Academic Programme

The Institute of Sacred Music at St Stephen’s House Oxford offers a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Worship and Liturgical Studies (120 credits), and a MA in Worship and Liturgical Studies (180 credits) validated by Durham University. The programme can be taught full time (PGDip 1 year / MA 2 years) or part time (PGDip 2 years / MA 3-4 years). Whether full time or part time, each study mode involves distance learning as well as at least one compulsory residential term in Oxford (January – March).

The new postgraduate Common Awards suite in Worship and Liturgical Studies delivered by the Institute of Sacred Music at St Stephen’s House Oxford is tailored to the unique liturgical, academic, and formational experience in college.

The academic programme for the new CA PGDip and MA in Worship and Liturgical Studies at St Stephen’s House is built around three main strengths.

The co-education of church musicians, clergy, lay ministers and academic liturgists alongside each other, thus enabling continuing professional development across different subjects.
Contextual learning and supervised placement experiences in worship and liturgical settings at St Stephen’s House, including reflective practice and personal development.
Networking between partner organisations and the wider Oxford context for reflective learning in liturgical practice and music ministry.

Further details about the programme

All candidates take five mandatory modules in addition to an Independent Learning Project. There is natural overlap of some modules with our resident ordinand community, ‘Research and Reflection: Resources and Methods’ and ‘Specialist Themes in Christian Worship’ benefitting from shared teaching.

1. Research and Reflection: Resources and Methods

An introduction to required and recommended resources and to methodology.
Assessment comes in the form of two 3000-word written assignments, one of which is reflective upon seminar presentations.

2. Reflective Practice: Christian Worship

A practice-based study based of plainchant (in English and Latin) and liturgical polyphony, with self-reflective analysis. Learning methods incorporate worship in St Stephen’s House generated by the student cohort based on the service of Matins.
The module is assessed on a 6000-word Portfolio based on supervised placement.

3. Words and Music in Worship

A study of the ways in which music interacts with words to influence meaning, understanding and spirituality. Learning methods incorporate directed observational work of choral worship, especially of Choral Evensong.
This module is assessed on a 3000-word reflective journal and a thirty-minute oral presentation.

4. Christian Worship and Human Community

A study of the way in which music draws from and informs human communities, adults and children. This module is delivered in partnership with the Royal School of Church Music in the form of ten, two-hour lecture-seminars (‘The RSCM Lectures’).
Assessment is via a 5000-word essay.

5. Specialist Themes in Christian Worship

A history and introduction to liturgical theology and liturgical movements, with topics including ‘Liturgy and Architecture’ and ‘Liturgy and Music’.
The module is assessed through a 5000-word essay.

All candidates must also elect to undertake an Independent Learning Project on an agreed subject or, exceptionally, will take an additional module in moral or sacramental theology.

Candidates for the MA will additionally write a 12,000-word dissertation on a title and abstract developed by the candidate in conjunction with college tutors and agreed by the board of examiners.

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Admission requirements

PGDip & MA in WLS

The admissions requirement for the PGDip and MA in Worship and Liturgical Studies is normally an upper second-class Honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed course of study. Normally students will need a good degree (or other level 6 qualification, such as a Graduate Diploma) in theology, although graduates (classed as first-class or 2:1 honours) in other disciplines with experience of Theology or Religious Studies to at least undergraduate Certificate level (awarded with credit or distinction, or with an overall mark of at least 60%) may also be admitted to the programme.

For candidates from international universities with non-UK qualifications, equivalent level of an upper 2:1 in line with the CA NARCIC licence applies.

Given its professional development orientation, students are likely to be preparing for a ministerial or related vocation or be actively engaged in such a profession. In general, up to a maximum of 60 credits of accredited prior learning may be granted to students who have evidence of, or can demonstrate learning that fulfils, the relevant learning outcomes of the Master’s programme (by completing a portfolio of work, for example).

Students for whom English is their second language should have achieved a score of 7.0 with no component under 6.5 in an IELTS examination, or equivalent.

Schematic overview full time

Year 1

Module Code	Module Title	Level	Credits	Assessment Method	MT all online	HT all in person	TT optional, in person or online	Submission date
3561	Specialist Themes in Christian Worship	6	20	100%: written assignment (5,000 words) OR agreed equivalent	5x 2h	5x 2h		12 noon 1^st September
42220	Research and Reflection: Resources and Methods	7	20	Component 1: 50%: written assignment (3,000 words) Component 2: 50%: written theological reflection (3,000 words)	5x 2h	5x 2h		12 noon 1^st September
43920	Independent Learning Project (long)	7	20	100%: ILP (5,000 words)			4 hrs supervision	12 noon 1^st September
44520	Christian Worship and Human Community	7	20	100%: written assignment (5,000 words)	10x 2h			12 noon on Friday 0th Week of Hilary Term (early January)
43420	Reflective Practice: Christian Worship	7	20	100%: portfolio (6,000 words)	8x 1h	8x 1/2h + 8x 1h placement context		12 noon on Friday 0th Week of Trinity Term (mid April)
43120	Words and Music in Worship	7	20	Component 1: Reflective Journal, 50% 3,000 words Component 2: Oral Presentation with 1,000 word rationale, 50%	8x 1h	6x 2h		12 noon on Friday 0th Week of Trinity Term (mid April)

Year 2

Module Code	Module Title	Level	Credits	Assessment Method	MT all online	HT all in person	TT optional, in person or online	Submission date
42360	Dissertation in Theology, Ministry and Mission	7	20	100%: written assignment (12,000 words) OR agreed equivalent			6 hrs supervision	12 noon 1^st September

Schematic overview part time

Year 1

Module Code	Module Title	Level	Credits	Assessment Method	MT all online	HT all in person	TT optional, in person or online	Submission date
3561	Specialist Themes in Christian Worship	6	20	100%: written assignment (5,000 words) OR agreed equivalent	5x 2h	5x 2h		12 noon 1^st September
42220	Research and Reflection: Resources and Methods	7	20	Component 1: 50%: written assignment (3,000 words) Component 2: 50%: written theological reflection (3,000 words)	5x 2h	5x 2h		12 noon 1^st September
43920	Independent Learning Project (long)	7	20	100%: ILP (5,000 words)			4 hrs supervision	12 noon 1^st September

Year 2

Module Code	Module Title	Level	Credits	Assessment Method	MT all online	HT all in person	Submission date
44520	Christian Worship and Human Community	7	20	100%: written assignment (5,000 words)	10x 2h		12 noon on Friday 0th Week of Hilary Term (early January)
43420	Reflective Practice: Christian Worship	7	20	100%: portfolio (6,000 words)	8x 1h	8x 1/2h + 8x 1h placement context	12 noon on Friday 0th Week of Trinity Term (mid April)
43120	Words and Music in Worship	7	20	Component 1: Reflective Journal, 50% 3,000 words Component 2: Oral Presentation with 1,000 word rationale, 50%	8x 1h	6x 2h	12 noon on Friday 0th Week of Trinity Term (mid April)

Year 3 / or 3 & 4

Module Code	Module Title	Level	Credits	Assessment Method	MT all online	HT all in person	TT optional, in person or online	Submission date
42360	Dissertation in Theology, Ministry and Mission	7	20	100%: written assignment (12,000 words) OR agreed equivalent			6 hrs supervision	12 noon 1^st September