FAQs
Our Questions and Answers are listed below under four headings:
- General Questions About Our College, its staff and students
- Questions About Course Selection
- Financial Matters (Fee levels, Austudy, FEE-HELP)
- Study Options & Academic Matters (Cross-credits, distance & part time study)
1. General Questions About QTC
What are QTC's strengths?
- An integrated curriculum designed to help you see the connections between the various disciplines of Christian knowledge, and between theology and everyday life & ministry in the world beyond college
- A lecture timetable and workload that facilitates a balanced life - lectures are on only three and a half days a week, which leaves time for study, ongoing ministry and time for family and friends. At QTC we believe in working hard and at a high academic standard to better understand God's Word & its place in our world, but that this is best done in the context of maintaining our responsibilities beyond our studies, too.
- Accessible lecturers with class sizes guaranteeing interactive learning
- Lecturers who have had substantial ministry at the coal face and in the context of the real world
- In addition to QTC faculty, several well-known Bible teachers visit QTC each year from around the world to teach short courses
- A philosophy of theological education that values and develops a community context of fellowship, worship, prayer and pastoral care.
- A beautiful setting right on the banks of the Brisbane River at Emmanuel College within the grounds of the University of Queensland - a central location with excellent public transport connections
Is QTC only for Presbyterians?
No. Almost half of our current students are members of congregations which are not affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of Queensland. Only around 20% of our students are ordination candidates for Presbyterian Ministry. While we work very hard at providing our ordination candidates with the best possible training, we are also conscious that many of our students will fill various non-ordained roles or work in other denominations or non-denominational contexts - and we seek to prepare them for this.
Does QTC accept women students?
Yes. Women currently study with us both full-time and part-time and are valued as full members of our community.
Do the lecturers have any experience of the real world and real ministry?
Yes. All of our full-time faculty spent several years engaged in other kinds of work before entering theological study and paid ministry. Between them, our four full-time teaching staff have spent a total of around 25 years in full-time ministry in local churches overseas, in regional and metropolitan Australia, in addition to their experience teaching theology to students.
2. Questions About Course Selection
Which course should I study?
This depends on who you are and how you hope to serve in the future. For example, if you wish to pursue ordination, many Christian denominations would expect you among other things to have completed either the Bachelor of Theology of Master of Divinity (or equivalent) rather than the Bachelor of Ministry or one of our shorter courses. On the other hand, if you are a Christian who wants to be better equipped to serve God and His people while remaining in your current area of work, then the Graduate Diploma of Divinity (if you already have a degree), the Associate Degree of Theology (if you don't already have a degree), would often be more suitable. If you are unsure, please contact us and also consult with your pastor or minister.
I would like to become a chaplain - which course do I need to do?
Many different organisations employ both full-time and part-time chaplains - schools, industry groups and companies, hospitals, the defence forces, emergency services and many more. The qualifications required depend on what kind of organisation and which part of the community you would like to work as a chaplain with. So the best thing to do is to ask the kinds of organisations you might like to be a chaplain with what they would expect. That said, to be a faithful witness to the gospel of Christ in a chaplaincy setting can be very challenging, and so it is best to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared! We would therefore encourage you to seriously consider studying either the BTh, BMin or MDiv with us full-time rather than a shorter course, even if this is not a requirement for you.
3. Financial Matters
What are your course fees?
BTh, BMin & AssocDegTh: $650 per 4 credit point subject (includes $88 ACT fee). MDiv & GradDipDiv: $700 per subject (includes $100 ACT fee). DipTh & DipMin: $550 per subject (includes $64 ACT fee). Note that these rates include a subsidy of the official ACT fees of $1200 per MDiv subject, $1100 per BTh subject and $800 per Diploma subject. Audit: $100 per subject. A full time load (four subjects per Semester) would therefore cost $5600 per annum for the MDiv/GradDipDiv and $5200 for the BTh/BMin. Our fees are reviewed annually, with any increases taking effect at the beginning of each new academic year.
Are your courses Austudy-approved?
Yes. Students taking any of our degree-level courses full-time - Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, Graduate Diploma of Divinity, WordWorks / Associate Degree of Theology and Bachelor of Theology (Honours) - are eligible for Austudy provided they meet the Commonwealth Government's eligibility criteria. Likewise, eligible students can also access other kinds of Centrelink payments for students (such as Youth Allowance and Abstudy where appropriate).
Is FEE-HELP available?
Yes. FEE-HELP is a loan given by the Commonwealth Government to eligible fee-paying students to help pay part or all of their tuition fees. All of our degree courses are eligible (BTh, BTh (Hons), BMin, MDiv, GradDipDiv) to those students who meet the Government's criteria. FEE-HELP is not available to students who are not Australian Citizens except for holders of permanent humanitarian visas. For more information, please visit the Australian Government's FEE-HELP website.
Do you offer any scholarships to students?
Our course fees for all students are already heavily subsidised for all students - making them around $400 cheaper per subject than at most other colleges recognised and accredited by the Australian College of Theology. Candidates for Presbyterian ministry at QTC receive financial assistance while studying from their denomination. As part of QTC's commitment to couples and families, spouses of full-time students are eligible to receive up to one year of full-time study, or part-time equivalent, free (apart from the ACT fee component). These are the only scholarships or subsidies available.
4. Study Options and Academic Matters
Can I study for a degree with QTC by distance?
Unfortunately not. Why? It's our belief that theological training for ministry in the real world best takes place in the context of community and relationships that are lived out in person. Distance training can help some Christians to some degree, and for a small number of people might be the only realistic option, however, it is our experience that most people learn and grow more when they come to study with us in-person. However we do offer subjects from time to time at Diploma level in Toowoomba for those living in that part of regional Queensland.
Can I study part-time at QTC?
Yes. All of our subjects and degree courses are available to part-time as well as full-time students. We offer one or two subjects per year in intensive format (with all of the teaching taking place over one or two concentrated weeks) - which can be particularly attractive to many part-time students.
That said, if you believe that you ought to be doing theological training for your present and/or future ministry, we would strongly encourage you to consider studying with us full-time if at all possible. If it is difficult for you to take your whole degree with us full-time, then please consider spending at least a year of your course in full-time mode. Those who study full-time benefit more from our integrated curriculum because they do subjects at the same time that are designed to be taken together. If you are full-time, it is also easier to be fully involved in and benefit from the life of our Christian community. Plus full-time study enables you to be more single-mindedly focussed on your training in God's Word and for His work, with fewer distractions and other priorities to juggle.
Can I get credits for subjects / units I have completed at another Bible / Theological College?
Possibly. This depends on the college you have previously studied with and the level of the subjects / units you took. If your prior studies were with another member college of the Australian College of Theology (ACTh), your credits are fully portable if you wish to enrol for the same degree or diploma through QTC. E.g. subjects / units passed in another ACTh college towards a BTh are fully credited towards a BTh at QTC. However, you cannot gain credit towards the MDiv or GradDipDiv from subjects completed at Bachelors or Diploma level. Diploma level subjects may not qualify for full credit transfer towards the BTh or BMin. Please visit the ACTh website for a full list of ACT-affiliated colleges. It may also be possible for you to receive credit from units / subjects studied at a non-ACTh college, up to a maximum of one-third of your QTC course. Conditions apply. Please see the relevant ACTh Handbook for details. Applications for credit transfer need to be made at the commencement of your course. Please submit applications and any queries to the QTC Academic Registrar.