Graduate Certificate of Divinity
GRADUATE
- 4 Units
- 1 Semester FT | 2 years PT
- 48 Credit Points
- FEE HELP
- OVERSEAS
Course Description
If you already have an undergraduate qualification, but this is your first experience of studying theology, then the Graduate Certificate of Divinity will give you a great taste of what’s on offer.
A short course of only four units, the GradCert will give you either a better understanding of some core doctrines of your faith like grace or the person of Christ (the theology focus), or help you grasp the big-picture story of the Bible through an overview of both the Old and New Testaments (the Bible focus). You’ve also got different practical ministry options available to you, so you can get to grips with what’s involved in pastoral care, preaching, or church leadership. You’ll also be able to choose one book or key area of the Bible to explore more deeply, uncover a bit of church history, finally discover what ‘eschatology’ is all about, or even learn some Hebrew or Greek.
Perhaps you’re going to continue in the career you originally trained for, but just want to be better equipped to share your faith; maybe you’re thinking of getting more involved at church; or perhaps you’re exploring the idea of full-time ministry work. However you want to live out your faith, this course will give you a well-rounded biblical base from which you can start testing out where God might be wanting to put your interests and skills to work.
An AQF Level 8 award for advanced knowledge, professional skills and/or a pathway to further learning, the Graduate Certificate of Divinity is designed to enhance the Graduate Attributes in graduate students.
It is intended to be a general purpose award to provide students who are already graduates with an opportunity to undertake study at an advanced level of selected units in the teaching departments of Bible and Languages, Christian Thought and History and Ministry and Practice. It will serve either as an introduction to the study of Theology and Ministry by allowing students to sample units from a range of disciplines or as a means of developing a subject specialism by allowing students to select units from one or two disciplines.
Academic Qualifications: Completed 3 year bachelor degree or equivalent
Language Qualifications for NESB: IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in reading and writing, and 6.5 in listening and speaking 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
4 units | 48 credit points | 0.5 yrs FT, up to 2 yrs PT | On-campus & off-campus live stream
Graduate Certificate of Divinity course structure:
4 units from any field
Biblical Introduction
Old Testament introduction
Old Testament Foundations – OT001-812
Old Testament Prophets and Writings – OT002-812
New Testament introduction
Jesus and the Gospels – NT001-812
Early New Testament Church – NT002-812
Christian Thought
History
Christianity in History to 1550 – CH001-812
Christianity in History from 1550 to Modern Times – CH002-812
Theology
The Knowledge of God – TH001-812
Creation and the Fall, the Person and Work of Christ– TH102-812
The Doctrines of Grace and Eschatology – TH003-812
The Church and its Ministry – TH104-812
Philosophy & Ethics
Christian Ethics – PE001-812
Christian Apologetics – PE206-812
Exegesis
Old Testament exegesis (in English or Hebrew)
Pentateuch – OT008-812/OT009-812
Former Prophets: 1 & 2 Samuel – OT010-812/OT011-812
Isaiah (40-55) – OT014-812/OT015-812
The Psalms OT020-812/OT021-812
New Testament exegesis (in English or Greek)
The Synoptic Gospels: Luke – NT008-812/NT009-812
The Fourth Gospel – NT016-812/NT017-812
The Pastoral Epistles – NT014-812/NT015-812
Pauline Theology and Romans – NT018-812/NT019-812
Paul and Corinthian Christianity – NT010-812/NT011-812
Ministry & Practice
Evangelism and mission
Mission Perspectives – EM001-812
Principles of Evangelism – EM024-812
Ministry in a Culturally Diverse Context – EM018-812
Contextual Asian Ministry – EM031-812
Cross-Cultural Field Education – EM040-812
Pastoral and church-focused ministry
Preaching I – PC047-812
Spiritual Formation for Professional Ministry – PC008-812
Pastoral Skills and Methods– PC003-812
Theological Perspectives on Mental Health – PC137-812
Mental Health Issues in Christian Counselling – IN004-812
Congregational Field Education – PC092-812
Practical Ministry Field Education – PC094-812
Child Abuse in Christian Communities: Prevention and Response – PC134-812
Languages
Biblical Hebrew (A) – LA003-812
Biblical Hebrew (B) – LA004-812
New Testament Greek (A) – LA005-812
New Testament Greek (B) – LA006-812
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.
Discipline Knowledge and Understanding
1. Demonstrate up-to-date advanced knowledge and understanding of selected fields of ‘Divinity’
2. Examine the biblical, theological and ministry foundations of Divinity
Inquiry and Analysis
3. Collect, analyse, evaluate and synthesize advanced Divinity scholarship in inquiry-based learning
Problem Solving and Integration
4. Construct evidence-based perspectives on advanced Divinity issues by using recognized source materials and scholarly literature, evaluating alternative explanations and drawing reasoned conclusions
Communication
5. Present advanced Divinity ideas, knowledge and principles to, and engage with, specialist and non-specialist audiences using a variety of formats
Teamwork and Professional Practice
6. As leader and in groups, apply advanced understanding of Divinity in formal ministry contexts and the wider community
Engagement With the World
7. Bring developing professional and vocational capacity to engagement with the challenges of contemporary Christianity, society and the wider world
Continuous Learning and Professional Development
8. Demonstrate a capacity for independent reflection and learning to sustain personal and professional development in Christian 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 (076017G) 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 Graduate Certificate of Divinity you can continue your theological studies with either:
Hannah Mbitu
Church Worker, Kenya
“When I came to college I had a passion to serve children and young people, and this greatly increased during my time there. I developed confidence as my understanding of Scripture was growing every day, and I was helped to write good sermons and teaching lessons for my Sunday school work. Above all I learned the importance of humility in the Christian life, and it made all the difference to me that I could see the lecturers and staff demonstrating this in their own lives – they interacted so freely and kindly with students and served them during community lunch and were the first to be cleaning up afterwards. I was so greatly blessed by my time at BST.”