Diploma of Christian Studies
The Diploma of Christian Studies introduces students to some of the basics of Bible, theology and ministry practice. It is a great place to start building a future in mission and ministry. Through this Diploma, students study a broad range of introductory units, and learn how to translate foundational academic concepts into practical application. Units studied in the Diploma of Christian Studies are undertaken at a Bachelor level.
![]()
Course Information
Course: Diploma of Christian Studies (DipChSt)
Accrediting Body: Sydney College of Divinity
Australian Quality Framework Level: AQF 7
School: School of Bible, Theology and Ministry
Number of Units: 8 units/ 72 credit points (CP)
Study Mode: Online (with facilitated learning opportunities)
Course Duration: 1 years full-time or up to 3 years part-time
![]()
Course Plan
Units:
4 core units
/ Introduction to the Old Testament OR Introduction to the New Testament
/ Introduction to Theology
/ Introduction to Discipleship OR Introduction to Pastoral Care
/ Spiritual Formation 1 (Personal Transformation)
4 elective units
Majors:
/ Christian Thought
/ Christian Practice
![]()
Course Details
Entry Requirements:
- Aged 21+ OR
- completion of year 12
English Proficiency:
Applicants whose entry qualifications were obtained in an institution where English is not the language of instruction normally require a minimum IELTS (or equivalent) score of 6.5 with no score less than 6.0 in all bands of the test. A student can be admitted provisionally into the DipChSt when they have an IELTS result of 6.0 with no score less than 6.0 in all bands of the test.
Knowledge
Graduates will have:
- technical and theoretical knowledge and concepts with introductory knowledge in Biblical Studies and Theology;
- wider knowledge of the theological disciplines generally that will form the basis for further learning.
Skills
Graduates will have cognitive, communication, and technical skills in a theologically-related body of knowledge so that they are able to:
- identify, analyse, synthesise, and act on theological information from a range of foundational sources;
- express ideas and perspectives in theology;
- communicate theologically-related knowledge, skills, and ideas to others.
Applications of Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will have the ability to:
- demonstrate an understanding of theological knowledge by applying it in their professional, family, church, social, or personal lives;
- perform technical operations of some complexity in relation to Christian living, taking personal responsibility for them;
- exercise initiative and judgment in reflecting on issues of Christian living, including some ability to do so with others.
Find expanded academic outcomes and regulations in the SCD Handbook.
Credit will be granted for units that are from an equivalent award or institution and have outcomes, content, demand hours, and assessment equivalent to that of units in the course. A candidate may seek credit for up to a maximum of 36 credit points.
| For more information and applications see Credit Transfer. |
| We want our students to be doers, not just hearers. ACOM students studying units in the subdisciplines of Mission (M) or Pastoral Theology (P) will be required to undertake 30 hours of placement. Student vocational placement provides an opportunity to link academic work into practice through a process of instruction (online readings, facilitations, and other learning activities), action (localised ministry) and reflection (thinking about your practice to understand how to improve it). Vocational placement will require students to identify and recruit a local supervisor in their environment (e.g. a church, work, school, chaplaincy, volunteer, or welfare organisation), and engage with them to help you reflect and integrate your learning into your place of practice. If you are uncertain if your unit of interests will require placement, please check the schedules, or discuss with your SEM |
| Spiritual Formation is foundational to who we are. For ACOM, the learning process is not simply intellectual - it is about spiritual transformation. We care about the individual you are becoming and here’s why: we know that healthy, sustainable and effective graduates will be well grounded spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially. Each ACOM course gives students the opportunity to study our Spiritual Formation units either as core or electives. Refer to your course plan to discover how our formation units can be incorporated into your study, or read more about the Spiritual Formation process. |
Students can pay their fees upfront or access the Australian Government’s Fee-HELP system. |
2024 Bachelor Level Fees Applicable to courses studied at the Australian Quality Framework level 7 (AQF7 Bachelor Level).
