Graduate Certificate of Divinity
Admission requirements: A bachelor degree or equivalent, or relevant experience
SMBC's Graduate Certificate of Divinity pathways are a great opportunity to ‘fill up the tank’ and go further in your ministry journey. Ideal for those already with a 3 year theological degree and some ministry or mission experience, these tailored pathways will allow you to dig deeper, explore issues and hone your skills at an advanced level.
Your four units can be completed over 6 months to 2 years, giving 48 credit points (minimum AQF level 8) for an Australian College of Theology (ACT) accredited Graduate Certificate of Divinity. The Certificate offers significant professional development and the units are available in a range of on-campus and off-campus (online) formats.
You can choose one of our specialised pathways, or design your own bespoke pathway from any AQF level 8/9 units offered at SMBC. Each pathway provides a foundation of Bible units alongside specialised units. Regular yearly cycles of Old Testament, New Testament, theology, preaching, pastoral care, missions, leadership skills and contemporary issues will give you a variety of options to choose from.
Seasoned practitioners from the SMBC faculty as well as guest lecturers, along with fellow students, will bring you the best of learning in community – fresh resources, stretching discussion and immediate application.
As well as providing professional development opportunities, the Graduate Diploma can lead to further study, for example, Graduate Diploma of Divinity, Master of Divinity, Master of Intercultural Studies, Master of Ministry, Master of Missional Leadership, or Master of Theological Studies.
Course AQF level: 8
Full-time: 0.5 year
Maximum time: 2 years
Credit points: 48
Delivery mode: units that can credit towards this course are delivered in a variety of on-campus and off-campus, intensive and seminar options
Available to overseas students: no
Admission Requirements:
Academic Qualifications: Completed 3 year bachelor degree or equivalent.
Note: An alternative admission pathway to the Graduate Certificate of Divinity exists for those who have not completed a 3 year bachelor degree or equivalent – visit the ACT website for details.
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
VIEW UNIT SELECTION GUIDE (for first theology degree)
VIEW UNIT SELECTION GUIDE (for second theology degree)
If you are interested in this course, please feel free to contact our registrars for more information here
This is a course of the Australian College of Theology. For more detailed information on this course see the ACT course overview and ACT Coursework Course Enrolment Policy.
SMBC Pathways
SMBC pathways are available in: Pastoral Leadership; Biblical Preaching; Advanced Exegesis; and Intercultural Studies. Alternatively, you can design your own bespoke pathway with any AQF level 8/9 units offered at SMBC.
BIBLICAL PREACHING PATHWAY
This pathway provides the opportunity to take your preaching skills further. Balancing deep dives into the Bible and theology with practical skills, you’ll be challenged to better communicate with post-Christian Australia. There’s the opportunity to explore different biblical genres and some units will be available as intensives and others as workshops.
View proposed units schedule
PASTORAL LEADERSHIP PATHWAY
Whether it’s caring for people at the beginning or end of life, for those with disabilities or troubled by gender issues, for marriages or teams in conflict, pastoral ministry is tough and stretching. This pathway provides the resources to mine the Scriptures for rich insights and find helpful ways to apply them in your ministry. There’s also the opportunity to nurture your own leadership skills and resilience.
View proposed units schedule
INTERCULTURAL STUDIES PATHWAY
Blending some of the specialised resources from the SMBC Master of Intercultural Studies along with advanced missions and Bible units, this pathway will enhance your cross-cultural understanding and skills. Studies on topics like contextualisation, transformational development, cultural anthropology or cross-cultural church planting will help keep you up-to-date with the latest in missional thinking – whether here in Australia or overseas.
View proposed units schedule
ADVANCED EXEGESIS PATHWAY
Whether you’re preaching or leading Bible studies, or simply want to enrich your biblical understanding, taking time for sustained, in-depth study of the Scriptures will not only broaden and deepen your knowledge, but nourish your faith as well. You can choose from a range of both Old Testament and New Testament units taught by specialists and designed to give application and practice in the contemporary world.
View proposed units schedule
RESEARCH PROJECT PATHWAY
This pathway provides the opportunity to write a reseach project of your choice under the supervision of an SMBC lecturer with expertise in your chosen subject area. It would suit those looking to explore a topic in significant depth. It can also provide a pathway for admission to a Higher Degree by Research. Your course would begin with a Research Methods coursework unit and then progress to either a 12,000 or 16,000 word project.
