(AQF LEVEL 8 BACHELOR HONOURS DEGREE)
Course Rationale
The Bachelors Honours program is designed for students who have graduated with a three-year undergraduate degree in theology from the ACT and who have demonstrated high academic potential as a means of preparing men and women for advanced research in theology.
Bachelor Honours
The Bachelor Honours program requires 32 credit points for graduation. The course duration is one year full time, or up to two years part time. The Bachelors Honours program is designed for students who have graduated with a three-year undergraduate degree in theology or ministry from the ACT (BTh, BMin) and who have demonstrated high academic potential as a means of preparing men and women for advanced research in theology and ministry.
Admission Requirements
Academic Qualifications
(i) Normally open as a degree to persons who hold the Bachelor of Theology or Bachelor of Ministry with a GPA of at least 2.0 overall, and 2.8 in the designated field of study to be pursued in the Honours program.
(ii) All students wishing to enrol in the Bachelor of Theology (Honours) program must have successfully completed at least 8 cps in either Biblical Hebrew (LA003) or New Testament Greek (LA004) and at least 8 cps of biblical language exegesis in their initial theology degree.
Language Qualifications for Non-English Speaking Background Applicants (NESB)
Candidates who (a) have an assessable qualification that was undertaken solely in English in one of a set of prescribed countries OR (b)have been a resident in Australia with English being the language spoken at home and at work for ten (10) or more years are NOT required to provide proof of English language proficiency for consideration for admission to an ACT course. All other domestic and international candidates MUST provide proof of English language proficiency for consideration for admission to an ACT course. Such proof will normally be by provision of the results of an IELTS test (Academic Version). For admission to the Bachelor of Theology (Honours), the minimum IELTS result required is 6.5 overall with a minimum
of 6.5 in each subtest.
Special Additional Qualifications
(i) Non-ACT graduates with accredited undergraduate degrees in theology from members of the Council of Deans of Theology, achieved at an equivalent level as that required for ACT graduates in theology, may need to complete certain preliminary studies before embarking on the Honours program. The completion of language requirements, including biblical language exegesis, is one example of a bridging program that will be required if the program of study and the units to be taken require biblical language expertise.
(ii) The ACT has a bridging policy with respect to graduates from certain accredited independent private providers. Generally such students would not be granted entry to the Bachelors Honours award. Such students would be encouraged to undertake bridging work in order to transfer to the coursework masters award of the ACT and from there to articulate to the postgraduate research awards through the MA.
(iii) ACT Bachelor of Christian Studies graduates with a GPA of at least 2.8 will need to complete all requirements for the Bachelor of Theology (or Bachelor of Ministry) with a GPA of at least 2.8 overall and satisfy the requirement of a GPA of at least 2.8 in a the designated field of study to be pursued in the Honours program. Biblical language requirements will also need to be met for graduates seeking to enrol in the Bachelor of Theology (Honours). On completing the above requirements the Bachelor of Christian Studies degree would have to be surrendered.
Mature Age Entry
There is no mature age entry provision.
Course Structure
32 credit points over 1 year F/T or P/T equivalent (up to 3 years) at 300 or 400 Level:
Coursework: 16 Credit points:
- Research Methods (4 credit points)
- 8cps of units at 400H (4 credit points each) or 700 level (8 credit points each) in the student’s designated field of research
- 4cps of coursework elective at 400H or 700 level.
Research: thesis of 15,000 words (16 credit points).
Learning Outcomes
ability to conduct research in a specialised field of study completed at a high academic level in a student’s first degree in theology, including ability to exegete biblical texts in their original language if the area of the thesis so demands,
demonstration of wide reading, intellectual independence, critical thinking and analytic rigour at early postgraduate level such that the potential for further postgraduate research is emerging.
Occupational Functions of Graduates
(i) church leader preparing for postgraduate research (at masters or doctoral level) in a specialist field in the Departments of Bible and Language, Christian Thought, or Ministry and Practice,
(ii) teacher of foundational undergraduate degree units in the graduate’s area of specialisation.
Skills, Knowledge, and Attitudes Acquired by Graduates
(i) ability to conduct research in a specialised field of study completed at a high academic level in a student’s first degree in theology, including ability to exegete biblical texts in their original language if the area of the thesis so demands,
(ii) demonstration of wide reading, intellectual independence, critical thinking and analytic rigour at early postgraduate level such that the potential for further postgraduate research is emerging.
Course Content Credit Points
Core Units Research Methods 4
Majors/Specialisations
Languages (LA)
Old Testament (OT)
New Testament (NT)
Theology (TH)
Church History (CH)
Philosophy & Ethics (PE)
Rules
i. Students enrolled in the undergraduate Bachelor of Ministry may be given permission to take an Honours unit
provided that the candidate has 64 credit points in the degree and a GPA of at least 2.0.
ii. Honours will be determined from the Honours course alone, and will not include the GPA of units taken in the prior undergraduate degree.
iii. Candidates who achieve a mark of 40-49% in the thesis may be allowed to resubmit after taking into account the examiners’ comments. The thesis will be submitted to the same examiners for a second result. A candidate may resubmit a thesis only once. A re-submission fee will be required. This is not claimable on FEE-HELP. If a passing grade is recorded for a resubmitted thesis, Third Class Honours will be awarded regardless of the grade.
iv. All exegesis units in the Honours program must be in the original language if the candidate’s designated field of research is in OT or NT.
v. Candidates may take no more than three years after the completion of their initial undergraduate degree in theology or ministry to complete the Bachelor Honours course.
vi. Students enrolled in the undergraduate BTh or BMin may be given permission to enrol in an Honours unit provided that the candidate has 64 credit points in the degree and a GPA of at least 2.0. If he/she does not proceed to the BTh(Hons), the unit will be credited to the BMin or BTh.
Criteria for determining the final honours level
i. The final grade of honours will be calculated by taking into account both the grades for the coursework units and the thesis
ii. The grading system for the final honours level is set as follows:
First Class 85-100%
Upper Second Class 75-84%
Lower Second Class 65-74%
Third Class 50-64%
iii. If a passing grade is recorded for a resubmitted thesis, Third Class Honours will be awarded regardless of the grade.
Enrolment
Those intending to enrol for the Bachelor of Theology (Honours) in the first instance should consult the SOCS Academic Dean, Dr Grant Maple – Tel: (02) 9936 6021; Email: grant.maple@rmc.nsw.edu.au
