Our college
Whether you’re with us full-time for several years or you just attend a one-off lecture, you’ll always be learning about God’s word in a community of God’s people – the Great Commission can’t be worked out in isolation.
Certainly if you spend any length of time with us you’ll see that the things you experience outside the classroom – an unexpected chance to pray with a fellow student, a lunchtime discussion about the lecture you just had, the friendship you build over a particularly competitive game of table tennis – are just as important as the things you learn inside it. We need to shape and sharpen one another as we learn, love and live out God’s word together.
Scope out your campus
Located at Toowong, close to the Brisbane CBD, our campus has a view of the city skyline that rivals nearby Mt Coot-tha and we’re just minutes away from the busy cultural hub of South Bank. But don’t worry, there’s also plenty of green space: Anzac Memorial Park is right opposite us and the new Botanical Gardens are close by.
We have parking available if you drive to college, but you’ll also be within walking distance of both the train station and bus depot. Toowong itself has a good selection of shops and restaurants, and walking along the river into the heart of Brisbane, sampling the quirky cuisines on offer in West End, or wandering through the museums at South Bank are just a short train, bus or CityCat journey away.
In addition to several lecture rooms, our chapel, the student common room, a large library (also open to the public) and communal kitchen/dining area we also have plenty of on-campus accommodation ranging from single rooms to two-bedroom apartments.
Work out your week
LEARNING
Our classes will challenge, encourage, frustrate and excite you. Theology is not an easy ride and our gifted, experienced lecturers don’t shy away from tough topics. But delving further into God’s word is an amazing privilege and every unit offers a mixture of up-front teaching, student presentations and healthy debate to make sure you get the most out of studying the Bible.
FOOD
Everyone from the newest student to the wisest lecturer is an important part of the BST community, and we’ve found that trying to make conversation with a mouth full of hot cross bun is a pretty good equaliser (it’s probably the raisins-in-the-teeth factor.) So every week we make time to chew and chat together – students, staff and faculty – through joint morning tea, a community lunch or just time in the common rooms between classes.
WORSHIP
We don’t just want knowledge for its own sake; knowing God more fully should mean loving Him more completely and serving His people more willingly. So taking the time to praise God together, be taught by His word, pray for one another and share our testimonies, is something that all students and staff get involved in through our weekly chapel services.
MISSION
To help you start figuring out how and where God wants to use you, our Ministry Awareness Program (MAP) brings in a different mission/ministry worker every week to give a short presentation on their work and to answer your questions. You’ll also get the chance to actually work alongside some of them, as all students take part in a mission exposure week once a year.
DISCIPLESHIP
Every student has the opportunity to be part of a small fellowship group that meets weekly. This time of encouraging one another through Scripture and prayer balances the more academically rigorous interaction you’ll have with the Bible in your lectures. We also have a wonderful team of mentors available to offer guidance and support as you navigate the spiritual, emotional and intellectual challenges of theological study.
TABLE-TENNIS
Well ok, you don’t actually have to play table tennis. You can watch TV, start a game of footy, or just relax in the sunshine. The important thing is that we help you make time to grow real friendships with the people you’re normally overlooking in class because you’re concentrating so hard on understanding the basics of Hebrew.
Check out your accommodation
Although living on campus isn’t a vital part of your BST experience, it definitely changes the way you experience our college community.
We have single rooms, with access to a large shared kitchen, and also a variety of one- and two-bedroom units which are entirely self-contained. So single students, couples and families are all welcome on site.
Find out your fees
We know that money can sometimes be a worry: maybe you’re concerned about being without an income after several years of working, or perhaps you’ve got a family to provide for whilst you study.
Our students are all eligible for FEE-HELP (if you’re an Australian citizen) which we hope will take off some of the pressure. It means that the government take care of all your fees up front, then when you finish studying you can pay them back over several years. Help with living costs is also available through Austudy.
Just a little note to international students – we love having you with us (more than 20 different nationalities are currently represented on our campus) but unfortunately we aren’t able to offer any scholarships or fee support at the moment. But you’re still more than welcome to apply to study at BST.
