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Take a learning journey

Home Ministry Independent Study Postgraduate study in Theology, Ministry and Mission

Join us

for rigorous postgraduate level study in a supportive community of discussion, debate and mutual learning where you will learn advanced skills of discernment, reflexivity and reflection on practice.

Independent students can study for awards on flexible pathways to suit a range of circumstances. These programmes are well-suited to curates, continuing ministerial development and lay ministers.

Pathways are flexible so you can tailor the course to your particular ministry and learning and formational needs.

These pathways are validated through Common Awards at Durham University.

This course has offered me a great space to broaden my understanding of my faith and how I live that out in the world. I’ve enjoyed good collegiality with others on the course as we journey together. The lecturers are supportive and responsive to the questions and challenges I’ve had while grappling with tricky subjects.

Ella, an independent MA student

Dr Beth Dodd introduces the Postgraduate Programmes in Theology, Ministry and Mission. Click on image at right to view video.

Imaginative and practical

All students study advanced skills in theological reflection and research methods. Other module options include modern theology, advanced biblical studies, mission and ecclesiology, worship and liturgy, an extended placement, leadership and an independent learning project.

Programmes offer scope to develop areas of interest within and between modules. MA students can cultivate a specialism and develop independent research skills through the dissertation.

Beth_Dodd
Dr Beth Dodd, Programme Leader for Postgraduate Programmes in Theology, Ministry and Mission

I have taught in theological education since 2012, taking various roles across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as a programme leader and director of studies. I teach Christian doctrine and specialise in theology, arts and culture. A child of the manse and daughter of the Lake District fells, the stomping ground of Wordsworth and Coleridge, I bring a poetic sensibility to my writing, which focuses on what poetry can teach us about the ‘grammar’ of Christian theology and the experience and practice of Christian faith. I have a passion for retrieving neglected or devalued ideas, recovering the beauty that once made them powerful and reimagining them for a contemporary context. Previous publications focussed on a Christian theology of innocence while my forthcoming book takes a step beyond narrative theology and theodramatic theory to explore the lyric voice in Christian theology. I have published on spoken word artists such as Kae Tempest and Tony Walsh alongside religious poets like John Clare, George Herbert and Thomas Traherne.

As well as programme leader for postgraduate programmes in theology, ministry and mission at Sarum College, I am also a research associate for the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture.

I am available to supervise research projects and offer teaching sessions, study days and retreats in the areas of Christian doctrine, theology, arts and culture and theological reflection.

View full biography 

Why choose Sarum College for postgraduate study in Theology, Ministry and Mission?

This course has given me space to broaden my understanding of my faith and how I live that out in the world. I’ve enjoyed warm collegiality with fellow students as we journey together. The lecturers are supportive and responsive to the questions and challenges I’ve had while grappling with tricky subjects.

 – Ella (independent MA student)

  • The programme is guided by the Sarum Ministry vision and values, fostering a community of learning that is rooted in rigorous engagement with scripture and tradition, equipped for ministry and mission in the church of tomorrow, and responding with creativity and imagination to the blessings and challenges of a diverse and changing world.
  • Our learning is integrated, contextual and community-focussed. This means that all of our modules closely integrate reading, reflection, experience and practice, empowering you to develop in your spiritual, vocational or ministerial journey as an integral part of the programme. We learn together as a community, valuing each other and learning from our differences.
  • The balance of online learning, resources and seminars, and residential teaching in college, gives you the opportunity to study when, how and where you want, while also maintaining a close connection with your peers and the college community. Access to the college library is an excellent resource for ongoing support.
  • Flexibility is built into the programme to fit around the pressures of work, life and ministry. Extensions and interruptions of study are also possible for unexpected pressures and circumstances.
The Programme

Postgraduate study in Theology Ministry and Mission includes three options:

Postgraduate Certificate [60 credits]

Postgraduate Diploma [120 credits]

Masters Degree [180 credits].

All programmes are validated through Common Awards at the University of Durham.

View the modules list

Overview of TMM MA Pathways (indicative 2025-26 academic year)

Entry requirements & awards

Normally, those who have successfully completed a BA degree with a 2:1or higher, or an equivalent qualification, in a relevant subject. It recommended that students have a good degree (or other Level 6 qualification, such as a Graduate Diploma) in theology. Graduates in other disciplines with a 2:1or higher, with experience of Theology or Religious Studies to at least FHEQ Level 4 (undergraduate Certificate level, awarded with credit or distinction, or with an overall mark of at least 60%) may also be admitted to the programme.

However, especially for mature students, prior professional experience will be taken into account as well as educational qualifications, particularly for those actively engaged in a church based context. Please contact us to discuss this further, edodd@sarum.ac.uk

Enquiries are welcome for an Autumn 2026 start.

