2025 Master of Theological Studies

Course Description
Course Structure
Admission Requirements
Financial Support

2 Years

Full Time

Mode

On-campus & Online

192

Credit Points

Get started

Please contact the
QTC Registrar
for more details

The Master of Theological Studies (MTS) is a coursework Masters award designed for graduates in theological or other disciplines. It has been created to serve two groups:

Firstly, those who have already completed a longer theological qualification such as an MDiv, BTh, BMin or equivalent, who are typically in vocational ministry, and wish to further develop and enhance their theological training and understanding.
Secondly, those who have completed a Bachelor or Masters in a non-theological discipline, who wish to be better equipped for Christian life and for service in their local church or para-church organisation.

This is a course of the Australian University of Theology. Full information about this Australian University of Theology course can be found here. See the Australian University of Theology Coursework Course Enrolment Policy for admission rules and processes.

Course Description

The MTS course comprises 16 subject units and can be taken in full-time or part-time mode. Graduates of a BTh, BMin or equivalent, are eligible to receive advanced standing for up to 5 units in the course based on studies completed in their previous theological degree. Graduates of a MDiv or a BTh/BMin (Honours) are eligible to receive advanced standing for up to 8 units of their previous theological degree.

Students may take up to 8 years to complete the MTS, with reduced candidature periods for those who receive advanced standing.

Course Structure

For MTS students holding a prior theological degree, there are no set core units required. Your course must include either a research project (of 7000, 12000 or 16000 words), a masters capstone experience, or an independent reading unit. Remaining units will normally be chosen from to one or more intensives offered by QTC each semester. See the Intensives for Ministry Workers page for upcoming units.

MTS students holding a degree in a discipline other than theology take the following units:

At least four biblical subject units, looking at the Old and New Testaments. You will take at least one of two foundation-level units that survey the whole Old Testament (OT001-712 & OT002-712), and at least one of two foundation-level units that survey the whole New Testament (NT001-712 & NT002-712). You can also choose to study any of our units that focus in-depth on particular parts of the English Bible, such as John, Romans and the Pentateuch. These units can be taken if you have already passed one of the foundation-level units in the same field (OT or NT).
At least one unit in either church history, theology, or ethics. Normally we’d suggest that you take either Christian Ethics or Reformation Church History, both offered every year. As well as these we offer units 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 your first subject at QTC.

The MTS is an accredited course of the Australian University of Theology, like the other accredited awards offered at QTC. As such, it is a recognized course for the purpose of Fee-Help to pay for all or part of the fees for the MTS (provided you meet the government’s eligibility requirements), and for Overseas Students (Australian University of Theology CRICOS provider number is 02650E). Fee-Help application forms and information booklets are available through the QTC office. Fees payable for the current year are available here.

MTS students living regionally who are in paid vocational ministry roles within Queensland, Northern Territory or Northern NSW, who have a completed three or four year theological degree (e.g. MDiv, BTh, BD) are eligible for a reduction of $250 off their fee to offset travel costs.

Credit for MTS units is portable across all of the member colleges of the Australian University of Theology.

Admission Requirements

Academic Qualifications: Completed 3 year bachelor degree or equivalent

Language Qualifications for NESB: IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in reading and writing, and 6.5 in listening and speaking OR 10 years in Australia with English being the language primarily spoken both at home and work. See the AUT’s English Language Proficiency Policy.

Financial Support

The course is accredited within Australia as an award of the Australian University of Theology, of which QTC is an affiliate. As such, it is a recognized course for the purposes of FEE-HELP and Centrelink allowances (provided you meet the government’s eligibility requirements), and for Overseas Students (Australian University of Theology CRICOS provider number is 02650E).

Current fee levels for units in the MTS can be found here.

QTC is an affiliated college of the Australian University of Theology. The CRICOS code for the ACT’s Graduate Certificate of Divinity is 076017G

QTC’s aim is to provide top class theological training that faithfully applies the Word of God to the real world. We seek to do this as a real living Christian community, and as part of a wider Christian fellowship here in Brisbane.

We acknowledge with respect the Traditional Custodians of this land on which we now meet. In his wisdom and love, our Heavenly Father gave it to the Turrbal and Jegera people (see Acts 17:26). On this land, they met for generations before the coming of British settlers. As we now live together here, we pray that God would reconcile and unite us in a knowledge of his Son, Jesus Christ.

QTC is a ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland and is an affiliated college of the Australian University of Theology. (Australian University of Theology CRICOS CODE 02650E)

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