ACOM / Study / Courses / Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy

Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy

The Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy focuses on building capacity in Chaplaincy for people involved in a wide scope of religious, non-profit, community-focused enterprises. Students may be working for denominationally based organisations in education, welfare, aged care, local church or other ministries requiring specific leadership training for ministry or mission.
Course Overview

Course

Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy (GradCertChap)

Qualification

Graduate

Course Duration

0.5 years (F/T) / 1.5 years (P/T)

AQF Level

AQF 8

Number of Units

4 units (36 credit points)

Accrediting Body

Sydney College of Divinity

Study Mode

Online

Course Details

2 Core Units:

  • C8127C Introduction to Chaplaincy
  • C9293C Focused Study in Chaplaincy (IGS) OR P8171C Chaplaincy Supervised Ministry

2 Elective Units from:

  • C8100C Introduction to Pastoral Counselling
  • C8102C Pastoral Counselling in Ministry
  • C8145C Understanding and Working with Grief and Trauma
  • C8166C Wellbeing and Resilience for People Helpers
  • C9293C Focused Study in Chaplaincy (IGS) OR P8171C Chaplaincy Supervised Ministry
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Entry Requirements:

  • Satisfactory completion of an accredited three-year AQF level 7 award in any discipline; or
  • Professional Entry admission (3+ years experience, 2 professional reference letters + CV)

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 7.0 in all bands of the test.

Knowledge

Graduates will have:

  • Specialised theoretical and technical knowledge related to the practice of Chaplaincy which is transferable to a variety of complex religious, not-for-profit, ministry enterprises.
  • An understanding of the principles and methods of inquiry transferable to different contexts within real-world ministry practice.

Skills

Graduates will demonstrate specialised cognitive and technical skills in Chaplaincy within a ministry-related body of knowledge, so that they are able independently to:

  • Analyse critically, evaluate, and apply information to complete a range of activities associated with Chaplaincy in a ministry-related context.
  • Analyse, generate and provide solutions to complex problems to guide the ministry in the field of Chaplaincy within a religious, not-for-profit, community organisation.
  • Transmit transferable knowledge, skills, and ideas through coherent and sustained ministry in Chaplaincy to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Applications of Knowledge and Skills

Graduates will possess the ability to:

  • Apply transferable knowledge and skills in a way that demonstrates autonomy, well-developed judgment, adaptability, and responsibility as leaders in religious, non-profit, community-focused enterprises.

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 18 credit points.

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 vocational placement. Student vocational placement provides an opportunity to link academic work to 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 interest 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.

ACOM courses give students the opportunity to study Spiritual Formation units either as core or electives. Refer to your course plan to discover how formation units can be incorporated into your study.

Learn more about Spiritual Formation at ACOM

Students can pay their fees upfront or access the Australian Government’s FEE-HELP system.

FEE-HELP is a Commonwealth loan scheme that assists eligible students to defer all or part of their higher education tuition fees. Students wishing to utilise FEE-HELP should apply during admission, or contact registrar@acom.edu.au. To read more about FEE-HELP and check your eligibility go to https://www.studyassist.gov.au/.

Graduate Level Fees

Students who complete this award can continue their educational pathway with other Specialist Graduate Certificates, the Master of Arts, Master of Divinity, Master of Leadership or Master of Theological Studies.

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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 represent 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).

Students apply and are admitted to their course, which is 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 our 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.

A variety of units will be on offer each trimester for students to enrol in. All of our courses are flexible for students to choose their units and study load according to their time commitments, interests and course plans.

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.

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.

Some units may require the student to purchase textbooks. This information can be found in the unit description.

Digital Learning Systems

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.

Student Handbook

Start Your Application

We are really excited that you are choosing to study with ACOM. Now, before you start filling in your application, here are a few things you will need to know about the process. If you are a current ACOM student wishing to transfer from an award you are currently enrolled in to another award of equal level without graduating, please fill out the Application for Course Transfer.

All applications to ACOM are required to submit the following documents:

  • Online Application for Admission Form 
  • 100 Points of Identification: You must include at least one primary document and at least one document must contain a photograph. File size limit, 8mb. See Identification Guide.
  • Certificates/Transcripts of Previous Study: Please supply a colour copy of your transcripts. If you would like to apply for credit for previous study, the transcript must be certified.
  • Identification Photo: Please provide a headshot photo for identification (5mb or less). Note this does not need to be passport quality, however we ask that you be facing the camera without hats or sunglasses.

