Certificate and Diploma
in BIBLICAL STUDIES
Begin your journey of studying heart-transforming theology
CertBS
CERTIFICATE in BIBLICAL STUDIES
Our Certificate in Biblical Studies offers an accessible introduction to the five major disciplines of theology, helping you grow in your understanding of the Bible and your love for God.
SUMMARY
Level: UK Level 4
Reading: Short set reading before each lecture
Assessment: Multiple-choice quizzes only
Duration: 3–6 months
Best for those:
Newer to theological study
Wanting structured learning without essays
Seeking an efficient way to start studying theology
DipBS
DIPLOMA in BIBLICAL STUDIES
Our Diploma in Biblical Studies is a more robust introduction to theology, designed to help you deepen your knowledge and love of God and prepare you for further ministry training.
SUMMARY
Level: UK Level 5
Reading: Required reading list
Assessment: Multiple-choice quizzes + 3 written assignments
Duration: 12–24 months
Best for those:
Exploring full time ministry training
Wanting credits towards MDiv/BDiv
Seeking a deeper level of study than the Certificate
Courses that deepen your love for Christ
Taught by experienced pastor-theologians, our Certificate and Diploma in Biblical Studies courses help you grow in your knowledge and love of God, with more being added annually.
Beautiful truth, taught beautifully
Our Certificate and Diploma in Biblical Studies are taught by our faculty: experienced pastor-theologians passionate about helping deepen your understanding of and love for Christ.
Carry on your journey of theological study
If God calls you to the ministry, you can carry over the credits you gain in the Diploma in Biblical Studies to our Bachelor or Master of Divinity.
Learn wherever you are, whenever you want
Delivered 100% online, our Certificate and Diploma in Biblical Studies are designed to work around you and your commitments, allowing you to learn and apply your training at your own pace.
Receive the support you need
Your personal academic tutor is on hand to help you get the most out of your studies and offer support whenever you need it.
Access world-class theological teaching at your fingertips
Our online learning platform lets you access your learning material on any device, bringing theological teaching of the highest quality within your reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
The Certificate and Diploma in Biblical Studies are for anyone who wants to know and love Jesus more.
What makes these programmes special is how rigorous they are. You'll be taking a deep dive into church history, systematic theology, biblical studies, apologetics and practical theology, taught at a depth that's normally only encountered within an MDiv degree.
If you choose the Certificate, you can choose to undertake the assessments to gain the Diploma; and nearly all credits achieved within the Diploma can be carried over to a Westminster UK Master's degree.
Our experienced teachers have worked hard to make these programmes as accessible as possible. You'll find that ideas are explained with a beautiful clarity, and driven home with passion. A personal academic tutor will give you the support you need—even if English is not your native language.
Maybe you're a church office-bearer, a Sunday school or an RE teacher; perhaps a home-schooling parent; or maybe you are exploring a call to the ministry and want to begin study before quitting the job you now have—these programmes are designed for you.
-
The Certificate in Biblical Studies in a Level 4 in the UK qualifications framework, equivalent to a Certificate of Higher Education.
The Diploma in Biblical Studies is a Level 5 qualification, equivalent in difficulty to the second year of a Bachelor degree, or a Higher National Diploma.
As such, graduating Diploma students accepted onto our ministry track (BDiv or MDiv) will be awarded credit for courses studied via the Diploma, where assignment grades are secure.
-
We estimate that with an hour or two a day, five days a week, the Diploma will take around 12–24 months to complete, while the Certificate will take perhaps 3–6 months.
The beauty is that you work at your own pace, watching lectures and pursuing the reading when it suits you, honouring your commitment to family, work, church and everything else God has called you to right now.
Take courses one at a time or run two or three in parallel. Limit yourself to required reading or pursue an area of interest using our carefully curated ‘recommended reading’. Crack through the work, or take it at an easy pace. Both these programmes give you full control over how you approach your studies.
-
A monthly subscription for the Certificate costs £37.50, while a monthly subscription for the Diploma costs £75.
Your subscription includes:
The Westminster learning portal, where you'll access your lectures, assignments and all supporting materials
A personal academic tutor to guide and support you, mark assignments and provide feedback
Borrowing rights at Westminster UK’s library in Newcastle
A signed Certificate or Diploma scroll containing the Westminster UK seal, along with a transcript of courses studied
-
Our courses are taught by pastor-theologians: men with a love for the Lord, expertise in their subject, and years of pastoral experience. They share a conviction that theology should be affectionate and practical, warming our hearts with love for Christ, and helping us live lives that are transformed by that love.
-
For the Certificate, each course is assessed with multiple-choice quizzes. This course does not include any written assignments.
