Course information for - 2027 entry
Domestic
  • Domestic

Offered at 5 locations
  • Blacktown
  • Brisbane
  • Melbourne
  • North Sydney
  • Strathfield

Duration
0.5 year full-time or equivalent part-time
ATAR
N/A
Fees (first year)*

$9012 CSP

Start dates

Semester 1 intake: Beginning March 2027

Applications open August 2026

Midyear (Semester 2) intake: Beginning August 2027

Applications open April 2027

Overview

The Undergraduate Certificate in Theology is your entry point into the rich Catholic intellectual tradition. Whether you’re looking to deepen your faith, prepare for a ministry or religious education role, or take the first step toward a bachelor degree in theology, this course provides a flexible, accessible, and academically rigorous pathway. Over four units, you will explore the foundations of Christian theology, engage with the Church’s social and ethical teaching, and develop the skills to reflect critically on faith and its relevance to contemporary life. Available on Brisbane, Strathfield and Melbourne campuses and is delivered in multimode.

Course details

Course structure

Course map

Open all

Please note: Course maps are subject to change.

  • Core UnitsTHBS100Introduction to the Bible10 cp
  • Elective 110 cp
  • Core UnitsTHCT100What Christians Believe10 cp
  • Elective 210 cp

Graduate statement

Insight

As a graduate of the Undergraduate Certificate in Theology, you have insight into the foundational texts, concepts, and traditions of Christian theology and their relationship to human experience, culture, and society. This understanding is founded on critical engagement with Scripture, doctrine, Church history, and moral theology, and is deepened through reflective practice that draws on the Catholic intellectual tradition and its commitment to the pursuit of truth and the dignity of the human person. You apply this understanding to develop theological literacy and the capacity for sustained reflection on questions of meaning, faith, and vocation. You demonstrate ACU's Mission and values through your appreciation of faith and reason as mutually enriching dimensions of human inquiry, and through your commitment to engaging with the world with honesty, integrity, and openness to ongoing learning.

Empathy

As a graduate of the Undergraduate Certificate in Theology, you appreciate and value human dignity and cultural diversity, drawing on the theological tradition's foundational affirmation of every person as created in the image of God. You can engage respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds, including Australia's First Peoples, through an awareness of diverse ways of knowing, being, and doing that enriches theological inquiry and invites students to expand their understanding of the sacred, the human, and the communal. Your understanding of Indigenous Knowledges and diverse perspectives is founded on critical engagement with theological traditions that have sought to honour human dignity across different cultures and communities, and on an openness to voices whose experience challenges and deepens theological reflection. This appreciation is expressed through the development of pastoral sensitivity and intercultural understanding appropriate to roles in ministry, religious education, and community service.

Imagination

As a graduate of the Undergraduate Certificate in Theology, you utilise theological imagination and critical thinking to interpret questions of meaning, faith, and religious practice in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts. You approach problems by drawing on the rich conceptual resources of the Christian theological tradition — Scripture, doctrine, moral reasoning, and the social teaching of the Church — to engage creatively and critically with contemporary ethical, social, and cultural questions. You innovate through the application of theological reasoning to real challenges in communities and contexts you serve, learning from diverse ways of knowing, including Indigenous perspectives, that expand and enrich theological understanding. You use imagination and critical inquiry to identify connections, tensions, and pathways toward human flourishing, advancing the common good within the Church and the broader community.

Impact

As a graduate of the Undergraduate Certificate in Theology, you recognise your responsibility to contribute to the communities and vocational contexts you serve — whether in religious education, parish ministry, diocesan service, community engagement, or further theological study — through a commitment to justice, human dignity, and the common good. You can apply your foundational theological knowledge to communicate your understanding of the Christian tradition with clarity and confidence, engaging respectfully with diverse peoples and communities in educational, ecclesial, and civic contexts. Your experiences in the Undergraduate Certificate in Theology prepare you to integrate theological learning with personal formation, enabling you to serve others with intellectual honesty and ethical grounding. You understand the dignity of the human person and the responsibilities that flow from theological formation, and you are empowered to make a meaningful contribution to your profession, your community, and the life of the Church.

AQF framework

Undergraduate Certificate - AQF Level 5/6/7

Entry requirements

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed:

  1. An Australian Year 12 certificate or equivalent
  2. Entry via an alternative pathway as approved for ACU

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2027 Admission.

Adjustment factors

If you’re currently completing Year 12 you may be eligible for adjustment factors that can boost your rank and help you get into your desired course.

Adjustment factors may be applied to your TAC application if you study particular subjects, attend schools geographically close to our campuses or in certain regional areas, apply as an elite athlete or performer or meet certain other criteria.

Learn more about adjustment factors

Inherent requirement

There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.

Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you

Pathways

Further study

You can use this certificate as a pathway to further expand your knowledge by completing the Bachelor of Theology or Bachelor of Theology/Bachelor of Philosophy

Fees

Course costs

Average first year fee*

$9012 CSP

*This is an indicative first-year fee based on the tuition fee rates for a full-time student, using unit enrolment data from domestic students who studied the course in the previous year.

A student’s annual fee will vary depending on factors including:

  • Number of units studied per year
  • Choice of major or specialisation
  • Elective units


The University reviews fees annually.

You can view current course costs and domestic tuition fee rates by unit.

Payment options

You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.

Explore your options

Scholarships

You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.

Search our scholarships

How to apply

Domestic applicants

Apply directly to ACU

Apply now

Deferment

Deferment is available for one year. If you wish to defer, please speak to your course consultant.

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