The student will be helped to select and area of research with an appropriate bibliography. Students within travelling distance of Stirling will be able to attend tutorials and seminars on a regular basis. Others will be given the opportunity to attend a residential course annually. As the work undertaken in postgraduate research is based more on the initiative of the student than an ongoing series of lectures and tutorials, this arrangement is not unlike that which operates within the university system for postgraduate students. An interview with the course Tutor at least annually is, nevertheless, of vital importance.
Special arrangements are available for overseas students.
A Certificate course in theology or philosophy similar to the Diploma, which can be taken in 2 years, leading to the submission of a dissertation of not more than 10,000 words. The Diploma or certificate will be awarded after a dissertation has been submitted and sustained. There will be no other examination. That is why drafts of the developing dissertation will have to be submitted on a regular basis for analysis and comment. The final assessment will involve a suitably qualified external examiner.