September 2025

Newman Certificate in Catholic Studies (NCCS)

Short Course, September 2025

Key Details

  • Years
  • TBC Typical UCAS Tariff
Theology Lecture

Please note – we will not be accepting applications for this course until June 2022

The Newman Certificate in Catholic Studies is for anybody interested in learning more about the Catholic faith and will require full attendance and participation in taught sessions. Participants on the course will attend classes alongside students studying for the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS). However, unlike the CCRS course, the Newman Certificate in Catholic Studies does not require any coursework for assessment. The course runs over two years in the Autumn and Spring terms.

Please note that the Newman Certificate in Catholic Studies is NOT a replacement or equivalent for CCRS that is delivered on behalf of the Board of Religious Studies. The CCRS course is promoted by the Catholic Education Service and highly desirable in Catholic schools. For information regarding CCRS please go to the relevant page on the Newman website.

  • To participate in a course about Christianity with a focus on the Catholic faith.
  • The opportunity to participate in a University course without the need to submit coursework.
  • A range of highly trained experts delivering the course
  • An opportunity to learn and develop personal understanding of Biblical text in relation to the Catholic faith.
  • A wide range of resources to support students in their studies of the certificate.
  • To provide an insight regarding expectations of Catholic schools and opportunities that are available.

This course is designed to give you an understanding of basic Christian theology, and an appreciation of the special place of Religious Education in Catholic schools. Participation will be alongside students undertaking the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) which is managed and awarded by the Board of Religious Studies on behalf of the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales. The Newman Certificate in Catholic Studies is NOT a replacement/equivalent for CCRS.

The course is delivered on Tuesday evenings* over a two-year period in the autumn and spring terms. The course consists of eight ten-hour modules, two of which relate directly to everyday life in a Catholic school. Attendance forms the assessment criteria for each unit.

*Please note this may need to be changed due to Government advice and changes.

 

Old Testament,

New Testament,

Person of Jesus

Religious Education 1 Church

Ethics

Sacraments

Religious Education 2

Participants undertaking the Newman Certificate in Catholic Studies will join the class for CCRS which normally includes teachers from schools, PGCE students and those on schools direct. The units on Religious Education will cover a of topics that would be associated with a Catholic school, implications this has for the delivery of RE, links to the wider community and the importance of sacramental preparation.

Each unit of work is assessed via attendance.

Studying the Newman Certificate in Catholic Studies may encourage some to consider undertaking a theology degree or equivalent at a later stage.

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Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for 2025 entry TBC

Course Fees

Course fees for 2025 entry TBC

 

 

Modules

Optional Modules: find out how the University deals with changes that may occur in some eventualities

Timetables: find out when information is available to students

  1. The purpose of this module is to introduce participants to the writings in the Old Testament in order to help them to recognise God’s revelation contained there and its continuing relevance in Christian life today.
  2. The purpose of this module is to familiarise participants with the process through which the New Testament writings came into being and to help them interpret the material presented and understand its significance for the life of a Christian today.
  3. The purpose of this module is to deepen participants’ awareness of the significance and centrality of the person and work of Jesus Christ in the daily life of the Christian as well as in the worship of the Church.
  4. The purpose of this module is to engage participants with exploring and understanding what it means to teach RE and the wider curriculum in a Catholic school. The module also explores what is meant by an ethos and how this may be observed, experienced and developed through the daily participation in the everyday life of a Catholic school.
  1. The purpose of this module is to help participants develop the skills of moral decision-making, to examine Christian teaching in its relation to the universal search for what constitutes “human good”, and to explore the application of Christian understanding to some contemporary moral issues.
  2. The purpose of this module is to enable participants to reflect on the nature of the Church and its mission in the world today.
  3. The purpose of this module is to develop participants’ understanding and appreciation of Sacrament in the life of Catholics as a sign of Christ’s continuing presence with the Church.
  4. This module reflects upon the three areas of Catholic theology studied in CCRS core, (i.e. Church, Sacraments and Ethics) and looks at some of the educational opportunities that emerge. In particular, it considers the practical implications teachers need to consider as they prepare pupils for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Students also consider their personal values & beliefs and how these would contribute to the overall mission of the school.

Additional Information

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