SOCS is committed to providing theological education which:
- Has as its core value the deepening of devotion to God and commitment to serving him in all of life.
- Recognises that adulthood is a period of ongoing, constant growth and change.
- Appreciates that some adults have a practical rather than a theoretical bent and therefore seeks to provide learning materials that engage the range of preferred learning styles.
- Realises that a good deal of adult learning takes place in the workplace and consequently emphasises the bringing together of faith, thought and practice.
- Accepts that people learn in four main ways: through concrete experience (affective mode); through observation and reflection (perceptual mode); through abstract conceptualisation (symbolic mode); and through active experimentation (behavioural mode).
- Appreciates that the best learning is self-directed.
- Believes that true learning is transformational.
- Recognises that most adult learners are concerned with specialisation and/or integration.
- Appreciates the benefits of interactive social learning.
To fulfil its mission, SOCS has a philosophy of accessible open learning in a nurturing and supportive relationship between lecturers, distance course supervisors and students. We place a high importance on flexibility, quality instructional materials, good communication and active support. SOCS is committed to freedom of inquiry because of our belief that God is the God of all truth.
SOCS provides accessibility through a range of delivery modes: weekly lectures, intensives, online distance programs and conferences. SOCS continues to widen its range of units at diploma, degree and graduate diploma levels, with specialist masters level units. It also offers three semesters per year – February to June, July to November, and November to February – to enable students to proceed at their own pace and complete their studies in as short a time as possible.
To support this, SOCS provides experienced and well-qualified lecturers, an up-to-date library of over 11,000 volumes, access to partner libraries, distance learning support and a range of student resources designed to assist our students to gain the fullest benefit from their studies.
