Courses
Certificate in Religious Studies Part-time (DC996)
The part-time Certificate in Religious Studies prepares primary teachers to teach in Catholic schools in accordance with the requirements of the Council for Catechetics of the Irish Episcopal Conference. In making appointments, Catholic school management boards will normally require the CRS as a condition of employment. As well as being recognised as a qualification to teach Religious Education in Irish Catholic primary schools,the CRS is also accepted by some of the Catholic elementary school systems in the UK, North America and Australia.
CCRS Supplementary Course
Certificate in Catholic Religious Studies (CCRS) Supplementary Course
Background
The CCRS Supplementary course is designed for primary teachers who qualified in the UK and who hold a Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) from the Bishops of England and Wales. It also pertains to those primary teachers who graduated outside of Ireland and who possess a qualification in Catholic theology without having studied Catholic RE. The CCRS Supplementary develops knowledge, skills and competencies in key areas of Catholic education and it fulfils the requirements of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference to teach Religious Education in Catholic primary schools in Ireland. (c.f. Appendix A of the document Recognition of Qualifications to Teach Catholic Religious Education in Catholic Primary Schools in the Island of Ireland ).
Entry
Entry to the CCRS Supplementary course is open to primary teachers who graduated outside of Ireland and who possess a qualification which is recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland, and who also possesses a CCRS (or have studied a course with equivalent theological content).
Structure
The CCRS Supplementary course concentrates on the methodologies and theoretical underpinnings of teaching religious education in Irish Catholic primary schools.
The course is delivered in a blended fashion and is offered at two points during the year - in July and in September.
Assessment is an inbuilt component of the programme and full attendance at the classes is compulsory.
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be provided with a letter of completion from Dr Cora O’Farrell, Director, the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education at Dublin City University.
Course Fees
The course fee is 200 euro.
Register
2026 Course will run in July: Thursday 2nd July Online, Friday 3rd July Online, Saturday 4th July Face to Face
Contact
If you have any question, please contact the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education at Materdei.cce@dcu.ie
Summer Courses (EPV)
Thank you for your interest in our Online Summer Courses 2026!
We are offering 2 different courses this summer for Primary School Teachers which offers 3 EPV days to those who complete a course.
These courses are offered entirely online in an asynchronous fashion although there will be some opportunity to engage with staff synchronously at various times, for those who wish to. The courses commence on Wednesday July 1st and are available until Friday July 10th. In accordance with DES requirements, participants are expected to spend at least 20 hours engaging with the course content (both online and in other self verifiable ways). Assessment forms part of the course. Participants may access the course content at a time that suits them. Regular support is available from the tutors delivering the course.
The course tutors are DCU Institute of Education staff and also affiliates of the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education.
Course 1: Patron's Programme in Catholic Schools. Please use this Eventbrite link to book
Course 2: Guiding the Way: Effective leadership of RE in Catholic Schools. Please use this Eventbrite link to book