As an Affiliated College of the Australian College of Theology, PTC is approved to deliver its courses (CRICOS 02650E).
PTC’s Centre for Biblical Counselling is at the forefront of biblical counselling in Australia and has graduates currently working as counsellors. Our main counselling lecturer is also the Executive Director of Biblical Counselling Australia. PTC was the first college in Australia to offer training in biblical counselling and have offered courses in this area for close on 20 years.
We offer fully online programs and a biblical counselling focus can be taken within most of our courses. Courses range from a half year to three years’ duration. Each individualised program will combine biblical, theological, and practical subject areas with a major study focus in biblical counselling.
For more information, go to the website: PTC National Centre for Biblical Counselling.
At PTC, we seek God’s wisdom for our lives rather than worldly wisdom. The biblical counselling focus provides training in pastoral counselling that is rigorously Christ-centred and founded on Scripture. Competency to counsel is integral to various ministries, including ordained pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, other ministry work, as well as formal biblical counselling settings. It will also be helpful for those who often find themselves providing informal counsel to others.
Biblical counselling training can be useful in diverse settings, such as in a church ministry, a chaplaincy position, a Christian counselling centre, or personal interactions. Those aiming for a formal Christian counselling ministry, whether within or independently of the Church, should choose a degree that allows for the most biblical counselling units to be taken and should consider what else may be advisable or necessary to meet Church, regulatory, legal, and professional-body requirements. PTC units in pastoral care and biblical counselling, along with PTC biblical and theological units, can meet the academic requirements of Biblical Counselling Australia. PTC does not guarantee accreditation with any Church or external body.
Seven biblical counselling units are currently offered regularly, as below. It is hoped to have a supervision practicum available for semester 2 2024. Further units in biblical counselling can be arranged, tailored to your requirements, with a project, capstone experience, or study contract offering significant flexibility.
Online units: All biblical counselling units can be taken online, whether via recorded lectures, live video-conference attendance, or both for some units.
On-campus units: PC002 and PC003 are offered on-campus every year. Occasional intensive units are held, usually taken by guest lecturers from CCEF or similar – check the semester timetables.
PC002 and PC003 are the two foundation units in biblical counselling. These ordinarily should be completed before the advanced biblical counselling units.
Also, PTC almost always requires PC002 to be completed before PC003. PC002 lays the theoretical foundation that PC003 builds on.
A biblical counselling stream can be incorporated into PTC’s undergraduate and postgraduate awards by choosing units from the Pastoral and Church-Focused Ministry (PC) field. Go to Courses for the full list of available courses. As some examples, a biblical counselling focus can be had in the following. Note that usual course and unit requirements have to be met and access to higher level units is not always possible or may only be possible at later stages of course progression.
Undergraduate
UCertMin (4 units, 1 semester if full-time, though PC002 and PC003 ordinarily should be completed before other units). Requires 1 biblical-theological unit and allows for 3 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units. Access to level 7 counselling units is not possible.
DipMin (8 units, 1 yr if full-time). Requires 3 biblical-theological units and allows for 5 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units. Access to level 7 counselling units is not possible.
AssocDegMin(16 units, 2 yrs if full-time). Allows for 8 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units (equivalent to one year of the course if full time). Access to level 7 units is possible later in the course of study.
BMin (24 units, 3 yrs if full-time). Requires 12 biblical-theological units and allows for 8 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units (equivalent to one year of the course if full time). Access to level 7 units is possible later in the course of study.
Postgraduate
GradCertDiv (4 units, 1 semester if full-time, though PC002 and PC003 ordinarily should be completed before other units). Can be taken entirely as Biblical Counselling units.
GradDipDiv (8 units, 1 yr if full time). Requires 3 biblical-theological units and allows for 5 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units.
Master of Arts (Christian Studies) (16 units, 2 years if full-time). Allows for 8 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units (equivalent to one year of the course if full time), with 24cps of ‘integrative’ work required (as a project, projects, or similar).
MTS (16 units, 1 year with advanced standing for a completed GDipDiv, MA(ChrisStud), or MDiv; 1.5 years with advanced standing for a completed BTh, BMin, or GCertDiv; 2 years if full-time and no advanced standing). Allows for 8 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units (equivalent to one year of the course if full time). If no advanced standing is applicable, requires 3 biblical-theological units.
MDiv (24 units, 3 yrs if full time). Requires 18 biblical-theological units and allows for 6 of the Centre’s Biblical Counselling units.
Biblical counselling requires knowledge of Scripture and theology. Relevant units that can be incorporated into a degree with a biblical counselling focus include the following. Many courses require at least two biblical introduction units and a theology or church history unit.
Jesus and the Gospels (online & on-campus)
The Early New Testament Church (online & on-campus)
Interpreting and Applying Psalms (online & on-campus)
Interpreting and Applying Job (online)
The Fourth Gospel (online & on-campus)
Creation and the Fall, the Person and Work of Christ (online & on-campus)
The Doctrines of Grace and Eschatology (online & on-campus)
The Church and its Ministry (online & on-campus)
Christianity in History to 1550 (online & on-campus)
Christianity in History from 1550 (online & on-campus)
Training for the Kingdom of Heaven
