The Undergraduate Certificate has been accredited by the Council of Australian Government (COAG) Education and Skills Council and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) until 31/12/2021. The qualification cannot be awarded after accreditation expires. Students are therefore only eligible to enrol in the course, where they plan to complete all course requirements by 31/12/2021. There will be a government review of the Undergraduate Certificate programs prior to the current exipiry date of 31/12/2021.

1. Introduces students to the sources and content of the Christian story and message and provides training which emphasises application and articulation of this story and message in the contemporary world including professional and vocational life.
2. Introduces students to specialist 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)
3. The course integrates studies in the Bible and Christian tradition with practical experience and include supervised practice-based learning where appropriate.
4. Through an elective unit students can:
   • Synthesise Christian understanding with particular occupational and/or life interest
   • Develop practical ministry skills

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

4 units | 48 credit points | 1 sem FT, up to 2yrs PT | On-campus & off-campus live stream

Undergraduate Certificate of Ministry Course Structure:

1 unit from Biblical Introduction

2 units from Ministry & Practice

1 elective unit (Choose from any of the below)

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

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

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
Child Abuse in Christian Communities: Prevention and Response – PC134-712

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

Exegesis

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
John’s 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

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.

Discipline knowledge and understanding

1. Demonstrate essential knowledge and understanding of Ministry as an academic discipline

2. Identify essential biblical and theological foundations of Ministry

3. Recognise the spiritual and ethical implications of Ministry

Inquiry and analysis

4. Collect, summarise, 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. Apply essential Ministry understanding in formal ministry contexts (including teams), professional and vocational life, 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 and vocational life and ministry

BST Timetable, Calendar and Fees

This course is FEE-HELP 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

When you have completed the Undergraduate Certificate of Ministry you can continue your studies with the Diploma of Ministry. To complete the Diploma of Ministry you will need an extra 48 credit points (4 units). 

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.”