Heythrop College

Heythrop College is the specialist philosophy and theology college of the University of London situated in Kensington Square, London. The college offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in philosophy, theology and related subjects. Founded in 1614, by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) Heythrop joined the University of London in 1971, whilst retaining a modern Catholic ethos, it offers an educational experience that respects all faiths and perspectives.

 

 

Background and History

The College was founded in 1614 by the Society of Jesus in Leuven, (present-day Belgium), then moved in 1624 to Lige. During the wars surrounding the French Revolution, the college moved to Britain - philosophy was taught at Stonyhurst College in Lancashire and theology in St. Beuno's in North Wales. Tracing its history back almost 400 years, Heythrop is one of the oldest universities in England.

Location and Accessibility

By tube: Heythrop's nearest tube station is High Street Kensington, which is in Zone 1. This means that you can travel from Heythrop to any major train station in London within approximately 45 minutes. For more information, see the London Underground website.

By bus: High Street Kensington is a hub for the bus network in London, as is Gloucester Road, which is a short walk away. For more information, see bus routes on the Transport for London website.

What's on Offer

A full range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees including, BA, MA, MPhil, MRes, DMin and PhD.

Entry Requirements

The entry requirements for undergraduate courses vary. For prospective Masters and PhD students a first or upper second class BA or Masters is required. For more information on entry requirements visit the university website.

University Accommodation

At Heythrop College there are on and off site accommodation options. Alban Hall provides on-site catered accommodation for Heythrop students.  

Intercollegiate Halls

Each year Heythrop is usually allocated a small number of rooms in Intercollegiate Halls, normally in Nutford House (Marble Arch/Edgware Road) and the Garden Halls (Bloomsbury). There are single and twin rooms available and these include a catered package.

Heythrop offers both full-time, and part-time courses. There are 3 academic departments at Heythrop College: the Department of Pastoral and Social Studies, the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Theology.

Academic Facilities

Heythrop Library dates back to the founding of the College in 1614. It is on two sites: Philosophy in the main building, and Theology, Social Sciences, Language and Literature in a separate building on the campus. It has some 180,000 volumes in its collections, and is one of the finest libraries of theological and philosophical books in the UK. The reason the library is so special is not just its antiquity: it has an important collection of pre-1801 imprints, the treasures are mainly stored off-site, and are not the sort of thing which undergraduates and taught postgraduates are likely to need.

Unlike many University of London colleges, which are divided among many campuses, the Kensington campus houses all Heythrop College facilities.

The Lion Newspaper

The Lion Newspaper was started in 2010 to provide the students of Heythrop with an independent source of information about the college as well as providing a platform for discussion and debate. The Lion is operated by 8 students editors, including 2 Senior Editors and an Editor-in-Chief. The Lion is a founding newspaper of the London Student Journalism Support Network, which won the NUS "Best Student Media" Award in 2011.