CIBI

Level 6 course certified by the Carmelite Institute of Britain and Ireland (CIBI)

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Course Overview

This course is informed by the normative disciplines of Roman Catholic Theology and is designed to facilitate the formal academic study of Scripture, Theology, History, Religious Life, Spiritual Leaders, Sacraments and Church. On completion of the course students will have a basic level of proficiency in the areas studied.

As the course is delivered fully online it offers students the opportunity to study individual modules at their own pace, in a structured yet flexible manner, whether on a part-time or full-time basis. The range of subject areas on offer will provide the background for candidates to engage critically in the ongoing dialogue between the various Religious traditions in the Church and the contemporary world.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to describe, present and critically engage with the principal elements of the Religious traditions they have chosen to study.

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Who is this course for?

This course is ideal for students who wish to explore and deepen their knowledge of the Church’s rich tradition of Scripture, Theology, History, Religious Life, Spiritual Leaders, Sacraments and Church

As a distance learning course it particularly suits those who may not have easy access to one of the traditional education providers, or who may not have the time to commute to and from lectures daily.

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Modules

The course is designed to give students an academic introduction to various subjects and to enable students to become familiar with the history, traditions and different approaches to prayer and Christian living. Students may choose a broad range of subjects or may prefer to study a subject or two in more detail.

The course also supports the development of important skills in academic research and practical writing at undergraduate level. Academic guidance is provided through individual assessment feedback, and instruction on the writing of academic essays.

To complete this course students must study six modules from the list below, completing all the required assignments for each module.

Church History:

H10: Church History, Early to Medieval Period.
H11: Church History, Protestant Reformation to Modern Times.

Founders and Saints:

Scripture:

A Sacramental People:

Consecrated Life:

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Assessment

Each module is assessed through a mix of continuous assessment (ten questions after every four units) and a final essay (2,000-2,500 words).

Each questionnaire is awarded 10% of the total marks (4 x 10 = 40%).
The essay is awarded 60% of the total mark.

(A module consists of 16 units. The content of one unit is equivalent to approximately that delivered in a 45-minute lecture. Students will need to dedicate twice this amount of time to private reading beyond the material provided in the module).

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Delivery

The course is delivered in the form of a phased release of reading material made available through the CIBI website.

The modules are all self-contained learning experiences that can theoretically be followed in any order. The nature of the course means that, within the overall constraints (five years for the course as a whole), students proceed at their own pace taking on each semester only as many modules as their circumstances permit. Normally, students will be expected to complete one or two modules each semester.

We have two fourteen week semesters each academic year and you can start the course in either semester:

Semester 1: September – December
Semester 2: January – April

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Duration

The six modules must be completed within five years of registration.

A part-time student could complete this programme in three to six semesters (1 ½ to 3 years) depending on the number of modules they undertake in each semester.

A full-time student could complete this programme in two semesters (1 year).

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Outcomes

On successful completion of this course the graduate should be able to:

Exhibit a knowledge and understanding of some of the significant topics, figures and sources relating to some of the Religious charisms and traditions in the Church.
Identify, gather, and analyse some of the historical material relating to some of the Religious charisms and traditions.
Display the capacity to identify some of the significant elements in the Religious traditions in the Church and to present and communicate those elements with some degree of critical evaluation
Present a coherent and well-structured written presentation on some of the elements of the spirituality of the Religious traditions in the Church.

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Admission Criteria

This is a level 6 certificate course and is open to all adult students (it is not required that students are members of a Religious congregation). No previous academic studies or qualifications are required.

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Accreditation

The Pathways Towards Christ course is certified by the Carmelite Institute of Britain and Ireland and on completion of six modules, to the satisfaction of the Director of Studies, CIBI will award a certificate in acknowledgment of the studies completed.

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Fee Structure

Initial one-off registration fee of €50
Module fee €120.00 per module

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COURSE REGULATIONS 16^th September 2020

Pathways towards Christ

Certified by the Carmelite Institute of Britain and Ireland (CIBI)

The Pathways towards Christ course is informed by the normative disciplines of Roman Catholic Theology.
This course is designed to offer a certificate level qualification in the study of Religious Charisms and the Church and in the areas of Scripture, Theology, History, Religious Life, Spiritual Leaders, Sacraments and Church. The course makes the heritage of the Church concerning Religious Charisms available at certificate level across the English-speaking world using a part-time, online mode of engagement/delivery.
This course will enable participants, whether or not they are, themselves, Religious, to deepen their engagement with, and academic understanding of, Scripture, Theology, History, Religious Life, Spiritual Leaders, Sacraments and Church, according to the modules chosen by the student.
Students will explore, discover and study the essential elements of a theological approach to the Christian life as lived in accordance with a specific Religious charism. It will familiarise students with the basic elements of Scripture, Theology, History, Religious Life, Spiritual Leaders, Sacraments and Church that provide the context for this way of life.

Having studied the material presented, having engaged with it and having presented their understanding for critical scrutiny and feedback, those who have successfully completed this course will be able to describe, present and, to some extent, critically engage with the principal elements of the Church tradition in relation to Religious charisms.
Although students will not need to attend a particular campus and will normally continue with their previous commitments, the course will enable them to engage academically with the material in a manner that maintains the standards of practice typical of third level institutions.
Students will be required to engage seriously with the course material and to submit all assignments according to the semester calendar.

Their studies will provide the background that will enable them to engage critically in the ongoing dialogue between the Catholic tradition on Religious charisms and the contemporary world and to participate in the formation or training of others interested in the field of Studies.

Admission Criteria.

Applicants will normally have completed second-level education but applicants 23 years of age or over on January 1st of the year of intended entry who do not fulfil the normal matriculation requirements may apply for matriculation on the basis of mature years.

Course Structure.

This course is delivered through a phased release of reading material made available through the CIBI website (www.cibi.ie), and all communication between the CIBI office and students is through email.
To complete this course, students must complete assessment of the required number of taught modules. In order to complete this course, the six taught modules must be completed within five years of registration unless special dispensation has been given, and students who do not complete the course within the time allowed will only be allowed to complete the course when the Director of Studies has been satisfied that there were good reasons why the course was not completed in the time allowed.
The academic year for CIBI courses is measured in two semesters, the first running from September to December, and the second from January to April. Module content will be available during the semester periods only. Each module takes a semester to complete and it is possible to take more than one module per semester. Each module is made up of sixteen units and each unit is the equivalent of a 45-minutes lecture. Students will need to dedicate about twice this amount of time to private reading beyond the materials provided. The four questionnaires, and the individual feedback that students receive for each questionnaire, are regarded as being the equivalent of a further eight units. The modules are all self-contained learning experiences that can theoretically be followed in any order. The part-time nature of the course means that, within the overall constraints (five years for the course as a whole), students proceed at their own pace taking on each semester only as many modules as their circumstances permit. Normally, students will be expected to complete one or two modules each semester.

Assessment.

Each taught module is assessed by four, ten-question questionnaires and a final written assessment on an assigned topic of between 2,000 and 2,500 words. Both the answers to the questionnaires and the final written assessment are submitted by email and all correspondence is conducted via the Institute’s office in Dublin. In each module, each of the four questionnaires is awarded 10% of the overall marks, the other 60% being awarded for the final essay.
Each module is awarded 5 credits. Pathways towards Christ programme is a thirty (30) credit course, 5 credits being awarded for each of its six modules.
Exemptions may be granted for up to 25% of the taught modules if the candidate can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the CIBI Director of Studies that equivalent modules have been successfully completed elsewhere. Each exempted module will be awarded 5 credits.