Yes. Maryvale is fully open and continues to run accredited and further education programmes. The Institute moved out of Maryvale House and into the St Mary's College Oscott CIO, but the work of Maryvale continues and has expanded.

Maryvale is a distinct formation institute within the St Mary's College Oscott family. Oscott is a seminary training men for the priesthood; Maryvale forms the whole Church, including lay catechists, altar servers, couples, diocesan staff and clergy pursuing further study. The relationship is familial rather than hierarchical.

The Bachelor of Divinity is still run by Maryvale. Some previous Maryvale qualifications (for example, the MA and PhD) transferred to St Mary's University Twickenham. The BDiv, Licence in Divinity, and the further education portfolio remain at Maryvale.

It depends on the programme. The Licence in Divinity carry academic entry requirements. The Bachelor of Divinity does not require prior theology. Our further education courses, including the Altar Servers Course, Latin and Greek, Biblical Studies and the Certificate in Marriage, are open to adults with no prior theological study.

Most of the week you study online, through our student portal SMILE. Several times a year, you come to Oscott for a residential weekend, where you meet your tutors and fellow students in person, attend lectures and tutorials, and join the rhythm of prayer and life of the College.

SMILE is Maryvale's student portal. It is where course materials, assignment submissions, grades, and announcements live. Library Access Portal is also on SMILE. Every enrolled student has a SMILE account.

Fees vary by programme. Current fees, payment terms and any differential rates for clergy, religious and diocesan-sponsored students are listed on each programme page and on the Fees and Funding page.

Yes, for already enrolled students.

Yes. Many dioceses sponsor their clergy, seminarians, directors of formation and lay staff on Maryvale programmes. See the Fees and Funding page for the process, or contact us and we will put you in touch with the right person.

Accredited programmes have one main intake per academic year. Further education courses run on their own cohort schedule. See each programme page for the next intake window.

Every programme has a How to Apply section on its page. For accredited programmes, you complete a written application, supply references, and attend an admissions interview. For further education courses, you complete a short enrolment form. All applications are routed through admissions.

Yes. Visits are by appointment. Contact admissions to arrange a visit that fits around residential weekends and the Oscott calendar.

Yes. Maryvale has long-standing working relationships with dioceses across England and Wales. Current partnerships are listed on the For Dioceses and Parishes page.

Maryvale is a Higher Institute of Religious Sciences (HIRS) canonically erected by the Holy See in 2010, the only one of its kind in the English-speaking world, with the Bachelor of Divinity and Licence in Divinity degrees overseen by the theological Faculté Notre-Dame, Paris under the Dicastery for Education and Culture of the Holy See. Full accreditation and validation arrangements are set out on the Governance and Accreditation page and on each accredited programme page.

Yes. Maryvale has always been a distance-learning institute and our students live across the United Kingdom and around the world. Teaching is online, with occasional residential weekends in England that you are encouraged, but not always required, to attend. Overseas fees differ slightly from UK fees and are shown on each programme page. Those attending residentials can do so on an ordinary tourist visa.

It varies by programme. A student on the Bachelor of Divinity should expect to give around 15 to 20 hours a week. Further education courses ask considerably less. Each programme page sets out the commitment so you can plan around work, family and ministry.

The Higher Institute of Religious Sciences, or HIRS, is the canonical form Maryvale takes as a Catholic institute. Maryvale received this status from the Holy See in 2010, and its ecclesiastical degrees are validated through the Faculté Notre-Dame in Paris under the authority of the Holy See. It was reapproved by the Holy See with new Statutes in 2025.

Our ecclesiastical degrees are intended for Catholics. Our further education courses are open to anyone interested in the subject who is comfortable studying within Maryvale's Catholic ethos. If you are unsure whether a programme suits you, contact us, and we will talk it through. Please note that the programmes are not for Catholics alone. Our theology is Catholic, but we welcome anyone who wishes to study theology in line with the Magisterium of the Church.

It depends on the programme. The Bachelor of Divinity and the Licence in Divinity are ecclesiastical awards of the Holy See. Further education courses lead to a Maryvale HIRS Certificate, and in some cases a Diploma after further study. Each programme page states the award.

Most residential weekends are held at St Mary's College Oscott, near Sutton Coldfield. Some weekends may run online where that is more practical.

Yes. Maryvale students may use the Glancey Library at Oscott during study residentials, and its resources can be reached at other times by arrangement. The library holds more than 40,000 catalogued items and a substantial special collection of early printed books.

Maryvale offers two accredited ecclesiastical degrees, the Bachelor of Divinity and the Licence in Divinity, alongside a range of further education courses, including the Altar Servers Course, Latin and Greek, Biblical Studies and the Certificate in Marriage. Each is listed on the Programmes page.

It depends on the programme. The Bachelor of Divinity runs over about five years part-time, and the Licence in Divinity over about three years part-time. Further education courses are shorter. Each programme page sets out the length and the weekly commitment.

Maryvale is based at St Mary's College Oscott, Chester Road, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5AA, on the edge of Birmingham. Most study is at a distance, with residential weekends held on campus. The College is reachable by car and by public transport.

Yes. Tutors guide you through your studies, mark your work and answer your questions, online through the term and in person at residential weekends.

Possibly. Maryvale has a Recognition of Prior Learning policy, under which previous study or qualifications can count towards entry or credit in some cases. Speak to admissions to discuss your situation.

Payment options, including any instalment arrangements, are set out on the Fees and Funding page. If you have questions about paying, contact us and we will talk it through.