For the Diploma, each course is assessed in two ways:
Self-marking quizzes follow each lecture, aimed at checking your understanding
Written assignments, such as a book review or an essay, are submitted to your tutor for marking and feedback
-
Yes. Because programmes share the same course titles and content it’s possible to move from one to the other. Any work you have completed that is relevant to the new route will be carried across automatically. If you start on the Certificate and later want to pursue the Diploma you will simply add in the extra required reading and written assignments.
-
Students accepted onto a Westminster UK degree programme (MDiv, BDiv or MAR) may apply for exemption for those Diploma courses in which they’ve achieved a C-grade or higher. A Diploma graduate accepted onto our MDiv will have completed 17% of the programme; for a Master of Arts in Religion the figure is 43%.
Note that Master of Arts places at Westminster UK are limited.
-
Yes. If you need to suspend your subscription at any point your account won’t be deleted for a while. To carry on where you left off, simply resubscribe within twelve months.
-
Yes. We’re keen to incentivise group working and are delighted to offer a 20% discount:
to a group of four or more where one member of the group takes leadership responsibility.
to a husband and wife both working on the Diploma
Get in touch to discuss group arrangements and receive your discount code.
-
The Certificate and Diploma are accredited by Westminster Seminary UK. Upon graduating, students receive a signed Diploma or Certificate scroll containing the Westminster seal, along with a transcript of the courses you have completed.
-
Our faculty have worked hard to weave into each course the best that’s been thought and said on the subject.
We’ve uploaded short readings on the learning hub for you, along with books that are out of copyright.
For the Diploma, in a typical course there will be a couple of books on the required reading list that haven’t been uploaded; these typically cost around £10 each.
When it comes to the essays for the Diploma, you will generally have a choice of title. This is where you will need to go beyond required reading to research material specific to your chosen topic. The recommended reading list is a starting point here. Some titles we’ve been able to source online, and are available via hyperlink.
Of course, the more you read, the more you learn; you might like to join Perlego’s online library, where a yearly plan costs £8 per month. Perlego has over a million volumes, but it doesn’t have everything. Do consider buying second-hand; Amazon and eBay sell excellent theological books at good prices. If you live within travelling distance of a theological seminary or library, just ask if you can make use of it; they will normally be happy to oblige!
Start studying with us
Sign up for our Certificate or Diploma in Biblical Studies below:
Equivalent monthly price of these courses when taught in person:
£150
per month
OUR CERTIFICATE IN BIBLICAL STUDIES PRICE:
£37.50
per month
✓ Choose 7 in-depth courses from a growing list of options
✓ Learn from experienced pastor-theologians
✓ Access learning material anywhere on any device
✓ Get monthly support from a personal academic tutor
✓ Upgrade to the Diploma in Biblical Studies
✓ Cancel at any time
By signing up to our Certificate in Biblical Studies, you agree to receive communications from us. You can opt out at any time.
Equivalent monthly price of these courses when taught in person:
£150
per month
OUR DIPLOMA IN BIBLICAL STUDIES PRICE:
£75
per month
✓ Choose 7 in-depth courses from a growing list of options
✓ Learn from experienced pastor-theologians
✓ Access learning material anywhere on any device
✓ Get monthly support from a personal academic tutor
✓ Carry over course credits to our MDiv degree
✓ Cancel at any time
By signing up to our Diploma in Biblical Studies, you agree to receive communications from us. You can opt out at any time.
Compare our Certificate and Diploma
| Certificate in Biblical Studies (CertBS) | Diploma in Biblical Studies (DipBS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Academic level |
UK Level 4 Equivalent to a Certificate of Higher Education |
UK Level 5 Equivalent to a Higher National Diploma |
| Content | Seven in-depth courses: one from each of five theological disciplines and two further of the student's choosing | Seven in-depth courses: one from each of five theological disciplines and two further of the student's choosing |
| Reading |
Short excerpts before lectures Optional recommended reading |
Typically two or three books per course Additional recommended reading for deeper study |
| Assessment |
Multiple-choice quizzes only No written assignments |
Multiple-choice quizzes Typically three written assignments |
| Typical duration |
Around 3–6 months Depends on pace, grades and circumstances |
Around 12–24 months At roughly 1–2 hours per day, 5 days a week |
| Workload feel |
Lighter reading and assessment load An effective introduction to theological study |
Substantial reading and assessment load Equivalent in difficulty to the second year of a Bachelor degree |
| Best suited for |
Those newer to theological study Learners who prefer quizzes to essays |
Lay leaders and ministry workers Men exploring a call to pastoral ministry |
| Relationship to further study |
Shares course library with the Diploma Diploma assessments can be added later |
Credits may count towards BDiv / MDiv Subject to acceptance and grades |
| Flexibility & switching |
Pause studies up to 12 months / Cancel any time Simple to upgrade to the Diploma |
Pause studies up to 12 months / Cancel any time Simple to switch to the Certificate |
Do you have further questions?
If you have further questions about our Certificate or Diploma in Biblical Studies, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us—simply fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.