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ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS DIPLOMA IN
THEOLOGY
Statement of Purpose In conjunction with and for the satisfactory execution of the
College’s Mission Statement (see pp. 3-4 above), the Diploma in
Theology is an academic programme with a practical orientation (i), to provide quality education in the main disciplines
of theological training (biblical studies, systematic theology, church
history, pastoral theology & fieldwork) and (ii), to train and to equip
students with the competence and skills to become effective ministers of the
Church in Samoa and abroad. Objectives On successful completion of the programme, the candidate will (i)
have developed a reasoned understanding of the Scriptures, (ii)
have gained the skills to read and translate the Hebrew and Greek
texts of the Bible, (iii)
be able to apply the Scriptures to a range of issues in the ministry
of the church, (iv)
be able to understand and communicate certain basic doctrines of the
Christian faith, and be able to respond adequately to problematic issues in
ministry, (v)
have gained a critical understanding of the history of the church, (vi)
have
an appreciation of the various influences that are at work in theological
thinking and in Christian worship and spirituality. BACHELOR
OF THEOLOGY
Statement
of Purpose Further to the two-fold purpose of the Diploma in Theology programme, the Bachelor of Theology provides advanced
theological education that attains to the level of a first degree (i.e.,
Bachelor’s) comparable to any conferred by Tertiary Institutions
recognized by the College. The
Bachelor of Theology programme runs concurrently
with the Diploma programme and thus also provides
an invaluable opportunity for the more gifted undergraduate students to
obtain a Bachelor’s degree at the end of the normal 4 years of full
time study at the College. Objectives On successful completion of the Bachelor of Theology programme, the student will have gained a more advanced
understanding of the main disciplines of theological training undertaken at
the College, for example, (i)
better skilled at biblical
exegesis with the use of Hebrew and Greek languages, giving in depth
understanding of the nuances of biblical language, (ii)
wider knowledge of the
application of Scriptural/theological truths to issues arising in the church
and the world at large, (iii)
better skilled at analysing theological concepts and formulating relevant
ways of dealing with various theological problems, (iv)
broader understanding of
the pastoral role of the church in history, (v)
ability to effectively carry out
a plan of action in terms of researching, data processing, presentation of
findings and giving well constructed opinions on a given topic. BACHELOR
OF DIVINITY
Statement
of Purpose Further to the main purpose of training and equipping ministers for
the Church in Objectives Students graduating with a Bachelor of Divinity are expected to have
gained the ability to work independently and critically, and be able to
evaluate and formulate well balanced opinions on issues at hand. They will be able to read and translate
from the original languages of Scripture and will also be adequately trained
in the various methods of interpretation in theological studies. BD graduates will have been appropriately
equipped not only for further studies at higher levels but also for the
various ministries within the church. Note While each of the disciplines of theological education (Biblical
Studies, Theology, Church History & Pastoral
Theology) is uniquely important in the implementation of the purposes and
objectives of the 3 programmes at the College, the overall curriculum is
deliberately weighted at the area of Biblical Studies. This preponderance is based on the
rationale that the study of the Bible is foundational in all aspects of the ADMISSION
RULES AND PROCEDURES
The Admission Rules are made by the Faculty, subject
to the approval of the A) DIPLOMA
IN THEOLOGY (DipTh)
(a)
Admission to this programme
must satisfy the following requirements (1) Gain approval of the (2) Gain a pass in the Entrance Examination,
and (3) Be approved by the Board to enter the
College. (b)
Requirements for Graduation The Diploma
in Theology shall be awarded by the College only to candidates who have
satisfied the following requirements: (i)
resided
in the College campus during the period of full-time study which should not
be less than four academic years, and (ii)
satisfied the subject requirements for the diploma, i.e., achieved
satisfactory completion of forty four (44) prescribed courses or semester
papers. Note Special conditions may arise in individual cases where the Faculty reserves
the right to make necessary alterations to the above requirements depending
on its assessment of each case. B) BACHELOR
OF THEOLOGY (BTh)
(a)
Candidates who apply for
Admission to the course must satisfy at least one of the following
requirements. (1)
Be Graduates of Applicants must have
satisfactorily completed the normal four-year Theology course offered by the
College, and have been awarded Certificates or Diplomas in Theology in
recognition of that academic achievement. The final decision
concerning the admissibility of any applicant depends, however, on an
assessment by the Faculty of that person’s ability and reasonable
probability of success in the course for which admission is being sought. OR, (2)
Be Graduates or Students of the
College with qualifications (other than a Bachelor of Theology) conferred by
Tertiary Institutions recognised by the College. Instead of taking the
Bachelor of Divinity degree, some graduates may wish to enrol in the Bachelor
of Theology course. Such persons may
apply for admission to the course under this provision. Applicants must, however, be either
graduates or students of Malua at the time of
application. OR, (3) Admission
into the Bachelor of Theology program requires that a student, in the end of
the first year gains an aggregate pass of 75% or B+ in his best
eight (8) subjects. (b) Requirements
for Graduation The degree of Bachelor of
Theology shall be conferred by the College only on those candidates who have
satisfied the following requirements. (i) resided in the College campus during
the period of full-time study which should not be less than four academic
years; or otherwise fulfilled admission rule (1) above; and, (ii)
satisfied the subject requirements
for the degree, i.e., achieved a satisfactory pass of not less than a C+ per subject for a total of EITHER forty four
(44) prescribed courses/semester papers, OR forty two (42) courses or papers
plus a Research Paper of 6,000-8,000 words. Note
Subject
requirements for the BTh degree includes as an
option, the submission by the candidates in their fourth year of study in the
College, a Research Paper of 6,000–8,000 words on a topic of the
student’s choice and approved by the Faculty (See subject Requirements
for BTh). C) BACHELOR
OF DIVINITY (BD)
(a)
To be considered
admissible to the course, intending students must satisfy at least one
of the following alternative requirements (1)
Be Graduates of Applicants must have
successfully completed the normal four-year Theology course (either before or
after 1997). However, intending
students who apply for admission under this provision may be considered
admissible only if, in the opinion of the Faculty, they have reasonable
likelihood of success in the course. OR, (2) Be Graduates or Students of the
College with Degrees conferred by Tertiary Institutions recognised by the
College and in
the end of the first year gains an aggregate pass of 75% or B+ in
his best eight (8) subjects. OR, (3) Special Admission. The Faculty reserves the
right to exercise its discretion in respect of the admission of other
applicants as in its opinion, have achieved sufficient relevant experience
and academic qualifications to enable them to undertake the course with a
reasonable chance of success. It should be noted that
the admission of applicants based upon this provision must also comply with
the following procedural requirement: the applicant must be a student of the
College at the time of application. (b) Requirements
for Graduation The degree of Bachelor of
Divinity shall be conferred by the College only on those candidates who have
satisfied the following requirements (i)
resided in the College campus during the
period of full-time study which should not be less than four academic years;
or otherwise fulfilled admission rule one above, and (ii)
satisfied the subject requirements for the
degree, i.e., successful completion of forty (40) prescribed courses or
semester papers (which entails achieving a satisfactory pass of not less than
a C+ per subject), and (iii)
submitted in
their fourth year of study in the College, a Thesis of 10,000-15,000 words on
a topic of the student’s choice and approved by the Faculty. |
