Master of Divinity / Graduate Diploma of Divinity

Summary of changes

From 2020, the course structure of the Combined Master of Divinity / Graduate Diploma of Divinity has changed.

• The course now consists of three levels of units (7, 8, 9) rather than just two levels (500, 600).
  Units completed at 500 level prior to 2020 are deemed to be equivalent at Level 7.
  Units completed at 600 level prior to 2020 are deemed to be completed at Level 8.
  Projects and Capstone enrolments completed at 600 level prior to 2020 are deemed to be completed at Level 9.
• A greater proportion of the course can be completed using Level 7 units than the previous course regulations permitted, offering greater flexibility of unit choices to students.
• Old Testament and New Testament introduction units can now be completed through completion of two OT and NT units (as per previous course structure), or can now be completed through single OT and NT overview units, complemented by Biblical Theology or Hermeneutics units.
• The course no longer requires the completion of Ministry & Practice units (EM / PC / DM), but instead requires the completion of two additional units in the primary course discipline.

Transition arrangements

• All existing credit achieved by existing students will be multiplied by three to transition to the new credit point structure.
• Students entering the program in 2019 were advised on admission (via ACT website and ACT handbook) that the course structure was to change from 1/1/2020 and requires 36cps of units at Level 9. Students who entered the course in 2019 who continue into 2020 and beyond will need to complete 36cps at Level 9 or the remainder of the credit points required for their course at level 9, whichever is lower.
• The only exception the above rule is that where students were previously enrolled in another Extended Masters degree with ACT (MMin, MDiv, MDiv/GradDipDiv) and then switched to this course in 2019 are exempt from this requirement. Such students should contact the ACT registrar as soon as possible to ensure that this exemption is noted on their course progress notes. Such students come under the following transition arrangement.
• Students who have already entered the program in 2018 or earlier are again advised that the course structure changed from 1/1/2020 and requires 36cps of units at Level 9. If these students maintain continuous enrolment (or approved suspensions of candidature based on compelling compassionate circumstances) of at least one unit per semester in 2020 and 2021, until the end of 2021 as a transitional arrangement they only have to complete at least one unit enrolment of 12cps minimum as a project or capstone experience at Level 9. If they are not completed by the end of 2021 or at any point in time during 2020-2021, they fail to maintain continuous enrolment, and continue into 2022 or beyond, these students will need to complete 36cps at Level 9 or the remainder of the credit points required for their course at level 9, whichever is lower.
• Capstone experience units and project enrolments completed prior to the end of 2019 at 600 or 700 level are deemed equivalent to Level 9.
• All units completed prior to the end of 2019 at 600 or 700 level are deemed equivalent to Level 8.
• All units completed prior to the end of 2019 at 500 level are deemed equivalent to Level 7.

Questions?