• Introduces students to the sources and content of the Christian story and message, and provides training which emphasises application and practice of this story and message in the contemporary world.
• Requires specialisation in disciplines by which knowledge of God is applied to guide Christian practice:
  • Evangelism & Missiology (EM) and/or
  • Pastoral & Church Focused Ministry (PC) and/or
  • Developmental Ministry (DM)
• The course will integrate studies in the Bible and Christian tradition with practical experience and include supervised practice-based learning where appropriate
• Through elective units students can:
  • Develop particular ministry skills in the three fields of Ministry & Practice
  • Develop foundational understanding in the Bible and Christian Thought & History

ATAR: Completion of Year 12 in the last two years with an ATAR 65 or above; OR

Previous Qualifications: Successful completion of a qualification at AQF Level 5 or above; OR

Demonstrate Academic Suitability for course: Test, Brief Essay, or Interview.

Language Qualifications for NESB: IELTS 6.5 overall with minimum of 6.0 in each subtest OR 10 years in Australia with English being the language primarily spoken both at home and work.

Australian College of Theology Coursework Course Enrolment Policy

8 units | 96 credit points | 1 yr FT, up to 8 yrs PT | On-campus & off-campus live stream

Diploma of Ministry Course Structure:

2 units from Biblical Introduction

1 unit from Christian Thought

2 units from Ministry & Practice

3 elective units

Below are the units you can choose from each category. 

Biblical Introduction

Old Testament introduction
Old Testament Foundations – OT001-512
Old Testament Prophets and Writings – OT002-512

New Testament introduction
Jesus and the Gospels – NT001-512
Early New Testament Church – NT002-512

Christian Thought

History
Christianity in History to 1550 – CH001-512
Christianity in History from 1550 to Modern Times – CH002-512

Theology
The Knowledge of God – TH001-712
Creation and the Fall, the Person and Work of Christ– TH102-712
The Doctrines of Grace and Eschatology – TH003-712
The Church and its Ministry– TH104-712

Philosophy & Ethics
Christian Ethics – PE001-512
Christian Apologetics – PE206-712

Old Testament exegesis 
Pentateuch –  OT008-712/OT009-712 (Hebrew exegesis available) 
Former Prophets: 1 & 2 Samuel – OT010-712/OT011-712 (Hebrew exegesis available) 
Exilic Prophecy (Isaiah 40-55) – OT014-712
The Psalms OT020-712

New Testament exegesis (in English or Greek)
The Synoptic Gospels: Luke – NT008-712/NT009-712
The Fourth Gospel – NT016-712/NT017-712
The Pastoral Epistles – NT014-712/NT015-712
Pauline Theology and Romans – NT018-712/NT019-712
Paul and Corinthian Christianity – NT010-712/NT011-712

Ministry & Practice

Evangelism and mission
Mission Perspectives – EM001-512
Principles of Evangelism –  EM024-512
Ministry in a Culturally Diverse Context –  EM018-712
Contextual Asian Ministry – EM031-712
Cross-Cultural Field Education –  EM040-712
Child Abuse in Christian Communities: Prevention and Response – PC134-712

Pastoral and church-focused ministry
Pastoral Skills and Methods– PC003-712
Preaching I – PC047-712
Spiritual Formation for Professional Ministry – PC008-712
Congregational Field Education – PC092-712
Practical Ministry Field Education – PC094-712

Languages

Biblical Hebrew (A) – LA003-612
Biblical Hebrew (B) – LA004-612
New Testament Greek (A) –  LA005-612
New Testament Greek (B) –  LA006-612

Note: Biblical Introduction, Church History and Greek A & B are offered every year, while the other units run on a two-year cycle. Please refer to the college timetable to find out what is being offered each year.

A full-time study load is 4 units per semester. You can be full-time and study 3 units per semester; it will just take you longer to finish the course. A part-time study load is 1 or 2 units per semester.

Course Rules

• Maximum concurrent enrolment load: 60 cps

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Demonstrate essential knowledge of Ministry as an academic discipline with particular attention to at least one area of Ministry and Practice

2. Identify the essential biblical and theological foundations of Ministry

3. Recognize the essential theological, spiritual and ethical implications of Ministry knowledge and understanding

Inquiry and Analysis

4. Collect, summarize, and analyse information from standard biblical, theological and social scientific sources and scholarship

Problem Solving and Integration

5. Construct evidence-based perspectives and responses to essential Ministry issues by using standard source materials and methods

Communication

6. Present essential Ministry ideas, knowledge and principles to, and engage with, different audiences using a variety of formats

Teamwork and Professional Practice

7. Under supervision, apply essential Ministry understanding in formal ministry contexts and the wider community

Engagement With the World

8. Engage with essential challenges of contemporary Christianity, society and the wider world

Continuous Learning and Professional Development

9. Demonstrate a capacity for reflection and learning to sustain personal and professional development in Christian life and ministry

BST Timetable, Calendar and Fees

This course is FEE-HELP and Centrelink approved.

What is FEE-HELP?
FEE-HELP is a loan that helps eligible fee paying students pay their tuition fees.

For eligibility and more information on FEE-HELP go to:
https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans/fee-help

This course is registered on CRICOS (054659K) and is available to overseas students. Further information for overseas students can be found on our overseas student page.  

Overseas students can apply here.

When you have completed the Diploma of Ministry you can continue your studies with the Advanced Diploma of Ministry. It involves all the components of the regular Diploma, but you need a total of 144 credit points (12 units) to complete it – that means you get to choose four additional units and will probably be studying for one semester longer than if you just do the Diploma.

Andy Coller
Church Relationship Coordinator at Baptist World Aid (Australia)

“I came to BST not knowing what God had in store for the future, but I was able to meet with so many people from different ministry settings that it really opened my eyes to the possibilities. In fact college opened my eyes in a lot of ways – we were never spoon fed a party line, but shown different theological perspectives and encouraged to work out what we believed and why. That’s been a great foundation for my work, and really all of my life, over the years.”

Robert Harvey
Former missionary (various countries in Africa)

“At BST I was formed by the people of God and the word of God. What a privilege it was to get to know the people – staff and students, each with their unique gifts, abilities and idiosyncrasies, but each one a part of my life through the input they had into it. And what a privilege to study and be changed by the word – the strong emphasis on the authority of the Bible helped prepare me to preach it with conviction, affection and dedication; to apply it in defense of my faith when in confrontation; and to stand upon its unfailing promises in times of doubt and difficulty.”