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OCCA One-year Apologetics Course – Hybrid

A year with OCCA from where you are. Join us virtually each week and in Oxford for one in-person intensive weekend over the year.
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More info about The OCCA

Overview

A year with OCCA from where you are. Join us virtually each week and in Oxford for a three-day intensive weekend. Get equipped and trained for outreach and ministry.

The course is aimed at people who:

  • Sense a desire to be more involved in evangelism and apologetics
  • Are looking to be better equipped to share their faith and answer questions
  • Are interested in learning apologetics online and with others
  • Would like to explore and discern their own gifts and skills
  • Want to commit some time to study
  • Are unable to travel to Oxford, UK each week

The One Year Hybrid Course runs one afternoon per week (Wednesdays) over three academic terms, starting in September 2026. The three-day intensive is in Oxford in September 2026. Students can also optionally attend a special track of the in-person OCCA Summer School in July 2027.

The course welcomes Christians with diverse life experiences and values practical knowledge.

While formal qualifications are not required, it is recommended that participants have a level of education equivalent to an A-Level (High School graduate) and/or prior knowledge in apologetics, religious studies, theology, or philosophy. This guidepost helps clarify the expected difficulty level and ensures a rewarding learning experience.

During the informal interview process, we provide further guidance to applicants, helping them determine if the One Year Hybrid programme is suitable or if an alternative apologetics course would be a better starting point.

Teaching is delivered by experienced evangelists, academics, and thinkers who are actively involved in the fields of evangelism, public theology, and apologetics.

Online teaching sessions include a short devotional and two one-hour slots for lectures, Q&A, workshops and/or small group discussions. Online learning is fresh and stimulating with plenty of interactive elements.

Curriculum

The course is structured around five key apologetics streams:

  1. Bible (Theology & Historical Jesus)
    The BIBLE stream prepares you to deal with questions about theology, the bible and the historical Jesus, such as: ‘Are the gospels reliable? Has the text changed? What can be known about Jesus?’ You’ll dive into theological topics that can be crucial in apologetics such as the Trinity, Revelation, Creation and Atonement. These combine to form both a foundation and framework for answering questions and for gospel outreach.
  2. Lenses (Philosophical thinking)
    The LENSES stream deals with Logic & Critical Thinking, the Concept of Worldview and Epistemology. Through ‘steeling up’ lectures, you will learn how to engage with strong viewpoints on Monism, Naturalism, Hinduism, Buddhism, ‘Spiritual not Religious’ and Agnosticism. LENSES is an introductory course in how to think carefully and logically about the world using the tools of philosophy.
  3. Issues (Challenging Topics)
    The ISSUES stream tackles common objections or contentious topics, including: Science & Religion, Miracles, Race, Suffering & Natural disasters, Divine Hiddenness, Sexuality, Gender & Identity, Environmentalism, Artificial Intelligence & Transhumanism, Power & Abuse.
  4. Skills (Preaching & Q&A)
    Conversational outreach, answering questions and sharing the message of the gospel in a way that connects is what this course is all about. The supportive and encouraging SKILLS track equips you in multiple ways to effectively serve in Christian outreach. In supportive small workshops, you will get to grips with the basics of preparing, structuring and delivering different kinds of outreach talks. In the 1 Year Hybrid Course, we don’t presume that everyone is a public speaker. Creativity and clarity in communications is the goal.
  5. Heart (Character Formation)
    In this track, spiritual life, prayer and the formation of individual Christian faith are nurtured and encouraged through spiritual disciplines, meeting with a local mentor, group devotions, and learning in community. This is a stimulating and refreshing aspect of the 1 Year Hybrid course which is often a highlight for those studying at OCCA.

Term Dates

Provisional term dates

Term 1 September – December 2026
Term 2 January – March 2027
Term 3 April – June 2027
Half-terms Reading/self-study during the weeks in October 2026, February 2027,  May 2027
In-person Intensive (required) A Thursday to Saturday, September 2026

In term, students will meet weekly online on Wednesdays, 3:00-5:30pm UK time. Please note that the timezone will change between GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and BST (British Summer Time) throughout the course.

Cost

The fee for the course is £2,100.

This covers all the course content and student support for the whole year. This does not include accommodation or travel costs for the in-person intensive weekend in September.

