We feel it is important for those involved in Christian ministry to have some theological training. If you have studied another undergraduate subject (e.g., English, Law, Medicine etc.), you will have gained valuable training and experience in that area, but there are so many important skills and tools which Christian leaders need so that they lead from an informed Biblical perspective. Further study is a fantastic choice for getting off to a great start in ministry as it will help rapidly increase how effective you are at your role and potentially save you from making costly mistakes.
This course is ideal for those in the first few years of working in a church, mission or ministry context. It is also useful for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of theology. It is one year course, consisting of one day a week for 24 weeks with a 1 week intensive teaching block in January. It covers three core areas of New Testament Studies, Christian Leadership and either Ethics or Engaging the world. It is designed to supply you with the knowledge and core theological tools to 'propel' your leadership and get it off to a great start.
If you would like to view our Graduate course brochure to compare all of our Postgraduate courses, then please click below:
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Those interested in completing the Graduate Certificate should apply on this website. It should take about an hour to fill out the form. We are looking for details of your education background, details of your experience of serving in a church or Christian Ministry, an email address for your two references, as well as some information about you and why you want to study this course.
Once we have received your references we will be in contact to arrange a 20 minute interview at the College, or by Teams.
After the interview we would be able to offer you a place on the course either unconditionally or a conditional offer of future results.
Students taking the programme are required to complete three undergraduate modules over one academic year.
The course has been praised for the wide variety of assessment options, the assignments for each module will be chosen to help you to interact more deeply with key elements of the subject, and will include written essays alongside journals, class quizzes and presentations.
Each assignment will be introduced by the lecturer, and you will receive detailed feedback on each to help you improve your skills in this area.
See individual modules for assessment required.
The Graduate Certificate allows students to work towards a recognised qualification that leaves students well placed to pursue further postgraduate study or to enter into a range of ministry situations.
The course is available as a stand-alone qualification or can lead to further study.
This course is delivered in partnership with the University of Cumbria. The teaching is designed and delivered by the Bible College lecturers while the course is validated by the University of Cumbria to ensure it is of an appropriate standard. You will graduate with a Graduate Certificate in Theology from the University of Cumbria. www.cumbria.ac.uk
We hope that through learning these three topics and participation in the lecture room will help student develop more confidence in their faith and increase their knowledge of God. Moreover the wider Belfast Bible College experience, being part of a multicultural, interdenominational evangelical community, leads to further growing in relationship both with others and with God. As with all development it isn’t always easy, but it does lead to a deeper relationship.
Graduates from this course can enter into a broad range of careers; full time Christian ministry in the UK or overseas, leading or working in churches, The skills learnt are also highly desirable by many workplace employers.
As a student on the Graduate Certificate in Theology, you will receive on average 3 hours of timetabled teaching per week over the course of the year. And one of the modules will be a one week intensive week of teaching between semester 1 and 2. This will involve a combination of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, and skills classes. The contact time for a module will normally all take place over one morning or afternoon each week to give students flexibility in their use of time.
However learning is about more than contact time. Typically classroom teaching and learning will form nearly 33% of the time you will spend on your studies. In the other 66% you will be expected to be doing your own independent work to build upon what you have learned in class, prepare for the next class and complete your assignments.
Each tutor will provide you with detailed reading lists and other materials to guide you. All tutors are available upon appointment for one-to-one meetings, guidance and support.
See below for the modules available on the Grad Cert. The exact style of learning will vary from module to module depending upon how we can best help you to learn in this particular area. There will be interactive lectures introducing the main issues in the area. There will be also be small group work and discussions which will help you to articulate your own views and interact with the views of others in this interdenominational and multicultural environment.