Pre-2022 Master of Leadership

ⓘ This information is only relevant to students who enrolled in the MLead award prior to 2022

Master of Leadership  (Pre-2022 MLead award summary)
AQF Level 9

Entry Requirements An AQF Level 8 award (Graduate Certificate) in the field of religion and philosophy (Australian Standard Classification of Education field 0917 – Philosophy and Religious Studies).
Duration          1 year (2 semesters) full-time or 3 years (6 semesters) part-time.
Mode           Full-time, Part-time
Structure Eight units (72 credit points) including two compulsory units (18 credit points), three core units (27 credit points) taken from the list of approved Master of Leadership specialist units, one unit (9 credit points) focused on leadership practice in the context of the candidate’s place of work, ministry or mission and two elective units (18 credit points).

The course may be taken with or without a specialisation.

A specialisation in the Master of Leadership comprises 54 credit points in the discipline of Christian Life and Ministry or one of its subdisciplines with at least two 9600-series units. The Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma entry award units may be used towards the 54 credit points required for the specialisation.

Exit Point: Master of Leadership (72 credit points) or Graduate Certificate in Leadership (36 credit points).
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 7.0 in all bands of the test.

Graduate Profile and Rationale

The Master of Leadership is designed for those possessing a Graduate Certificate in the field of philosophy and studies in religion who wish to pursue a further qualification in an area of leadership focus as part of their continuing education for ministry.

The Master of Leadership focuses on building leadership capacity for people involved in a wide scope of religious, non-profit, community-focused enterprises. Students may be working for denominationally based organisations in education, welfare, aged care, local church or other ministries requiring specific leadership training for ministry or mission.

Outcomes

Graduates will have specialised knowledge and skills for further learning in professional practice and research and the ability to apply such knowledge and skills in a ministry leadership-related area:

Knowledge

Graduates will possess:

  • an integrated understanding of an advanced body of knowledge related to the practice of leadership particular to the management and governance of a complex religious, non-profit, ministry enterprise;
  • an expert understanding of the principles of inquiry and methods applicable to leadership theory and their application to real-world ministry practice.

Skills

Graduates will demonstrate expert, specialised cognitive and technical skills in leadership within a ministry-related body of knowledge, so that they are able independently to:

  • analyse critically, reflect on, and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories associated with leadership in a ministry related context;
  • implement with discrimination established leadership theories to provide solutions for the effective governance, management and operations of a religious, non-profit, community organization;
  • interpret and transmit knowledge, skills and ideas through coherent and sustained leadership to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

 Applications of Knowledge and Skills

Graduates will possess the ability to:

  • apply knowledge and skills in a way that demonstrates initiative, autonomy, expert judgment, adaptability, and accountability as leaders of religious, non-profit, community-focused enterprises;
  • plan and execute a substantial research or field-based project in an area of work-based leadership.

PRE-2022 ACADEMIC REGULATIONS for the Master of Leadership

1 Admission to Candidature
1.1 An applicant for admission to candidature for a degree of Master of Leadership shall:
1.1.1 hold an AQF Level 8 award (Graduate Certificate) in the field of religion and philosophy (Australian Standard Classification of Education field 0917 – Philosophy and Religious Studies); or
1.1.2 hold, from a university or other tertiary institution, qualifications approved by the Student Support and Administration Committee as equivalent to the requirements set out in the paragraphs above.
1.2 Notwithstanding the provisions of this regulation the Student Support and Administration Committee may require an applicant to demonstrate fitness for admission as a candidate for a degree of Master by carrying out such work and/or sitting for such examinations as the Student Support and Administration Committee may determine.
1.3 In exceptional cases, an applicant may be admitted as a candidate for a degree of Master of Leadership on the basis of evidence of other academic and professional attainments to be submitted to the Student Support and Administration Committee.
1.4 A candidate for the award shall be designated as full-time or part-time. A student is designated as full-time if enrolled in three units (27 cps) or more in a semester or part-time if enrolled in less than three units (27 cps) per semester.
1.5 No candidate for the award may be concurrently enrolled in any other undergraduate or postgraduate course within the Sydney College of Divinity or any other tertiary institution, unless approval has been granted by the Academic Board.
1.6 Applicants whose entry qualifications were obtained in an institution where English is not the language of instruction will normally be required to demonstrate competency in English by an IELTS (or equivalent) result of 7.0 in all bands of the test and may be required to attend such English language courses as prescribed by the Sydney College of Divinity.
1.7 Application for enrolment in the Master of Leadership program is made to the Registrar of the appropriate Teaching Body offering the program.
2 Course Structure
2.1 The Master of Leadership degree requires candidates to complete 72 cps (i.e. 8 units) from 8500 and 9600 series units in the SCD Schedule of Units of Study.
2.2 The eight units (72 cps) shall include:

