CCRS stands for the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies and is awarded by the Board of Religious Studies on behalf of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
It is an important certificate for those wishing to teach in a Catholic school, and a key qualification for professional development.
The CCRS gives each person a theological literacy and enables them to understand and contribute to the ethos of a Catholic school and other schools with a religious character.
The course is taught online and lectures are recorded and all materials are uploaded onto Moodle (our online platform). Throughout the course you will study eight modules. Six will cover Theology and two will cover Specialist Education.
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Dates and times
2026/27
Tuesday evenings, 7.30–9 pm
Old Testament
- 29 September 2026
- 6 October 2026
- 13 October 2026
- 3 November October 2026
New testament
- 10 November 2026
- 17 November 2026
- 24 November 2026
- 1 December 2026
Tuesday evenings, 7.30–9 pm
Sacrements
- 19 January 2027
- 26 January 2027
- 2 February 2027
- 9 February 2027
The Church
- 2 March 2027
- 9 March 2027
- 16 March 2027
- 23 March 2027
Tuesday evenings, 7.30–9 pm
Christology
- 13 April 2027
- 20 April 2027
- 27 April 2027
- 4 May 2027
Christian morality
- 11 May 2027
- 18 May 2027
- 25 May 2027
- 8 June 2027
Wednesdays, 6–7.30 pm, dates TBC
- Working in a Catholic School
- Catechesis
- Teaching RE in a Catholic School
- Introduction to Pastoral Ministry
Price
The full course cost is £400.
Content
Whilst enrolled upon this course you will develop a theological literacy enabling you to understand and contribute to the ethos of a Catholic school and other schools with a religious character.
To obtain your certificate all eight modules have to be completed (six theology and two specialist), each with up to ten hours lecture time and an assessment essay or presentation.
The course consists of six core modules and two specialist modules. The six core theology modules include:
- Old Testament
- New Testament
- Sacraments
- The Church
- Christian Morality
- Christology.
The two specialist modules include:
- RE1 - Teaching RE in a Catholic School
- RE2 - The Catholic Life and Mission of the Catholic School.
It is also hoped that other specialist modules will be also be offered (Catechesis, School Chaplaincy, Youth Ministry, Liturgy & Worship).
Assessment
The course will be assessed by:
- presentations
- an essay for RE2 (1,500 words).
To obtain your certificate all eight modules have to be completed.
Requirements
This course is designed for teachers in Catholic schools and is also suitable for catechists, school governors, adult members of the Church and those involved in liturgical work to enable them to continue to grow in understanding as they live their Catholic faith.
It is recommended that Learners should have achieved a level of education equivalent to five GCSEs at grades A*- C prior to commencing the course. Exemptions may be made for adult returners with relevant experience. St Mary’s students studying Secondary Education or Theology may be eligible for credit exemption and a reduced fee. Please contact us to discuss this further.
Award
Successful students will receive a full Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies awarded by the Board of Religious Studies on behalf of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
Contact us
For more information about this course, please contact Karen North at karen.north@stmarys.ac.uk.
For general enquiries about short courses, you can also contact the Short Courses Team:
Apply
You will need to complete a different application form depending on whether or not you are studying another education course at St Marys.
If you are not enrolling onto a St Mary's education course
If you will not be studying any other programme at St Mary’s University this September please complete this simple online form.
Apply now (external students)
Enrolling onto BA Primary Education with QTS
If you are planning to enrol on the BA Primary Education with QTS programme in September 2026 and wish to study the CCRS programme alongside please complete this simple online form.
Apply now (BAITT students)
Enrolling onto PGCE Primary with QTS
If you are planning to enrol on the PGCE Primary with QTS programme in September 2026 and wish to study the CCRS programme alongside please complete this simple online form.
Apply now (PGCE Primary students)
Enrolling onto PGCE Secondary Religious Education with QTS
If you are planning to enrol on the PGCE Secondary Religious Education with QTS programme in September 2026 and wish to study the CCRS programme alongside please complete this simple online form.
Apply now (PGCE Secondary RE students)
Enrolling onto PGCE Secondary (all subjects apart from PGCE Secondary Religious Education)
If you are planning to enrol on the PGCE Secondary (all subjects apart from PGCE Secondary Religious Education) with QTS programme in September 2026 and wish to study the CCRS programme alongside please complete this simple online form.
Apply now (PGCE Secondary students)
Enrolling onto any work-based route programme
If you are planning to enrol on any of our work-based route programmes (FdA Primary Education, FdA Early Years Education, BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (Work-based Route) - Top-Up, or BA (Hons) Primary Education (Work-based Route) - Top-Up Year) in September 2026 and wish to study the CCRS programme alongside please complete this simple online form.
Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (work-based route students)