Exploring Independent study
Do you want to study to deepen your faith and understanding of life with God? To equip you for mission and ministry in God’s church? To enjoy learning in a supportive Christian community?
All our Lindisfarne College of Theology programmes will help you do this – at whatever level is appropriate for you.
Students at LCT who are studying for their own personal development are called ‘Independent Students’ – it just means that you are not sent to us by the Church of England in an authorised capacity. You may be C of E, or Methodist, or Baptist, Pentecostal, New Church, Free Church, … we welcome all who are in good standing with their church, and able to meet the entry requirements of our programmes in Theology, Mission and Ministry. (In practice this means you can work at the relevant academic level, and fulfil the expectations of a DBS check).
If you are interested in studying with us as an independent student, we would love to hear from you. Use the ‘Get in touch’ box on this page to ask for more details or complete an application form (below).
Read our Notes for Applicants
View the Timeline for New Independent Students
Taster Evenings
Come and join us in March for an opportunity to experience a typical College study evening.
Auditing Modules
It is possible to complete most of our 5 and 10-week modules for interest. This involves a limited amount of reading between classes but no essays or other assessments.
New in 2026 – Bursaries for Sampling a LCT Module
Thanks to the generosity of various funders we are able to offer a small number of opportunities for potential students to sample a LCT module for free. This applies to any modules taken in Church House, North Shields. To apply for a free Audit Bursary, please complete the Application Form to Audit an LCT Module. This offer is only available to people who have not studied at LCT before. (Note: to ‘audit’ a module means to attend class sessions and do relevant preparatory reading, but not to submit assignments and receive academic credit. This offer does not extend to taking modules for credit.)
Current modules available to audit:
Introduction to Spirituality (starting 27 Apr 2026)
Environmental Theology (starting 5 Mar 2026)
God, Beauty and the Imagination: Theology and the Arts (postgraduate module) starting 5 Mar 2026)
Introduction to the Bible (starting 9 Sep 2026)
Application Forms
We are accepting applications for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years.
Application Form for Independent Study (2026/27 only)
Application Form for Returning to Study (2026/27 only)
Application Form to Audit an LCT Module
‘’I joined the Lindisfarne community as a retired teacher and lifelong Anglican, delighted to have the opportunity to learn more about the faith we share. … I am very grateful for all the opportunities that Lindisfarne has given to me to know God better.’’
Ian, Student
