PTC has many course options, and it can be bewildering to know what the best path is. The below might help you. PTC staff will also be only too happy to discuss your options with you.
Students undertake formal, theological study for many reasons, some for personal growth, others for particular ministry outcomes. PTC offers programmes that can enable you:
to have a deeper understanding of Scripture
to determine what your ministry might be
to enhance your role as an elder or other church leader
to enter into the ordained ministry (pastor)
to be a missionary
to take up chaplaincy (defence force, hospital, schools, police, sports, community group)
to be a counsellor
to build on previous study
to enhance current ministry
to be a theological educator
PTC is pleased to have graduates working in all of the ministries mentioned above, many here in Australia and also overseas.
Whatever your reason for studying, we do ask that you enter into your studies prayerfully and intentionally. Theological studies can be demanding, so be clear on what you are trying to accomplish.
Select the level of study that suits you. Your prior educational experience can often help determine which level of study you should undertake.
Audit: especially appropriate for personal growth and to lessen your financial outlay
PTC internal awards
Certificate (‘short courses’): especially useful for those who want to put a ‘toe in the water’ and see if formal study is right for them
Undergraduate awards: appropriate for those aiming for some form of ministry and who do not have a prior non-theological Bachelor’s degree
Postgraduate degrees (coursework): appropriate for those aiming for some form of ministry and who have a prior non-theological Bachelor’s degree
Postgraduate degrees (research): for those aiming to be theological educators, and who have performed well in their coursework theological degree/s.
Knowing how much time you have available during a typical week and how long you want to be studying overall will be a good indicator of what award will best suit you.
Asking how much time a typical unit requires is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is – there is always more studying, more research, more thinking that can be done. Still, a typical ACT degree level unit is designed to require 150 hours across one semester. As part of the 150 hours, the lectures for one unit are usually offered in 3-hour blocks per week, and the rest of the time is for you to complete the learning tasks and to undertake your own reading and reflection.
That averages out to a unit needing about a full day’s commitment per week across the semester. From that, you can calculate how many units you think you can do in one semester, and how long you will be able to make that commitment for – one semester only, one year, three years…
A full-time load is usually 4 units per semester. That would allow for a degree certificate to be completed in one semester, a diploma in one year, and a bachelor or masters in 3 years. All awards can be studied part-time too. A degree-level certificate, for example, can be done at the rate of just 1 unit per semester, and so would be finished in 2 years (4 semesters). See the course descriptions for more information about course lengths.
Training for the Kingdom of Heaven