Some students will also need to submit the following additional documents:

  • Deferring Tuition using FEE-HELP: For students intending to defer tuition fees onto FEE-HELP, you will need to read the FEE-HELP information, terms and conditions, and submit either an Australian birth certificate, passport or citizenship certificate. FEE-HELP forms will be provided electronically to successful applicants after official acceptance to ACOM. Find out more.
  • Name Changes: Proof of change of name (marriage certificate/change of name certificate) must be submitted if any ID documents are in a former name.
  • Pension Card: For Upfront paying Pension students wishing to claim a pension discount.
  • Disability Support: Students with Disabilities and Conditions can request ongoing support to assist them through their studies through the application of a personalised enabling plan. Request an Enabling Plan here.

If you have your documents ready, you will have the opportunity to upload your documents throughout the online Application process. However, if you are still collecting documents you will be able to submit them separately by emailing them to admissions@acom.edu.au.

You can select the ‘Save’ button to save your progress and come back and finish your application later. When saving your progress your data will be captured. However, any uploaded documents may not be and will need to be emailed separately to ACOM.

Note that when reopening a saved application, you will need to copy and paste the link emailed by the site directly into your web browser.

Students have the opportunity to have their previous completed study recognised with ACOM. These studies must be comparable in content, outcomes and level of study to units within ACOM delivered awards, and successfully completed at other institutions.

Learn More About Credit Transfers

While you may still be progressing with your application, make sure you check out the schedules for the year including units and facilitations offering, key dates, fees, and the current Student Handbook.

You can also register in units for the upcoming trimester, and our staff will hold these to process after your application has been completed.

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Student Stories

A lot of theology training focuses on helping you know what to do, formation helped me go deeper and learn about who I wanted to become. As someone who learns a lot by doing, the highly practical nature of the ACOM model helped me put theory into practice immediately. The online learning helped me do that in the context I’d grown up in.
Ben Dainton – Graduate Diploma of Arts

Student Stories

My studies at ACOM equipped me to be job-ready by providing the ability to complete my student ministry placement in local churches, allowing me to apply what I was learning directly to real-world situations. The practical elements of the coursework gave me the hands-on experience and confidence needed to step into ministry roles, fully prepared to make a meaningful impact.
Lachie Ashworth – Bachelor of Ministry

Student Stories

Admittedly, at first I was nervous about the prospect of Spiritual Formation and what might be involved. But after my first Spiritual Formation retreat, Spiritual Formation very quickly became one of my favourite subjects, and created some of my fondest memories throughout my years studying with ACOM. The relationships I built and the journey I went on with my formation companions, has left a profound impact on my faith, the shaping of who I am, how I lead and my continued involvement in ministry today. I couldn’t recommend Spiritual Formation highly enough as a valuable part of your studies.
Lachie Ashworth – Bachelor of Ministry

Student Stories

As a relatively young person in an employed ministry position, I have greatly benefited from my degree of Bachelor of Ministry and have observed my growth through undergoing studies. While studying and working full time in ministry, I have found that each unit, in some way or another, is relevant to my job whether that be learning to preach or growing my Biblical literacy skills. Through working full-time in ministry, I have found that the online content and structures of my studies allows me to be flexible in structuring my learning around my busy ministry schedule. Each week I am able to accommodate my studies to fit my needs based on my schedule demands.
Libby Hall – Bachelor of Ministry

Student Stories

Studying with ACOM provided me with a unique and incredible academic experience! ACOM worked with me to deliver a course that benefited and enriched my role in ministry, and that was of great benefit as it meant that I was actively able to apply the material that I had been studying. What stood out for me though while studying with ACOM was how seamlessly spiritual formation was integrated with academic learning. Instead of studying material and writing assessments that had little to do with the complexities of life in ministry, many of the units that I studied were tailored in such a way that I was engaging with God, my heart, and others which led to a deep transformation in my own character and relationship with God. I would highly recommend ACOM to anyone who desires more in their life with God!
Alec Van Bockel – Bachelor of Ministry

Student Stories

Studying with ACOM has been a transformational and empowering experience for me. The flexibility has allowed me to pursue my studies at my own pace without compromising ministry work. The trimester system makes it achievable to complete units at a pace that suits my schedule, while the practical ministry focus ensures what I learn is applicable to my day to day ministry. As a Youth Pastor, ACOM has been a supportive and accessible environment, empowering me to grow academically and spiritually while serving in my church context.
Grace Cook – Master of Leadership

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