  • two compulsory units* (18 cps):
    – P8570 Foundations of Christian Leadership
    – P8584 Non-Profit Governance for Ministry
    * If either of the two compulsory units have been completed in the award used for admission into the Master of Leadership, they are to be replaced with one or two elective units respectively 
  • three core units (27 cps) from the list of approved Master of Leadership core units (Schedule 1)
  • one Leadership Practice unit (9 or 18 cps) focused on leadership practice in the context of a place of work, ministry or mission through research, self-guided study, or field study (this may be a capstone unit, research project, research essay, independent guided study, site visit, field placement or action research project) from the list in Schedule 1
  • elective units from the 8500 and 9600 series in the SCD Schedule of Units to complete the 72 cps required for the award.
2.3 The program must include at least two 9600-series units.
2.4 A specialisation is based on a list of approved units approved by the Academic Board and may vary from time-to-time.
2.5 Units from the entry Graduate Certificate (or Graduate Diploma) if equivalent, to units required for the award may be considered for inclusion as core units and in the forming of any specialisation (54 cps, including at least 2×9600 level units) or sub-specialisation (36 cps) within the Master of Leadership.
2.6 Candidates who have previously studied a BTh/BMin or equivalent may not enrol in units with content similar to those covered in their previous studies.
3 Period of Candidature
3.1 The period of candidature for the degree shall normally be 1 year (2 semesters) full-time, or up to 3 years (6 semesters) part-time.
3.2 In certain circumstances, the Student Support and Administration Committee may grant extensions to the period of candidature.
4 Leave of Absence
4.1 The Student Support and Administration Committee may grant leave of absence from the award. The period of leave shall not be counted as part of the period of candidature for the degree.
4.2 The period of leave shall 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 course units shall be in the manner approved by the Academic Board in line with the College’s established guidelines.
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 rigorous.
6 Credit and Recognised Prior Learning
6.1 A candidate may seek credit for previous accredited study and/or Recognised Prior Learning up to a maximum of 18 cps in the Master of Leadership.
6.2 Credit can be granted only from units at the graduate level where the outcomes, content, demand hours and assessment are equivalent to those of existing SCD units.
6.3 Credit for Recognised Prior Learning can be granted subject to a successful application.
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.

Schedule 1

Compulsory Units

  • P8570        Foundations of Christian Leadership
  • P8584        Non-Profit Governance for Ministry

Master of Leadership Core Units

  • P8562        Administrative Leadership and Management for Ministry
  • P8572        Spiritual Leadership
  • P8581        Administrative Gifts for Ministry
  • P8583        Working in a Ministry Team Setting
  • P8589        Financial Management for Ministry
  • P9661        Managing Crisis and Conflict in Ministry
  • P9662        Mastering Change in Ministry
  • P9663        Strategic Thinking and Decision Making
  • P9664        Leading the Larger Church
  • P9665        Transformational Leadership in Ministry
  • P9667        Personal Growth for Leadership
  • C8506        Psychology and Leadership
  • S8501        Formation in Christian Leadership
  • S8503        Personal Transformation
  • E9670        Business and Professional Ethics
  • M9685       Cross-Cultural Mission

Leadership Practice Units

Units focused on leadership practice in the context of a place of work, ministry or mission through research, self-guided study, or field study:

  • M8586        Engaging in Inter-Cultural Ministry
  • X8594         Study Tour (or the unit that supersedes this)
  • X9691         Research Project (9cp)
  • X9692         Research Project (18cp)
  • X9693         Independent Guided Study (9cp)
  • X9694         Independent Guided Study (18cp)
  • X9696         Research Essay (18cp)
  • X9697         Seminar (9cp)
  • X9698         Action Research Project (18cp)
  • X9699         Capstone Unit (9cp)

Contact your college registrar or the Academic Registrar at SCD if you have any questions.

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