For Commencing Graduate Students

This is some generic course advice on how to proceed.

Which award?

You might wish to discuss with your course advisor as to which award you are going to start out with, but here's the basic process:

Step 1: pick the length. 

• A graduate certificate is 4 units and needs to be completed in 2 years.
• A graduate diploma is 8 units and needs to be completed in 4 years.
• A masters degree is 24 units and needs to be completed in 9 years.

Step 2: for masters students, pick your flavour. Master of Divinity or Master of Ministry? There's much in common, but:

• The Master of Divinity requires some more theology, church history, and original language subjects. 
• The Master of Ministry requires a greater number of practical subjects. 

This decision is pretty easy to change after a semester or two, as you'll be starting with the common core subjects anyway. See the planning spreadsheets for full details of required subjects.

What subjects do I start with? (2022 advice)

For Grad Cert and Grad Dip students, check the course planning spreadsheets and choose any units from level 8, Note that some level 8 units will have pre- or co-requisites, so plan accordingly.

For M.Min./M.Div., read on:

If you're part-time, just pick some of the core subjects (see planning spreadsheet and the Morling timetable). We advise beginning with OT001-812 and/or NT001-812, and continuing in second semester with OT002-812 and/or NT002-812. This gives you a full Bible overview and forms the basis for your other subjects. 

A full-time load is 3 or 4 units. (3 is the minimum to qualify for Austudy; international students on a student visa must enrol in 4.)

In semester 1 2023 we recommend:

• NT001-812 (Jesus & the Gospels) 
• OT001-812 (OT Foundations) 

Choose 1 or 2 from the following:

• CH001-812 (Church History)
• PC001-812 (Ministry Formation) 
• TH031-812 (Theology of Mission)
• PE010-812 (Christian Worldview)

If you're intending to study a language (a requirement for the M.Div.) it's good to start it in your first full-time year so you have room to study set Biblical books in that language. So you can choose either:

• LA005-812 (NT Greek A) - continues to Greek B in S2; OR
• LA003-812 (Biblical Hebrew A) - continues to Hebrew B in S2