Ignatian Spirituality and the Art of Spiritual Direction
Applications for both the in-person and online iterations of the three-year Ignatian Spirituality Course (ISC) are open currently open. Please click here for more details about how to apply.
The course runs from 11 am to 4 pm, one day a week over three years, three terms each year.
Applications for 2026 now closed. Recruitment for 2027-2028 opens Monday 8th March 2027.
Course Dates
View the Course Dates for 2026-2027 here.
Year 1 (Tuesdays)
This year can be taken independently as a foundational course in Ignatian Spirituality and spiritual direction. The following topics are covered:
- Introduction to Ignatius, his spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises
- The practice of Spiritual Direction
- Ignatian Spirituality in Context: Christian Traditions
- Exploring our own spirituality
- Foundational Issues in Spirituality: theological and psychological
Please download an Outline of First Year Modules and Expectations for more information.
Year 2 (Wednesdays)
This year develops a deeper knowledge & understanding of the subject through:
- A detailed study of the text of the Spiritual Exercises;
- Practice of spiritual direction, through working in small and large groups
In some circumstances, we can admit applicants with equivalent experience directly to the second year of the course where they have knowledge of the first year content. In these cases we ask prospective students to fill out the ISC Year 2 Direct Entry form. Please note: places into Year Two are not guaranteed and we are currently operating a waiting list for 2026-2027. Applicants for Direct Entry are advised that they may be offered a place on Year One of the course, and are invited to email Admin with any questions in advance of making an application.
Update: At time of writing (July 2026) we have no Direct Entry places for the 2026-2027 Year Two In-Person course. Please contact Admin if you are interested in Direct Entry for the Online course.
Year 3 (Thursdays)
Participants are helped to develop their skills in the competence needed to be able to give the Spiritual Exercises, their Adaptations, and on-going spiritual direction.
Study is mainly experiential. It focuses on the participant’s work as a director in group work, through case studies, personal and peer appraisal, seminars and supervision.
Requirements
Interviews
Participants are accepted following an initial informal interview; these are usually held in July and September. Occasionally, people with relevant background and experience may be admitted straight onto the Second Year.
To get more of an idea of what constitutes ‘relevant background and experience’, please see the Outline of First Year Modules and the ISC Year 2 Direct Entry Form.
Assignments and Reviews
There are regular assignments and reviews during the course. Entry to subsequent years is through completion of the previous year’s requirements and an end-of-year review. Movement from one year to the next is not automatic; this will be assessed and discussed with you by a member of staff.
Expectations
Participants are expected to:
- Meet regularly with an Ignatian-trained spiritual director
- Be committed to attending all sessions. No more than six sessions may be missed in a year. If more than three sessions are missed in a term you will be expected to repeat the whole term. There will be an administrative fee for repeating a term
- Work with your own experience in this ministry within the group
- Complete assignments and recommended reading
- Make an Ignatian-based, individually guided retreat (normally 6-8 days duration residential or online) by the start of the Second Year
- Make the full Spiritual Exercises, either as a 30-day retreat or as a Retreat in Daily Life and this must be underway by the beginning of Year 2
The taking of the Exercises in three stages over an extended period of time is not recommended but may be acceptable in exceptional circumstances after consultation with the relevant year leader and one of the course directors.
The course is committed to helping students consider their options for this requirement and can assist with finding a director for a Retreat in Daily Life if necessary.
Correspondence
Please note: correspondence between a course participant and their tutors may, at the tutors’ discretion, be placed on the participant’s file for future reference.
Certification
A digital Certificate of Completion is presented at the end of the Third Year for those who have completed all the course requirements.
A Letter of Completion is available if requested at the end of the First Year.
Course Fees
Course fees for 2026-2027 are £1800, payable in two instalments.
We hope that no one is prevented from following the course through lack of money. Generous financial assistance for UK students may be available via the Society for Retreat Conductors (SRC). If you wish to be considered for this, please apply early and approach the SRC when you are offered a place. We regret that we are currently unable to advise on grants for international students.
Please email the Course Administrator for further details or to make an application.
Hear From Our Students
The course itself is very well organised, run at a pace that is suitably and enjoyably challenging. The teaching has extended my knowledge in ways that I didn’t know were possible. As a result I have an ever deepening appreciation for my Christian faith, a growing skill set in listening to people and to God, and an increasing intimacy with God in my own walk. The material I have been learning has started me on the path of practising and enriching the skills I will need for spiritual direction aided by real-time observed exercises.
Melinda W
I’ve particularly appreciated the creative balance of contemplation/meditation/ experience, practice and learning. I have learnt so much and had my eyes opened to so much. It has been an intellectually, emotionally, spiritually challenging, exciting, affirming and life changing year!
Pauline M
The practice of spiritual direction was a wonderful experience. This allowed me to learn about my own style of direction as well as learning from others by observation. All done in a loving and caring way.
Cyd C