How you learn

Sarum College offers flexible, part-time study with personal attention so that every student thrives, working to fit alongside other personal and professional responsibilities.

Independent students join a mixed learning community of people either active in or training for public ministry. There is regular online interaction with tutors and peers.

This study programme suits people who are happy to learn online in addition to Saturday teaching days. Weekly seminars offer regular contact and teaching support.

The programme emphasis is on developing skills of reflection and practice alongside academic rigour, reflecting on your ministry and your local church context.

A great place to study

You will enjoy the many resources of Sarum College in the wonderful setting of Cathedral Close in Salisbury.

Lovely food cooked and served on site, and the Common Room provides a bar and informal space for continued conversation into the evening.

Teaching rooms combine historic architecture with high tech classroom resources for digital presentations and live-streamed events. The library is well-stocked with access to a large catalogue of books and journals, and you can make use of it when you like. Some use the library outside of residential periods if they are passing for work or as a study day.

Staff provide you with pastoral and academic support when at college or at home, as well as teaching on the modules. Other experts supplement the teaching programme with specialist knowledge as required.

Fees

Fees will differ according to the speed at which you take modules and the pathway you follow. Please contact us to discuss.

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  • Sarum College & Salisbury Cathedral

Discover Sarum

Find out more

The Ministry team

The Revd Canon Professor James Woodward

Principal, Sarum College

Read more

Beth_Dodd

Dr Beth Dodd

Programme Leader for Postgraduate Programmes in Theology, Ministry and Mission

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The Revd Paul Burden

Academic Dean

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The Revd Anna Bishop

Programme Leader, Short Courses & Exploring Theology programmes

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Ian Macdonald

Tutor in Mission

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Jacquie Gallon

Ministry Registrar and PA to Principal

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The Revd Jo Neary

Tutor in Rural Ministry and Mission

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Upcoming short courses

Clare of Assisi and Female Expressions of Franciscan Spirituality and Theology

23 July 2025

Francis of Assisi dominates our understanding of Christian spirituality emerging from the Middle Ages. Perhaps ...

View course

New Testament Greek in a Week (2025)

11 August 2025

The New Testament, Christianity’s founding collection of writings, has played a major role in ...

View course

Relocating Religion: Cultural and Spiritual Re-Alignments (2025)

08 September 2025

This course is primarily concerned with equivocations and uncertainties that surround the concepts and practices ...

View course

Modern Mystics: Edith Stein

22 September 2025

The first webinar in the series is led by Professor Peter Tyler on the German ...

View course
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Riveting!

Book of Revelation course

Someone on the course said it was ‘riveting!’ This was exactly what I felt. The course was a total joy because of the tutor’s handouts, excellence and Sarum College hospitality.
Mark Oakley

Faith is an imaginative adventure

The Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley

I admire the work and tone of Sarum College very deeply. It is a community that takes theology and spirituality seriously, not as hobbies but as pursuits into understanding, and engaging in, a complex world.

Sarum College reminds us that faith is an imaginative adventure and that it is shaped by a questioning joy.

Vibrant approach to theology

Fr Azariah France-Williams

I’ve been particularly struck by the refreshing approach to theological education here. In a world, and indeed within parts of the church, where faith can sometimes feel stagnant or out of touch, Sarum offers a vibrant and relevant alternative. The courses encourage a bold exploration of profound ideas, connecting with truths that lie beneath the surface and fostering genuine personal growth, which feels particularly significant as I approach my 50th year. This counter-cultural spirit, which embraces depth and challenges ageism and fear, is truly remarkable. Sarum is a place where individuals can be transformed by engaging with a living and breathing faith.

 

 

Well worth taking the time

Disability Theology: Theory and Practice

I took time to attend the course out of a busy working week and it was well worth taking that time. I have so many things to ponder and reflect on from this course and a helpful further reading list to keep me going for a few months! Thank you Sarum College

 

Netflix, Theology and Pastoral Practice

Peter Butchers on his MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture student experience

How do cultural tropes, like those found in Black Mirror, help bridge the gap between what academic theology espouses and what the everyday Christian believes? In his research as a student on the MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture, Peter Butchers explored platonic philosophy, digital theology and eschatology, and pastoral practice around death and dying.

Read more 

Rewarding Sabbatical Stay

The Revd Greg Syler, is Rector of Ascension & St. George’s, Resurrection Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC USA, spent part of his ministry sabbatical at Sarum College in spring 2022.

His account of the experience begins: ‘I loved spending nearly three weeks of my ministry sabbatical at Sarum College earlier this year.

Not only did I rest, and rest well in the comfortable care of the Sarum College staff, I experienced very significant renewal and fresh insights.’

Read more

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