Get recognition for your hard work. Learn about the range of prizes, awards and scholarships from the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy.

Faculty of Theology and Philosophy

Prizes and awards by campus

Each year the faculty offers the following prizes and awards:

  • Most Promising Philosophy Essay by a New Undergraduate Student (Brisbane, Melbourne, Strathfield)
  • Best Philosophical Essay in an Advanced Undergraduate Unit (Brisbane, Melbourne, Strathfield)
  • Dominican Prize for Academic Excellence in Theology (Canberra)
  • Kevin Moyle Prize (Canberra)
  • NCLS Research Prize for Outstanding Research in Contemporary Religion (Year 2) (all campuses)
  • NCLS Research Prize for Outstanding Research in Contemporary Religion (Year 3) (all campuses).

Philosophy awards

The following awards are awarded by the School of Philosophy for outstanding work in philosophy. Each award is judged, at year's end, by a panel of three philosophy staff (one each from Melbourne, Strathfield and Brisbane campuses).

Both awards are generously sponsored by The Co-op Bookshop.

Most Promising Essay by a New Student

This prize is awarded to a first year student, who has shown exceptional promise as a beginning student of philosophy.

  • Eligibility: Students must have completed a minimum of two philosophy units in their first year (the applicable year of the prize)
  • Award: The student receives a book voucher to the value of $150.

2015

Winner
Thi Bich Tram Do (Strathfield), Mental Content and Language.

Runner ups

  • Joseph Doyle (Brisbane), Just War and the Kosovo NATO Intervention
  • Sabrina Morgan-Deller (Strathfield), Jackson’s Knowledge Argument.

2014

Winner
Ben Amos (Brisbane), Justifications for War.

Runner up

Maggie Wilson (Melbourne), Sartre’s Account of Human Nature.

2013

Winner
Daniel Bull (Brisbane), Courage and Absurdism.

Runner up

Emily Margetts (Brisbane), A Critique of Descartes’ Dualism.

2012

Winner
Madeline Niemann (Strathfield), A Modern and an Ancient Theory of Human Nature.

Best Philosophical Essay in an Advanced Undergraduate Unit

This prize is awarded to an established student of philosophy who is judged to have produced the best philosophical essay for the applicable academic year in either a second or third year philosophy unit.

  • Eligibility: The student must be on track to completing (or have recently completed) a philosophy major at ACU.
  • Award: The prize is a book voucher to the value of $250.

2016

Winner
Brogan Harrison (Brisbane campus), Autonomy in Bioethics.

2015

Winner
Hannah Lawsen (Brisbane), Individual Egoistic Maturity and its Power to Shift Society.

Runner up

Alison Drewitt-Smith (Strathfield), The Ethical Treatment of Animals.

2014

Winner
Emma Wernicke (Strathfield), Is Semantics or Pragmatics Prior in the Theory of Meaning?

Runner up

Rajat Acharya (Brisbane), Kant and the Egoic History of Modern Philosophy.

2013

Winner
Adalbert Imperial (Brisbane), To What Extent is Eckhart a Faithful Disciple of Aquinas?

Runner up

Emily Margetts (Brisbane), A Critique of Descartes’ Dualism.

2012

Winner
Jonathan Hili (Melbourne), The Concept of Religious Knowledge, and Religious Education.

Philosophy award nomination and judging procedures

Philosophy staff may nominate essays in either category. Philosophy students are also most welcome to nominate their own, or another students' work. All nominations should be emailed to Dr John Quilter, Chair of the essay award committee.

Email Dr John Quilter

The decisions of the judging panel are final.

Scholarships

ACU offers a range of scholarships to support students during their time with us.

  • Merit scholarships are awarded to students who have excelled in some area.
  • Equity scholarships provide support to students who are facing financial hardship or other disadvantages.

The ACU Scholarships office administers all ACU specific scholarships. These are open to future and current ACU students. Applications should be submitted online directly to ACU.

Search available scholarships

Further information

To learn more about our prizes and awards, please contact:

Mrs Vasilia Tsiambazis
Team Leader (Student and Course Administration), Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
Contact Mrs Vasilia Tsiambazis

Enquiries about the National Church Life Survey (NCLS) Research Prizes should be directed to:

Professor Dermot Nestor
Executive Dean, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
Contact Professor Dermot Nestor

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