Undergraduate Programmes
Overview
The School of Theology offers integrated undergraduate programmes which aim to deepen the understanding and expression of Christian faith. The programmes are offered in conjunction with the Adelaide College of Divinity and a substantial number of lectures in theological subjects are held at the college campus in Brooklyn Park.
The Bachelor of Theology is not a programme of religious studies which looks at religion from the perspective of other disciplines such as anthropology, philosophy, psychology or history; rather it is the study of specifically Christian traditions and thought. However, it goes beyond what is taught in traditional courses offered by Christian colleges because it examines theology alongside -- and in dialogue with -- other fields of study and other issues which are critical to contemporary society and culture.
The programmes were created on the premise that the doctrine of the Trinity needs to be explored with the same rigour as human genetics, that the Old Testament warrants the same scholarly analysis as the Australian Constitution and that the resurrection of Christ needs to be understood with as much intellectual discipline as the French Revolution.
The programmes are ecumenical, dealing with the Christian tradition in all its diversity. The lecturers are Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Church scholars and the student body is even more representative, including members of Baptist, Churches of Christ, Orthodox and Pentecostal churches.
The programmes are inter-disciplinary, combining biblical studies, church history, systematic theology and Christian ethics with an optional stream comprising professional ministry studies such as pastoral care, Christian education and preaching.
The programmes are extremely flexible, offering a range of elective topics in the second and third years of the ordinary degree and in the fourth year for those who continue to the honours degree. Students can incorporate non-theological topics drawn from areas such as education, information technology, law, philosophy or psychology. Students with a previous degree may receive credit for this component. Conversely, some theological studies can be incorporated into other Flinders degrees.
Career Options
The Bachelor of Theology, combined with further professional training, can lead to various forms of ministry and can prepare graduates for a variety of roles within their church community. When followed by a Bachelor of Education, it can lead to the teaching of Religious Studies.
The degree does not of itself qualify a person for ordination in any church but many students use it to fulfil part of their ordination requirements. Some begin the course before being accepted for ordination while others wait until they have been accepted as candidates. People looking towards ordination should consult the head of one of the theological colleges.
The degree also can lead to further study towards a Master of Theological Studies, Master of Theology, Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Entry Requirements
Year 12 applicants must have qualified for SACE and obtained "Recorded Achievement" in at least five two-unit SACE Stage 2 subjects. Included among the five must be four HESS subjects (PES/PAS). There are no prerequisites.
Non-school leavers are eligible to apply from various backgrounds, eg tertiary transfer, TAFE, Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) and other areas.
Credit transfer arrangements are in place for applicants who have successfully completed certain TAFE courses. Contact the Admissions Office for further details.
Programme Structure
The School of Theology offers the ordinary degree, or first degree, of Bachelor of Theology [BTh] and the honours degree of Bachelor of Theology [BTh(Hons)] which may be taken after the ordinary degree.
At Flinders University every topic is assigned a unit value which reflects the size of the topic (that is, the number of lectures, tutorials and practical sessions that it contains). Most teaching in undergraduate theology topics is carried out on a semester basis. All first-year topics have a weighting of 4.5 units and most second, third and honours topics have a weighting of either 3 or 6 units.
Bachelor of Theological Studies, BThSt
The Bachelor of Theological Studies is 108 unit and requires three years of full-time study (or equivalent part-time). It is only available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Theology at Flinders University who elect to exit with a three year degree. To qualify for the Bachelor of Theological Studies a student must obtain a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the following program of study:
- 37.5 units of Biblical Studies topics
- 37.5 units of Historical and Systematic Theology topics
- 33 units of either Pastoral Studies topics or 'Other Discipline' topics (selected from any offered by the university provided entry and course requirements are met).
Bachelor of Theology, BTh
The Bachelor of Theology requires four years full-time study (or equivalent part-time). To qualify for the Bachelor of Theology a student must complete 144 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic according to the following program of study:
- 37.5 units of Biblical Studies topics
- 37.5 units of Historical & Systematic Theology topics.
- 33 units of either Pastoral Sudies or 'Other Discipline' topics (selected from any offered by the university provided entry and course requirements are met)
- 36 units chosen from the following areas of study: Biblical Studies; Historical and Systematic Theology; Pastoral Studies or Biblical languages.
Honours Bachelor of Theology, BTh(Hons)
The honours degree of Bachelor of Theology requires 36 units, or the equivalent of two semesters of full-time study. Part-time students are welcomed and the programme may be completed within two years of part-time study. The honours programme comprises up to 24 units of coursework and supervised reading topics and a supervised thesis of either 12 units (not more than 12,000 words) or 18 units (not more than 18,000 words).
Topics from the Master of Theological Studies degree programme may, subject to the approval of the convenor, be studied as part of an honours programme and will be assessed at honours level.
The topic THEO2701 Biblical Greek 1 or THEO2702 Biblical Hebrew 1 is a prerequisite for the programme.
Participation in the THEO 7001 Honours Seminar is required throughout the programme.
A student may begin a programme in either late February/early March (semester 1) or late July (semester 2) however, students commencing in the second semester should complete enrolment at the start of the first semester unless they are proceeding immediately to an honours programme after completing an ordinary degree in July.
A student may proceed to the honours degree of Bachelor of Theology provided that his or her performance in the ordinary degree was of a standard considered to be sufficient by the Board of Theology. Alternatively, entry may be considered if a student holds another degree or tertiary qualification deemed to be of an equivalent standard, provided that his or her performance in obtaining this qualification was of a standard considered to be sufficient by the board.
The minimum standard for automatic admission to the honours programme is the completion of 36 units of work at upper-year level (excluding any first-year level) with grades of CR (Credit) or better, at least 12 units of which must be from the area of study chosen for the honours programme.
An applicant for admission to the honours programme whose ordinary degree is from a tertiary institution other than Flinders University is required to submit, in November of the year before commencing an honours programme, a piece of written work from the final-year studies of his or her ordinary degree. The Standing Committee of the School of Theology will consider the written work as an indicator of the academic standard of the applicant and compare it to the standard at Flinders University.
Honours degrees are awarded according to classes that identify the demonstrated level of scholarship: First Class (outstanding), Second Class Division A (high), Second Class Division B (substantial), Third Class (satisfactory) and Fail (unsatisfactory).
Further Information
For further information, consult the Flinders University Course Information Handbook http://www.flinders.edu.au/calendar/vol2/ (printed copies of which are available for purchase from the university cashier's office or for reference in the university libraries).
Further information can also be obtained from:
Ms Gaynor Bryant
Faculty Administrative Officer
Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia
Tel: (+61 8) 8201 3793
Fax: (+61 8) 8201 3407
Gaynor.Bryant@flinders.edu.au
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