Payment options are available, including monthly instalments or pay per term.

Students unable to pay the full cost of the course may be considered for a bursary; please indicate on your application form if you would like to apply for this, and we will send you an additional bursary form to complete so that we can consider this.

Bursaries are granted on a discretionary basis. Please be aware that we are unable to award full bursaries; the maximum amount awarded is unlikely to be over 50% of the course fee. These bursaries are intended for students who are unable to take part in the course without additional financial assistance. However, we recommend that as a starting point you reach out to local community or churches for funding.

You can complete the full bursary request form here once you have applied to the course.

FAQs

What is the application process?

  • Please complete the application form in its entirety. This includes some longer written responses. Once submitted, this will be viewed by the OCCA team and you may be invited to attend a short online interview. This is intended to be a conversation to discern whether this course is the right fit for you;  there is no prep work required. Following this, we will notify you whether you have been awarded a place on the course, which you can secure with a deposit.
  • Interviews take place at three points in the year (Spring, Easter and Summer) rather than on an ad hoc basis.

Is this course accredited?

  • No, this course does not count toward any official accredited degree. OCCA is an independent organisation that is not affiliated with any college or university.

Are there any pre-requisites to taking part in this course?

  • We do not ask for any specific pre-requisites, but the majority of our students are educated to undergraduate level.
  • There is no language test requirement, but applicants should be comfortable that all lectures and resources are provided in English. Lectures are not recorded.

What is the time commitment of this course?

  • You are required to join us online for the teaching each week during term dates on Wednesdays, 3-5:30pm UK Time.
    • Please note that the UK timezone will change between GMT and BST throughout the year.
  • There is a single, three-day, in-person intensive weekend in Oxford to attend.
  • In addition to the contact time, we anticipate that you will need to set aside an average of couple of hours each week for additional reading and assignments.

Who is this course for?

  • Our students are a diverse bunch from all over the world, with different ages, contexts and experiences. They share a passion for evangelism and apologetics, and are looking to deepen their understanding of issues and theology in order to increase their ability to share the gospel.

I can’t attend the live sessions or the in-person intensive, can I still join the course?

  • If you are not able to commit to joining the online sessions each week, unfortunately this course is not suitable for you! We do not record the live sessions, and do require that students attend these weekly sessions.
  • The in-person intensive is an important part of the course so if you are unable to attend these it is unlikely we will be able to give you a place on the course.

    Term Dates

    Provisional term dates

    Term 1 September – December 2026
    Term 2 January – March 2027
    Term 3 April – June 2027
    Half-terms Reading/self-study during the weeks in October 2026, February 2027,  May 2027
    In-person Intensive (required) A Thursday to Saturday, September 2026

    In term, students will meet weekly online on Wednesdays, 3:00-5:30pm UK time. Please note that the timezone will change between GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and BST (British Summer Time) throughout the course.

    it is unlikely we will be able to give you a place on the course.

Do you offer any bursary options?

  • If you are unable to participate in the course due to its cost, please do still get in touch or complete our online bursary request form! We offer a small number of limited bursaries to students who would otherwise be unable to attend.
  • We are unable to award full bursaries. The maximum amount awarded is unlikely to be over 50% of the course fee; the majority of bursaries awarded will be lower.
  • We are only able to award bursaries towards the course fee, and cannot provide any funding towards travel or accommodation costs for the intensives.
  • As the OCCA is a charity, any bursary funding available is solely due to the generosity of our donors, and is dependent on the number of students applying for financial assistance.

Am I able to pay in instalments?

  • Yes, we can offer a payment plan (either monthly or termly) if that is helpful.

How is the course assessed?

The course completion is dependent on;

  • attendance and participation at online sessions and intensives;
  • completion of required work such as pre-reading and short written reflections;
  • a combined grade from termly assessments, which may take the form of an essay, article, written talk or similar task.

The course is non-accredited, but certificates will be awarded for successful completion.

If I do not get a place on this course, what are my next steps?

  • There are only a limited number of places on the course, so we recommend you apply early! However, if you do not get a place, we do plan to run this course again next year.
  • You might be interested in some of the other courses we run!

If you have any further questions not answered here, please do contact our team at courses@theocca.org

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