Current examples of where the BD degree is taught in the
United Kingdom are: the
University of St Andrews (where entrants must hold a degree in another discipline);
Queen's University Belfast; the
University of Aberdeen; the
University of Edinburgh; and the
University of Glasgow. At the
University of Cambridge and previously at the
University of Oxford, the BD is a
postgraduate qualification, and applicants must have already completed an undergraduate degree before becoming a candidate for the degree. The same principle applied at Oxford where the degree was closed to new registrations in 2005; BDs continue to be awarded to those registered before 2005. Registration for Cambridge's BD is only open to senior graduates of that university. The BD at Cambridge is the highest ranking bachelor's degree, and it is so senior that it outranks the PhD. It requires a significant contribution to knowledge in the area of
Christian theology, and is awarded based on published work, dissertation, or a combination of both. The
University of Durham BD was of a similar nature, and available to graduates of seven years' standing. It was awarded on the basis of published work of a similar extent to a PhD – the usual basis for the award was a book. It is no longer awarded.
St Mary's College at the
University of St Andrews – where the main undergraduate award is the MTheol (
Master of Theology) – offers the BD following a three-year course of study for graduates in other disciplines.
Heythrop College, a constituent college of the
University of London, offered a BD course through the
University of London International Programmes (lately, University of London Worldwide), which was not restricted to only members of the university. Due to the closure of Heythrop College January 2019 the University of London itself provides academic direction for the Divinity programme, drawing tutors from former academics that were at Heythrop College, academics from the theology department of
King's College London, and outsourced academics on an ad hoc basis. The current (since 2021) London BD is a standard undergraduate degree in religious studies, unlike the more theologically Christian-orientated BDs of the others, where there are options for specialising in Christian theology or religious studies in general depending on module selection. However, the degree was eventually withdrawn in Autumn 2025, with those registered in Sept 2025 being the final cohort due to graduate in 2032 at the latest. ==Ireland==