Fees may vary for specialty units including Fieldwork, Mission units, Distinctives, Formation, and Seminars. Maximum costs for all ACOM units can be downloaded here. For more information reach out to our team.
| Unit Type | Audit for Future Credit (Upfront Only) | Single Unit (9 Credit Points) | Double Unit (18 Credit Points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard BTM (Bible, Theology and Ministry areas) | $450 | $2400 | $4800 |
| Research | N/A | $2700 | $5400 |
| Counselling Standard | N/A | $2650 | N/A |
| Counselling Spinal | N/A | $3050 | N/A |
| Students holding a pension card and paying their fees upfront may be eligible for a $200 pension discount per standard 9CP unit at the relevant level of study. To apply for a pension discount simply contact ACOM and provide a current copy of your pension card. Once your eligibility has been confirmed by staff, register for units making a note of your pension discount. |
Note the following definitions:
Census Date: Last date to withdraw from a unit without financial penalty.
Academic Penalty Date: Last date to withdraw from a unit without academic penalty. If a student withdraws from a unit between the Census Date and the Academic Penalty Date, the unit will appear on their transcript with a withdrawn grade.
Check below for the key dates associated with your trimester of study. Note that registering or withdrawing outside of the key dates could incur incidental fees.
| 2024 | Year Long | Trimester 1 | Trimester 2 | Trimester 3 | Summer 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit Enrolment Deadline | 28/01/2024 | 28/01/2024 | 28/04/2024 | 4/08/2024 | 3/11/2024 |
| Start Date | 19/02/2024 | 19/02/2024 | 27/05/2024 | 2/09/2024 | 25/11/2024 |
| Census Date | 15/04/2024 | 11/03/2024 | 17/06/2024 | 23/09/2024 | 16/12/2024 |
| Academic Penalty Date | 7/07/2024 | 31/03/2024 | 7/07/2024 | 13/10/2024 | 5/01/2025 |
| End Date | 24/11/2024 | 12/05/2024 | 18/08/2024 | 24/11/2024 | 16/02/2025 |
![]()
Studying with ACOM
| Students can choose to study part-time or full-time. ACOM operates on a trimester basis, with formation and other select units, being taken over the course of the full year. A full-time load is considered six to nine units, which is usually two to three units per trimester, with one year-long unit. A part-time load is usually three to four units per year. Each 9 credit point unit requires 143 demand hours of study. The demand hours represents the number of hours needed to meet all the requirements of the unit, including reading, researching and writing assignments and essays, and supervised fieldwork (see Student Handbook for hour breakdown). For each unit we recommend that you allocate approximately 10-12 hours for study per week (with more required during peak assessment periods). |
| To study with ACOM, you will need access to a computer with internet connection. You will also require an email address that we can use to contact you. For assessment writing, we require the use of a word-processing programme such as Microsoft Word. For a full list of hardware and software requirements please see the Student Handbook. |
| Students apply and are admitted to their course, which are made up of both core and elective units. All new students are required to complete Student Orientation, which involves both signing up for a Student Orientation Session, and taking part in a Student Orientation module through the online learning platform. All students have access to personalised support through a dedicated Student Engagement Manager (or SEM). Our awesome team of SEMs bring a personal connection and listening ear to students who are spread the length and breadth of the country. SEMs work closely with each student to provide tailored academic and pastoral support, cheering them on every step of their learning journey. Read more about our Personalised Support. A variety of units will be on offer each trimester for students to view on the unit schedules, and register in for study. All of our courses are flexible for students to choose their units and load according to their time commitments, interests and courseplans. All students study 'online' through our online Learning Platform: Moodle. This is where all study materials, unit information, assessments and learning activities can be found. At the point of selecting to study a unit, you will have the opportunity to register in different types of scheduled facilitated events, or ‘facilitations.’ These facilitations are real-time student events run by staff or faculty, designed to assist you with your learning and the requirements of the unit. Read more about facilitations. |
For more student information see:
| Student Handbook Student Policies |
| ACOM assessments are essay based and do not usually involve exams. Units may include online quizzes and practical assessments that are completed in your ministry setting. Assessment dates are clearly published on our Learning Platform (Moodle) and all tasks must be submitted to pass the unit. Required readings are provided for students with online library access for further research. ACOM is continuously improving its digital library of learning resources. We have thousands of specialist books, articles and journals available to our students through our copyright licensing arrangements. Useful for both research and personal study, our students have access to over 100,000 e-books and journals on the Bible, leadership, pastoral care, theology and more. To read more go to our Digital Learning Systems. Some units may require the student to purchase textbook(s), so please check the textbook lists on the schedules or at the point of registration. |
