Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry
The Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry (CertMin) provides students with the opportunity to undertake AQF Level 5 study in practical ministry-oriented disciplines, in order to enhance their prospects of employment in a ministry setting, within a church or para-church context.
It is an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills appropriate for engagement in practical Christian ministry within a limited scope of defined operation. This course is also available to senior school students under the Senior School Higher Education Pathways Program – SCD Enhance, where students can undertake CertMin concurrently with their senior school studies.
The Award Summary lists the full program and the academic regulations for students enrolling in 2022. The Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry is offered through the individual colleges. Contact the Registrar of the teaching institution for study information, including mode of delivery and timetable, and to make an application for admission. Domestic students may be eligible for FEE-HELP, an Australian government scheme, assisting students to access a loan to help cover all or part of their tuition fees.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry requires the completion of 36 credit points (4 units) and takes 6 months full-time or 2 years part-time of study.
Admission to the Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry requires you to
- have satisfactorily completed Year 10 in the Australian school system, or its equivalent; and if still in secondary school have a written recommendation from the School Principal; OR
- have adequate grounds for Special Entry with evidence of capacity for successful study at this level.
English Proficiency
Applicants whose entry qualifications were obtained in an institution where English is not the language of instruction normally require a minimum IELTS (or equivalent) score of 6.0 with no result below 5.5.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry requires the completion of 36 credit points (four 9-credit point units) which shall include:
- 9 credit points from the list of units in Part A of **Schedule 1;
- 18 credit points from the list of units in Part B of **Schedule 1;
- 9 credit points from any other units in **Schedule 1.
Where equivalent AQF 7 units are available, the above requirements may be met through the taking of AQF 7 units instead.
**SCHEDULE 1
The list of approved units for the Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry:
- Part A
Choose ONE unit from
- Part B
Choose any TWO units from:
- C5100 Basic Pastoral Counselling
- C5127 Introduction to Chaplaincy
- H5100 Church History Survey
- H5110 Survey of Early Church History
- H5150 Reform and Reformers
- M5100 Introduction to World Mission
- M5127 Introduction to Cross-Cultural Mission
- P5101 Introduction to Pastoral Ministry and Practice
- P5110 Introducing Youth Ministry
- P5113 Introduction to Children’s Ministry
- P5115 Developing a Youth Ministry
- P5148 Basics of Christian Worship
- P5150 Basics of Pastoral Preaching
- P5155 Introduction to Christian Leadership
- P5171 Supervised Ministry I
- P5172 Supervised Ministry II
- S5101 Introduction to Personal Formation
- P51XX Christian Literature and Western Civilisation
- S51XX Human and Spiritual Development
- T51XX Christian Thought and Modern Ethics
- T51XX Theology and the Environment
- Choose ONE unit from any other units listed in Parts A and B above.
Graduates will have:
Knowledge
Introductory biblical and theological knowledge and knowledge of technical concepts and processes involved in a practical area of service as a basis for effective performance and for further learning.
Skills
Cognitive, communication, and technical skills in a ministry-related body of knowledge, so that they are able to:
-
- identify, analyse, and act on ministry-oriented information from a range of foundational sources
- express ideas and perspectives related to the Christian faith
- communicate ministry-related knowledge, skills, and ideas to others.
Applications of Knowledge and Skills
The ability to:
-
- demonstrate an understanding of theological knowledge by applying it in Christian ministry
- perform technical operations within a specific field of Christian ministry, taking personal responsibility for them
- organise the work of self and others and plan and coordinate the work of teams within well-defined parameters.
A candidate may seek credit up to a maximum of 18 credit points in the Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry.
Credit will be granted for units that are from an equivalent award or institution and have outcomes, content, demand hours, and assessment equivalent to that of units in the Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry.
Articulation to other awards
Students who complete the Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry will be eligible to proceed to the Sydney College of Divinity Diploma of Ministry or Diploma of Theology with full credit of 36 credit points.
Students who complete the Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry with AQF 7 units in the award will be eligible to proceed to the Bachelor of Ministry or Bachelor of Theology with a maximum of 36 credit points according to the number of AQF 7 units taken (9 credit points each).
The Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry is not offered to international students.
Domestic students interested in enroling should contact the college delivering the course for information regarding your study, including fees, mode of delivery, and timetable. A domestic student for the Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry shall be designated as full-time if enrolled in three units (27 credit points) in one semester or part-time if enrolled in less than three units (27 credit points) in one semester. SCD offers a wide range of units and students have the option to study one or more units across the colleges delivering SCD awards, whilst enrolled with one college.
If you have any questions email us at scd@scd.edu.au