Spurgeon s College Commendation in Christian Studies This programme allows students to complete one or more of our undergraduate study units. You can choose units at random across the undergraduate suite of units and you may either simply take the teaching material without completing any assessments or you can complete the assignments for the units in order to gain the Commendation. The Commendation programme is most suitable for people who want to pick and choose a few subjects of interest to them and want ultimate flexibility in terms of time available to complete their chosen units. Your units are available for 24 months after purchase. If you want to study for your own interest rather than gain a University award through following a structured programme, this is the pathway for you! However, if you are registered on this programme any units completed do not have any transferrable value into a University of Manchester certificate, diploma or degree programme. Content You can select any units you wish to choose in any order you wish to study them. There are single (10 credit) and double (20 credit) units and you can combine them in your programme. The available units are as follows: Number Certificate in Theology Units (level 4) 102 Studying Theology 8103 Reading and Using the Bible 8111 Biblical Texts on Mission 8116 Preaching the Prophets (double unit) 8120 New Testament Greek: An Introduction (double unit) 8123 Jesus and the Synoptic Gospels 8124 Introduction to Paul
8125 Preaching the Gospels (double unit) 8133 Introduction to Christian Doctrine 8140 Preaching Yesterday and Today (double unit) 8150 Introduction to Mission 8160 Basic Preaching Skills 8161 Leading Public Worship 8162 Spirituality 8163 Pastoral Theory & Practice 8179 Emerging Church UoM Diploma in Theology Units (level 5) 8211 Pentateuch 8214 Old Testament Writings 8220 New Testament Greek: An Introduction (not to be taken if 8120 has been completed) 8223 A Pauline Epistle in English 8224 Acts and Hebrews 8225 John's Gospel 8232 Doctrine of the Church & the Ethics of Distinctiveness 8233 Early Church History 8240 Reformation Church History 8243 Baptist History & Principles 8254 Anabaptism and Mission 8262 Leadership & Teamwork 8271 Evangelism & Contemporary Society 8273 Apologetics UoM Degree in Theology Units (level 6) 8315 Old Testament Prophetic Texts (not to be taken if 8116 has been completed) 8317 Old Testament Theology 8321 New Testament Texts: The Book of Revelation 8323 New Testament Theology 8332 Doctrine of the Spirit and the Ethics of Responsiveness 8341 Modern Church History 8342 Nineteenth Century Radical Christian Movements 8363 Theologies of Mission 8366 Preaching & Teaching in the Context of Worship You are encouraged to take advice about which units you can successfully study if you wish to choose units at level 5 or 6. This is advisable because some units at level 5 and 6 assume knowledge of connected units at level 4. For example, the unit Reading and Using the Bible should be chosen before other biblical units at level 5 and 6 if you have no previous biblical studies experience at Higher Education level. For this reason if you know from the outset which units you wish to undertake it is a good idea to indicate that on your registration form. The flexibility of the Commendation programme means you can select units which relate to one particular strand of theological studies so you could select all biblical
units or all historical units or all preaching units if this is where your interest lies. Here are a few examples of how you could select units across levels in this way but there are many different possibilities: Biblical strand: 8103; 8120; 8123; 8124; 8211; 8214; 8223; 8224; 8225; 8315; 8317; 8321; 8323 Historical strand: 8140; 8233; 8240; 8243; 8254; 8341; 8342 Theological strand: 8102, 8140; 8232; 8240; 8243; 8254; 8332; 8341; 8342; 8363 Preaching strand: 8103; 8116; 8125; 8140; 8160; 8366 Mission strand: 8111; 8150; 8179; 8254; 8271; 8273; 8363 Doctrine strand: 8102; 8133; 8232; 8332; 8317; 8332 More units will become available all the time so do keep an eye on Moodle for new units which you can study. Frequently Asked Questions How do I begin? Go to the College website (www.spurgeons.ac.uk/online) and complete the online learning Registration of Interest form, selecting Commendation in Christian Studies. The Admissions Team will be in touch with you and will ask you to complete a registration form. You will then be given a Moodle account and be provided with information about how to purchase your unit. (Moodle is our virtual learning environment.) Do I have to select all my units and pay for them at the start? No. Some students select and purchase all their units at once but most students choose, purchase and study one unit at a time. Can I read more about the unit content before purchasing them? Yes. If you want to look at an individual unit s content before deciding to register on this programme you can email the Admissions Department and they will forward a unit descriptor to you. Unit descriptors give you an outline of the unit content, its aims and intended learning outcomes, key texts and assessment requirements. Once you are registered with us and have your Moodle account, you can see every unit descriptor yourself on Moodle prior to purchase.
How much time do I need? There are single and double units. As a rule of thumb, a single (10 credit) unit will consume approximately 100 study hours (if you decide to complete assignments and undertake some extra reading). A double (20 credit) unit will consume about 200 study hours. You need to earn a total of 60 credits for a Commendation. But if you wish, you can simply enjoy the materials without worrying about essays. Do I get any support? An online tutor will supervise your study for each unit you select and will mark your submitted assignments. Technical support will be provided by the Moodle help desk. How do I get to access the study resources? When you have completed the registration process you will be given details of your personal Moodle account. The Moodle platform will enable you to purchase units you select and then to access all the study materials that you need. Are there any time restraints to complete the Commendation? Each unit you take will remain active in your profile for 24 months. There are always exceptions but we would advise you to try to complete the Commendation award if you are aiming for it within 4 years after registration. Can I transfer my work into a University programme? If you are registered on this programme any units completed do not have any transferrable value into a University certificate, diploma or degree. If you think that registering for a University course is something you might like to do in the future you should choose the Spurgeon s College Award in Theology programme. Summary Entry Requirements None Resources Provided Unit content available on Moodle Method of Study Independent learning approx. 100 study hours per 10 credit unit. Support A unit tutor will provide feedback on assessments (if completed) Award Optional: Spurgeon s College Commendation in Christian Studies (if you complete the assessments for at least 6 single units, or earn the equivalent credits through double units) Cost 2016-17: 158 per 10 credit unit
2017-18: 165 per 10 credit unit Contacts Director of Online Learning: Dr Debra Reid (d.reid@spurgeons.ac.uk) Moodle Administrator: Mrs Jenni Chivers (moodle@spurgeons.ac.uk) Admissions Department: admissions@spurgeons.ac.uk