Associate Degree

SECTION FIVE : Associate Degree Program & Specific Regulations

  • Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice

AssocDegChThPr Award Summary

Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice (AssocDegChThPr)
CRICOS : 071256K

AQF Level 6/7 Associate Degree
Entry Requirements

 

 – An Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 65, or its equivalent (eg. OP ≤ 16); or
– Mature Age and Special Entry Admissions for those who have reached the age of 21; or
– articulation from other Sydney College of Divinity programs.
Duration 2 years full-time or 6 years part-time.
Mode Full-time, part-time.
International students on an Australian student visa are required to study full-time.
Structure 144 credit points (16 bachelor level units, 7100-7200).
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 6.5 with no score less than 6.0 in all bands of the test.  A student can be admitted provisionally into the AssocDegChThPr when they have an IELTS result of 6.0 with no score less than 6.0 in all bands of the test.

Enrolment

Contact the Registrar of the college with whom you intend to study for enrolment and fee details.

Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice (AssocDegChThPr) is offered at:

Graduate Profile and Rationale

The Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice course is an undergraduate award that provides an opportunity to undertake some theological study with special focus on Christian Thought (including Biblical Studies, Theology, and Humanities in the Christian Tradition) or on Christian Practice (including Christian Life and Ministry). All course units are undertaken at AQF Level 7.  The special focus is achieved by completing a major in the area of interest (see academic Regulations section 2.1).

Outcomes

Graduates will have:

Knowledge

Graduates will have a broad theoretical and technical knowledge with depth in the underlying principles and concepts in Christian Thought or in Christian Practice, with basic knowledge in Theology and Biblical Studies forming the basis for further learning.

Skills

Graduates will have cognitive, thinking, and technical skills in a theologically-related body of knowledge, so that they are able independently to:

    • identify, analyse, and evaluate theological information and concepts from a range of sources;
    • identify and provide solutions to complex problems;
    • interpret and transmit responses to sometimes complex problems in theology;
    • demonstrate a broad understanding of knowledge and ideas, with some depth in theology;
    • communicate clearly and coherently theologically-related knowledge, and ideas.

Applications of Knowledge and Skills

Graduates will have the ability to:

    • use intuition and judgment to make plans, solve problems, and make decisions in para-professional ministry, demonstrating a broad understanding of knowledge by applying it creatively in ministry;
    • adapt knowledge and skills in a range of ministry settings and/or for further studies in one or more disciplines;
    • work in collaboration with others within broad parameters while exercising responsibility and accountability for own learning.

Articulation to other awards

The Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice is both a stand-alone award and a nested award in the Bachelor of Theology (BTh) and Bachelor of Ministry (BMin). As a result, it articulates directly into the Bachelor of Theology or Bachelor of Ministry. On completion of the BTh or BMin, the student will surrender their Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice. The exception would be if no credit was granted into the BTh or BMin for the units in the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice.

Exit points

Students enrolled in the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice may exit with a Diploma of Christian Studies provided they have met the requirements of the Diploma award.

ACADEMIC REGULATIONS for the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice

1 Admission to Candidature
1.1 An applicant for admission to candidature for an Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice shall:
1.1.1 have an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 65, or its equivalent (eg. OP ≤ 16) with English proficiency; or
1.1.2 have reached the age of 21 and so satisfy the requirements for Mature Age Entry; or
1.1.3 have adequate grounds for Special Entry; or
1.1.4 seek to articulate from other Sydney College of Divinity programs.
1.2 A candidate for an Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice shall be designated as full-time or part-time.  A student is designated as full-time if enrolled in three units (27 credit points) or more in a semester or part-time if enrolled in less than three units (27 credit points) per semester.
1.3 No candidate for the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice may be concurrently enrolled in any other undergraduate or postgraduate course within the Sydney College of Divinity, or any other tertiary institution, unless the candidate is enrolled in an approved joint degree program, or approval has been granted by the Academic Board.
1.4 Applicants whose entry qualifications were obtained in an institution where English is not the language of instruction may be admitted to the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice, providing they have achieved competency in English by
1.4.1 achieving an IELTS (or equivalent) result of 6.5 with no score below 6.0 in all bands of the test, or
1.4.2 achieving an IELTS result of 6.0 with no score below 6.0 in all bands of the test, providing they pass all course units in the first two semesters of the course.
1.5 Application for enrolment in the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice is made to the Registrar of the appropriate Member Institution offering the program.
2 Course Structure
2.1
 Study Areas Discipline Sub-disciplines Majors / Submajors
Christian
Thought		 Biblical Studies Biblical Studies
Theology Systematic Theology
Christian Ethics
Worship & Liturgy		 Theology (discipline)
Systematic Theology
Christian Ethics
Worship & Liturgy
Humanities in the Christian Tradition Church History
Philosophy		 Humanities in the Christian Tradition (discipline)
Church History
Philosophy
Christian
Practice		 Christian Life & Ministry Christian Spirituality
Mission
Pastoral Counselling
Pastoral Theology		 Christian Life & Ministry (discipline)
Christian Spirituality
Mission
Pastoral Counselling
Pastoral Theology
2.2 The Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice requires the completion of 144 credit points (16 Bachelor level units). Every program for the award shall include:
2.2.1 at least 18 credit points within the discipline of Biblical Studies;
2.2.2 at least 18 credit points within the subdiscipline of Systematic Theology;
2.2.3 at least one major (54 credit points) in the domain of Christian Thought (drawn from Biblical Studies, Theology, and Humanities in the Christian Tradition) or in the domain of Christian Practice (drawn from the Christian Life and Ministry discipline and its sub-disciplines).
2.3 A major is made up of 54 credit points from 7100 and 7200 series units, with not more than 18 credit points from 7100 series units. With the approval of the Academic Board, units may be chosen from the 8100 series of units.
2.4 Students may apply to the appropriate body of their Teaching Body to include in the major or sub-major a sequence of units from other areas of study.
2.5 Units coded “A” are not counted towards a major/sub-major in any discipline or subdiscipline.
2.5 All course units shall be taken from SCD units coded within the 7100-7200 series, apart from Academic Board approvals under 2.3 (above).
3 Period of Candidature
3.1 The period of candidature for the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice will normally be 2 years full-time and up to 6 years part-time.
3.2 In certain circumstances, the Student Support and Administration Committee may grant extensions.
4 Leave of Absence
4.1 The Student Support and Administration Committee may grant leave of absence from the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice. The period of leave shall not be counted as part of the period of candidature for the degree.
4.2 The period of leave will normally be one semester, after which a candidate may apply for a further period of one semester, or will be required to complete candidature.
5 Assessment
5.1 The assessment of subject units will be in the manner approved by the Academic Board, in line with the College’s established guidelines for assessment packages at the undergraduate certificate level.
5.2 Students may be required by the Academic Board to present themselves for oral examination.
5.3 Academic and non-academic misconduct will be penalised in accordance with the regulations of the Sydney College of Divinity, whose stipulations are severe.
6 Credit
6.1 A candidate may seek credit for up to a maximum of 72 credit points in the Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice.
6.2 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 Associate Degree of Christian Thought and Practice.
7 Saving Clause
7.1 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Academic Board of the Sydney College of Divinity may, in any case in which it may deem it appropriate to do so, vary, dispense with or suspend any requirement or prescription by these regulations, and report forthwith to the Council of the Sydney College of Divinity.

 

 

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