Because of how the British and North American Higher Education systems differ, these brief notes are designed to answer some questions commonly asked by Americans and Canadians interested in studying Theology with a British institution. This page consists of two parts: Part 1 provides readers with a brief summary comparing theological education in the UK and US, while the rest of the page (Part 2) offers further technical data and explanatory notes for those requiring them. 


1. COMPARING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN THE US AND UK

British undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, which fall under strict quality assurance criteria to ensure they meet the highest standards, are internationally recognised and widely accepted globally. All British degrees are awarded by State-recognised universities, known as Recognised Bodies. By law, no other body has legal powers to award UK degrees. Therefore, private schools and colleges must be in a formal partnership with a university in order to offer their own degree programme. This is the British equivalent of the regional accreditation system practised in the US. All King's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are validated by the University of Chester, which awards the final degree. In short, students who successfully complete a Higher Education programme at King's earn a University of Chester award.

British credits differ from US college credits. Broadly speaking, 4 UK credits equal 1 US credit. Therefore, a British degree in Theology which consists of 360 UK credits is equivalent to 90-100 US credits, while a Master of Arts (Theology) degree of 180 UK credits equates to 45 or so US credits. Because so many US students now study in Europe as part of their degree, formulas for translating European credits and grades into their US college credit and GPA equivalents are now widespread in colleges and universities across North America. 

It is also important to note how a British Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) differs from US Bachelor degrees. In the US Bible colleges tend to offer a Bachelor degree focusing on practical training and basic theology, unlike a British B.Th. which serves as a first degree in Theology pitched at seminary level and includes a research element. Moreover, US Bachelor degrees include general education requirements, whereas all the modules of a British B.Th. are Theology-related. Finally, in the UK a B.Th. serves as the necessary entrance requirement to do an M.A. in Theology, much like the M.Div. is a prerequisite to study for an M.A. Theology or Th.M. degree in the US. These features of the B.Th, then,  together with a focus on specific knowledge and skills, are such that a British B.Th. is closer in scope and nature to an American Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree.

Concerning postgraduate programmes, the research element of British Masters degrees in Theology is comparable with US graduate degrees which also focus strongly upon a strong research element (eg the Th.M. degree). UK students are usually only permitted to enrol on an M.A. Theology programme if they already have a first degree in Theology. Thus the progression from B.Th. to M.A. (Theology) broadly echoes that of progression in the US from the M.Div. to Th.M.

Why Study in the United Kingdom?  

Both the American and British university systems are quite different in their aims across the entire range of degrees. For example, the US strongly emphasises wide education and knowledge-driven objectives, including at the Ph.D. level which contains a substantial taught element. The British system, however, focuses much more upon subject specialism and skills, evident in the strong research elements of both Bachelor and Master degrees, while British Ph.D. degrees consist of pure research with no taught element. Both systems yield distinct advantages and benefits, and as such command wide international respect. Therefore, choosing where to study ultimately depends on which system yields the specific aims and skills an applicant seeks. The British Higher Education system is most suited to those seeking a strong emphasis on independent research, development of analytical and evaluative skills, course diversity and flexibility, and subject specialism. More generally, studying abroad provides graduates with a range of skills and experiences that help set them apart in a range of scenarios, for example, prospective employment, postgraduate studies, or teaching opportunities.   


2. FURTHER INFORMATION

UK Validation vs US Accreditation.  Unlike the US where the degrees of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are accredited through regional accreditation bodies, in the UK only government-approved institutions (known as Recognised Bodies) which have been granted powers through a Royal Charter, Act of Parliament or the Privy Council to award degrees. Indeed, it is against the law for institutions without these powers to offer qualifications which are referred to as degrees. Thus, private colleges and institutions must work in formal partnership with a Recognised Body in order to develop and offer their own degree programmes. This process is known as validation, which is the British equivalent of US regional accreditation. Thus, King's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are validated by the University of Chester, which means our courses have been formally assessed, approved and added to Chester's list of courses and are regularly monitored for quality assurance purposes (see our courses listed on Chester's website: B.Th., Graduate Diploma and M.A. Theology). Moreover, because only a Recognised Body has powers to award a degree, King's students who successfully complete a programme earn a University of Chester degree, and indeed can take part in the university's graduation ceremony held each year at Chester Cathedral. The award indicates the name of the institution; it does not indicate course delivery via distance learning.

British, European Union and North American Undergraduate Credits.  Expansion of the European Union and the free movement of people has resulted in the Bologna Process, together with the European Higher Education Area, to help standardise comparison of Higher Education programmes across the EU. An important tool in this process is the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) to quantify studies across EU HEIs. In short, 60 ECTS equate to one full-time year of undergraduate study typically consisting of 1500-1800 hours of work, making a standard three-year degree 180 ECTS credits (see ECTS Users' Guide, p 11, 17). UK HEIs utilise a different credit system where 2 UK credits = 1 ECTS credit, so that one year of full-time study is 120 UK credits, or 60 ECTS credits, while a degree consists of 360 credits, equivalent to 180 ECTS credits. One ECTS credit is widely recognised in the US as 0.5 US credits (for example, see here, here and here, though other institutions value ECTS credits slightly higher, eg here and here). Thus, a British undergraduate degree, including King's B.Th. programme, consists of 360 UK credits = 180 ECTS credits = 90-100 U.S. credits. The ECTS scheme also provides a means widely used across American Higher Education to translate European grades to a US GPA equivalent.

Comparing British B.Th. and North American M.Div. Degrees.  In terms of aims, nature and scope, a British Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) degree is far closer to the M.Div. than a Bachelor degree in the US. Like the M.Div., a British B.Th. is a first professional or vocational degree specialising in Theology and therefore suitable for prospective ordinands. The B.Th. is also a subject specialist qualification which focuses strongly on fostering the knowledge, understanding, analytical and evaluative skills commonly associated with a seminary-level theological education in North America. Neither does the B.Th. include the more general education requirements common in US Bachelor programmes; rather the entire B.Th. degree focuses on Theology, while the work involved and amount of credits for the M.Div. (72-106) and B.Th. (90-100) are similar. Important, too, is a focus on research and flexibility, so that. B.Th. students write more research essays than in the typical US Bachelor degree. The British Government's NARIC website (subscription required), which offers official guidance on how international degrees compare, likens a UK first degree in Theology with a North American M.Div. degree.

Postgraduate Studies.  In North America Master's degrees in Theology are pitched at different levels. So typically an M.A. in Theology is higher than the M.Div., while the Th.M. is a more advanced version of the M.A., with a stronger focus on research and typically taken by someone already holding an M.Div.. However, British Master's degrees generally do not have this distinction (the exception being the M.Phil. degree and its equivalents, for example an M.Litt., qualifications based on pure research without class attendance requirements). King's M.A. in Theology, then, compare more with the US M.A. or TH.M. degrees and follows a typical British postgraduate format consisting of both two-thirds taught (120 UK credits, approx. 30 US credits) and one-third research/thesis (60 UK credits, 15 US credits). Total 180 UK credits (45 US credits).


Please note the above material is provided for general guidance purposes. Although British degrees are widely accepted and respected globally, if you plan to use a qualification as an entrance qualification for ordination or a particular postgraduate programme, you should determine the suitability of qualifications with the relevant institution beforehand.