropology and Christian Mission

An introduction to culture, context and worldview. You will develop your own reflexive capacity in relation to your cultural background and behaviour.

Advanced Topic in Church History

Study a particular era of church history with special reference to Asia.

Advanced Topic in Church History

Study a particular era of church history with special reference to Africa.

Christianity and Indigenous Religions

Undertake an in-depth study of an indigenous religious tradition from the Global South, how such a religious tradition relates to culture and shapes a people’s identity, and how it finds expression in orality, rituals and artistic forms using music and dance.

Global Pentecostalism

Engage in a systematic and comprehensive study of the nature of Pentecostal and charismatic types of Christianity.

Reflective Practice: Mission and Evangelism

Gain a solid grasp of missiology and engage with current mission issues as you explore of themes and metaphors. This module will also help you to reflect missiologically on your own context and experience.

Reflective Practice: Leadership and Collaboration

Equips you to discern appropriate models of leadership and evaluate your own experience in leadership. Material is drawn from both secular and Christian contexts.

Mission Ecclesiology in a Contemporary Context

Explore the role and mission of the church both historically and in the contemporary world, bringing your experience into conversation with various perspectives.

Research and Reflection: Resources and Methods

An introduction to various research methods and approaches to theological reflection. There will be an opportunity to design a research project.

Theologies in Global Perspective

Engage in theology in current global perspectives on the Bible, faith and mission.

PG Diploma

Choose six from the following modules (some may be mandatory depending on the route you are following (eg, African Christianity, Asian Christianity):

Anthropology and Christian Mission

An introduction to culture, context and worldview. You will develop your own reflexive capacity in relation to your cultural background and behaviour.

Advanced Topic in Church History

Study a particular era of church history with special reference to Asia.

Advanced Topic in Church History

Study a particular era of church history with special reference to Africa.

Christianity and Indigenous Religions

Undertake an in-depth study of an indigenous religious tradition from the Global South, how such a religious tradition relates to culture and shapes a people’s identity, and how it finds expression in orality, rituals and artistic forms using music and dance.

Global Pentecostalism

Engage in a systematic and comprehensive study of the nature of Pentecostal and charismatic types of Christianity.

Reflective Practice: Mission and Evangelism

Gain a solid grasp of missiology and engage with current mission issues as you explore of themes and metaphors. This module will also help you to reflect missiologically on your own context and experience.

Reflective Practice: Leadership and Collaboration

Equips you to discern appropriate models of leadership and evaluate your own experience in leadership. Material is drawn from both secular and Christian contexts.

Mission Ecclesiology in a Contemporary Context

Explore the role and mission of the church both historically and in the contemporary world, bringing your experience into conversation with various perspectives.

Research and Reflection: Resources and Methods

An introduction to various research methods and approaches to theological reflection. There will be an opportunity to design a research project.

Theologies in Global Perspective

Engage in theology in current global perspectives on the Bible, faith and mission.

MA

Choose six from the following modules, plus the dissertation (some may be mandatory depending on the route you are following (eg, African Christianity, Asian Christianity):

Anthropology and Christian Mission

An introduction to culture, context and worldview. You will develop your own reflexive capacity in relation to your cultural background and behaviour.

Advanced Topic in Church History

Study a particular era of church history with special reference to Asia.

Advanced Topic in Church History

Study a particular era of church history with special reference to Africa.

Christianity and Indigenous Religions

Undertake an in-depth study of an indigenous religious tradition from the Global South, how such a religious tradition relates to culture and shapes a people’s identity, and how it finds expression in orality, rituals and artistic forms using music and dance.

Global Pentecostalism

Engage in a systematic and comprehensive study of the nature of Pentecostal and charismatic types of Christianity.

Reflective Practice: Mission and Evangelism

Gain a solid grasp of missiology and engage with current mission issues as you explore of themes and metaphors. This module will also help you to reflect missiologically on your own context and experience.

Reflective Practice: Leadership and Collaboration

Equips you to discern appropriate models of leadership and evaluate your own experience in leadership. Material is drawn from both secular and Christian contexts.

Mission Ecclesiology in a Contemporary Context

Explore the role and mission of the church both historically and in the contemporary world, bringing your experience into conversation with various perspectives.

Research and Reflection: Resources and Methods

An introduction to various research methods and approaches to theological reflection. There will be an opportunity to design a research project.

Theologies in Global Perspective

Engage in theology in current global perspectives on the Bible, faith and mission.

Dissertation

A piece of work of 12,000 to 15,000 words which enables you to follow an area of interest in depth.

DTh

You need to complete these four modules over two years, plus a 60,000 word dissertation.

Publishable article

An original article suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal

Research Design (1): Literature Review and Research Questions

Hone your research question and write your literature review

Research Design (2): Methodology and Research Proposal

Finalise your proposal

Advanced Questions in Practical Theology

Equipping you with the academic tools you need to complete your doctoral research

Full details available on the Roehampton University website

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