Keen to be better equipped to serve God in your church, workplace, home?

Are you in a part-time or associate ministry role, and would like some theological training and a recognized qualification with a strong emphasis on Bible & Theology?

Thinking that you should be training for ministry, but aren’t yet sure whether a three or four year theological degree is right for you?

If any of these describe you, then the QTC Diploma of Theology (DipTh) is an option seriously worth considering.  You don’t need to have studied at uni before to be able to enrol in the DipTh. 

Along the way, you will get to hear more from the range of visiting pastors and scholars that pass through QTC - many of whom spend time in the classroom with our students.  Recent speakers have included John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Don Carson, Mark Dever, Douglas Moo, Carl Trueman, Richard Bauckham, Walter Moberly, Kent Hughes, Christopher Wright, David W. Baker, Ben Witherington III, & Robert Gordon.

What’s the commitment?  You can study the DipTh in one of two ways:

·         Full-time over ten months at QTC.  Attendance at QTC is no more than 3.5 days per week.  There are no night time or weekend classes, to facilitate a balanced lifestyle between college, family and church ministry. 

·         Part-time over up to four years.  You can complete the DipTh by attending classes for as little as one part-day per week, depending on your subject choices and how quickly you wish to finish the course.  All of the required units for the DipTh (see below) are offered with classes on a single day only.  Most of our practical electives are offered on a single day or as intensives for your convenience. 

What do I study?  DipTh students take the following course:

·         Four biblical subject units, looking at the Old and New Testaments.  You will take two foundation-level units that survey the whole Old Testament (OT302 & NT302), and two foundation-level units that survey the whole New Testament (NT301 & NT302). 

·         At least two units drawn from those offered in church history, theology, and ethics (together known as “Christian Thought”).  Normally we’d suggest that you take Early Church History (CH305, offered every year) as one of these.  Good choices for the other unit are Christian Ethics (PE301, offered odd years) or Reformation Church History (CH324, offered even years – provided you have already completed CH305).  As well as two units, we offer electives in the other key areas of church history – the early church, the modern period, and Australian church and culture.  We also offer four units that cover all of the major areas of theology, which you can take once you’ve passed two of your four foundation-level Bible units plus your first Christian Thought unit. 

·         Two short units on how to study the Bible – giving you skills for reading and interpreting Scripture, an understanding of how the Word fits together as a whole (biblical theology), and some background to the context of the New Testament.  These are Principles of Interpretation in Semester 1 (RYO31), and The Cross & the Clash of Cultures (new unit code to be advised).  Each of these units is worth half of the credit of a normal unit (2 credit points rather than 4), so taken together they are worth one of the eight regular-sized units that you need as a minimum to complete the DipTh. 

·         For the rest of your course (at least one more subject unit), QTC offers a wide range of options from which you can choose, depending on your ministry intentions.  You can take more units in the Bible, theology or church history, as well as one or more of our large range of practical electives in areas such as preaching, pastoral care, youth & children’s ministries, educational chaplaincy, and missions.  Please note that not all units are offered every year, and some may be offered in the same timetable slots as others units that you might like to do – consult the latest timetable at http://www.qtc.edu.au/continuing-students.

·         Any student who is likely to want to continue on to the BTh should take the four foundation level Bible units (OT301&302, and NT301&302), as well as a Church History unit, and the two units Intro to NT Greek A and B (LA004A&B).

Eligibility & Financial Support? 

If you have completed Grade 12 with an OP of 11 or better (or the equivalent interstate or overseas), you are eligible to apply for the DipTh.  If you are aged 21 years and over and can satisfy the college of your ability to study the course, you may be eligible for mature age entry without the Grade 12 requirement.  If English is not your first language, you will need to be able to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English – please contact the Registrar for details. 

The course is accredited within Australia as an award of the Australian College of Theology, of which QTC is a member institution along with around 20 colleges nationally.  As such, it is a recognized course for the purposes of Fee-Help, Austudy, Youth Allowance (provided you meet the government’s eligibility requirements), and for overseas students (CRICOS # 02788J).  Current fee levels for units in the DipTh can be found at http://www.qtc.edu.au/continuing-students

Your Next Step?  Contact the QTC Registrar Belinda Hoadley at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (07) 3871 9347, for more details or to apply.