Common Awards
Common Awards are qualifications for ordinands and lay ministers within the Church of England and its partners in the Baptist, Methodist, and United Reformed churches, delivered in a three-way partnership between theological education institutions, the churches, and Durham University.[1][2]
History
[edit]Before 2014, theological education institutions (TEIs) within the Church of England used local universities to validate their qualifications. From September 2014 they have offered awards common across all institutions, validated by Durham University.[3] The Methodist Church was a partner church with the Church of England in the development of the Common Awards.[4] Bristol Baptist College joined the Common Awards in 2014 through a partnership with the Anglican Trinity College Bristol;[5] a second Baptist institution, Luther King House, joined the scheme in 2020.[6] In 2016, the Scottish Episcopal Church joined the scheme, with the Scottish Episcopal Institute becoming one of the TEIs in the programme.[7][8] In 2021, the Church in Wales also joined, with St Padarn's Institute transferring validation for its postgraduate courses from Cardiff University to the Common Awards.[9]
In 2022, St Stephen's House, Oxford was forced to give up its status as a Permanent Private Hall (PPH) of the University of Oxford in order to continue delivering Common Awards as that university decided not to allow a PPH to deliver qualifications from another university.[10]
In 2024, the Common Awards were called "an exercise in the neo-colonial rubrics of bourgeois acceptability politics", in an academic paper by Black theologian Anthony G. Reddie that asked "How can Common Awards support a decolonised and anti-oppressive curriculum given the wider white historic, ecclesial religio-cultural, intellectual framework to which it is beholden?"[11]
Also in 2024, following the decision by Cardiff University to close its LLM in canon law, an MA in theology with a specialism in canon law was launched by St Padarn's Institute within the Common Awards framework.[12][13] From 2025, this became a stand-alone MA in church law within the Common Awards rather than a specialisation within the theology MA.[14]
Description
[edit]The Common Awards include certificates, diplomas and degrees. They provide for ordinands from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, with entry requirements of one A level or equivalent and an allowance for admission based on 'relevant work experience'.[15]
A wide variety of courses are offered at various levels of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ):[16]
- Foundation Award in Theology, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 4; 60 credits)
- Certificate of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 4; 120 credits)
- Certificate of Higher Education in Christian, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 5; 180 credits)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 5; 240 credits)
- BA in Theology, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 6; 360 credits)
- Graduate Certificate in Theology, Ministry and Mission to postgraduate studies (FHEQ level 6; 60 credits)
- Graduate Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission to postgraduate studies (FHEQ level 6; 120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Theology, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 7; 60 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies (FHEQ level 7; 60 credits)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 7; 120 credits)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Chaplaincy Studies (FHEQ level 7; 120 credits)
- MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission (FHEQ level 7; 180 credits)
- MA in Chaplaincy Studies (FHEQ level 7; 180 credits)
- MA in Contemporary Christian Leadership (FHEQ level 7; 180 credits)
Participating institutions
[edit]The Theological Education Institutes (and church affiliations for those without Wikipedia articles) validated by Durham University on the Common Awards as of June 2026[update] are:[17]
- Cambridge Theological Federation
- Cranmer Hall, Durham
- Lindisfarne College of Theology, North Shields (Church of England)[18]
- The Queen's Foundation, Birmingham
- Ripon College Cuddesdon and Oxford Ministry Course, Oxfordshire
- St Mellitus College, London
- St Stephen's House, Oxford
- St Augustine's College of Theology, West Malling, Kent
- Spiritus Theological College, Exeter (Church of England)[19]
- Trinity College with Bristol Baptist College, Bristol
- Yorkshire Theological Education Partnership
- South Central Theological Education Institution, Guildford, Oxford, and Winchester (Church of England)[20]
- Scottish Episcopal Institute
- The Eastern Region Ministry Course, Cambridge
- Luther King Theological College, Manchester (United Reformed Church and Baptist Union of Great Britain)[21]
- St Padarn's Institute, Llandaff
- Emmanuel Theological College, Liverpool and the North West (Church of England)[22]
- Sarum College, Salisbury
- Oak Hill College, London
References
[edit]- ↑ "Common Awards (Theology, Ministry and Mission)". Durham University. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ↑ "The Common Awards in Theology and Ministry" (PDF). University of Durham. October 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ↑ "About the Common Awards". The Church of England. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.
- ↑ "Memorial - Academic and ecumenical relationships in ministerial training" (PDF). The Methodist Conference London 2013: Daily Record No 1 Presbyteral Session. The Methodist Church. 4 July 2013. pp. 55–56.
- ↑ "Higher Education Review (Alternative Providers) of Trinity College Bristol" (PDF). Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. March 2016. p. 4. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2019". Northern Baptist College. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ Pat Ashworth (17 June 2016). "Synod votes against calling for cancellation of Trident". Church Times.
- ↑ "History". Scottish Episcopal Institute. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "Annual Report and Accounts 2021" (PDF). The Church in Wales. p. 12. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ Andy Wei (30 December 2022). "St Stephen's gives up PPH status to exclusively train priests". Cherwell.
- ↑ Anthony G. Reddie (2024). "Beyond a theology of good intentions: Whiteness, patronage and bourgeois respectability in the Methodist Church". International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church. 24 (3): 280–296.
- ↑ Russell Dewhurst (4 June 2024). "A new chapter in the academic study of canon law in Britain". Law & Religion UK. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "MA Theology, Ministry and Mission Canon Law Specialism" (PDF). St Padarn's Institute. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "New MA Church Law degree approved at St Padarn's". Ecclesiastical Law Society. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ Madeleine Davies (25 June 2021). "Ordinands without higher-education qualifications can thrive, say principals of theological colleges". Church Times.
- ↑ "Programme Specifications". Common Awards. Durham University. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ↑ "Our partner Theological Education Institutions (TEIs)". Common Awards. Durham University. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
- ↑ "Who we are". Lindisfarne College of Theology. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "Our Story". Spiritus College. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "South Central TEI". South Central TEI. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "Accredited Ministry Pathways". Luther King Theological College. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "Where we are". Emmanuel Theological College. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
External links
[edit]- Common Awards at Durham University
- National Ministry Team of the Church of England
