VST & Durham University (UK) Renew Strategic Agreement for Doctoral Education
Durham University and the Vancouver School of Theology have agreed to renew the initial agreement, begun in 2018, to continue enabling students to work towards a Durham Ph.D. This new agreement will begin October 1, 2023, and continue through September 2028.
With this agreement, students in the program will work toward a Durham Ph.D. without course work and will be able to complete the degree in three years. Part-time students can complete the program in six years. Students may travel to Durham University for an orientation but will carry out the bulk of their studies in Vancouver under the direction of a VST co-supervisor and a Durham Supervisor.
This program will be an attractive option for those wishing to expedite their education by focusing on research, distinct from other North American doctoral programs requiring course work, which in turn extends the learning period and the financial commitment on the part of the student. VST will assist interested students by directing them to sources of funding that are available for this program.
This agreement also reflects the leadership and innovation of the Vancouver School of Theology in theological education. VST’s primary mandate is the formation of thoughtful, engaged and generous Christian leaders for the church in the 21st century.
This initiative with Durham University positions VST as a change agent and an innovator for the church, while also providing the opportunity to enhance its relationship with the University of British Columbia as a research-intense partner institution. There are no Canadian institutions west of Toronto that offer a research Ph.D. program in Theology. This highly innovative collaboration with Durham University responds to a significant need for a research-intensive doctoral program in Western Canada.
About Durham University – Theology and Religion
Durham University is located in the United Kingdom, and it is recognized globally as an outstanding center of teaching and research excellence. Its Department of Theology and Religion was ranked 6th in the world in the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, reflecting its outstanding academic reputation and the global prominence of its researchers.
Durham University’s Department of Theology and Religion is one of the oldest in the UK and has a history of scholarly excellence in Biblical Studies and Christian Theology. These strengths remain, reinforced in recent decades by research and education focused on a range of other areas, including Anglican Studies, Catholic Studies and the social scientific study of contemporary religion. Its team work within a multi-disciplinary framework united around a concern for religion as an enduringly important dimension of human life. Their work combines critical engagement with respectful, collaborative relationships with religious organizations, as illustrated in its successful professional doctoral programme in Theology and Ministry, and its Common Awards programme, which oversees ordination training in theological seminaries across the UK.
The department welcomes more than 70 undergraduates onto its programmes each year, representing a range of faiths and beliefs, and is also home to 150 postgraduate students working across its specialist sub-disciplines in theology and religion. Its alumni are heavily in demand in a very wide range of jobs and professions.