DTHEO
Diploma in Theology
Department of Theology · 2 years · 13 courses · 100% online
About this programme
A member sends you a video of a preacher making a striking claim and asks whether it is true. Something in it feels wrong, but you cannot say what, and saying nothing feels worse than saying too much. Sound teaching and confident nonsense often sound alike until you have been taught to tell them apart.
The work here is doctrine, taken slowly and in order, from how God has made himself known through the person and work of Christ to the church and the things still to come. Because doctrine comes from Scripture, the programme also trains you to survey both Testaments and to interpret a passage honestly, which is the skill that decides most arguments. Church history shows where these questions were fought over before, and apologetics gives you a way of answering objections without heat.
You will finish able to weigh what you hear, teach the faith clearly and give reasons for it. Picture the next such video landing in your inbox, and yourself able to say exactly what is wrong with it. Bible teachers, cell leaders and preachers begin here, and the way into degree study in theology runs through it.
13 courses across 4 semesters, about 2 years of study.
Who it is for
Those who want more than a certificate gives: a broader foundation across the subject, taken at a steady pace. It is a natural route towards degree study later.
What you will be able to do
Handle the subject with real competence, teach it to others, and carry responsibility in a local church with a foundation under you.
How you will study
Every course here runs the same way, so you always know where you are.
- Six study modules a course, each with a handout you can read on screen or download.
- Video and audio of the same teaching, for studying while you travel or work.
- A short refresher quiz to open each course. It is not scored, and you may retake it.
- Two tests along the way, then a final examination. The pass mark is 50%.
- Results appear as soon as you submit.
Study is entirely online and at your own pace. Everything works on a phone, and handouts can be downloaded to read without data.
Entry requirements
Open to all. No previous study is required. You must be at least 14 years old.
Fees
Your fees are set out in the admission letter issued to you.
What you will study
13 courses across 4 semesters, drawn from these areas.
- Department of Biblical Studies
- Department of Theology
The full course schedule is issued when you are admitted.