Enrolments for second semester 2010 are now closed for coursework students. Research students may enrol at any time by application to the UFT Dean.
2011 enrolments and admissions will commence in November 2010, and the timetable will be available on this website from September.
Prospective students may wish to download the flyers at the foot of this page, as they give details of first year units available in 2010; these will be updated for 2011 as soon as the timetable is published.
All enrolments must be approved by the UFT Dean, who acts as both Coursework Coordinator and Research Coordinator for MCD purposes. New students should normally make an appointment with the Dean for course advice and approval. Re-enrolling students may consult about their enrolments with the Dean in person or by email if preferred. All students should take care to ensure that they will comply with the regulations of the MCD necessary to fulfil their chosen course of study, and speak to the Dean if in doubt. Students can make an appointment to see or phone the Dean on 03 9340 8890. Appointments are available in business hours from Monday to Thursday.
Undergraduate students should note that they cannot enrol in a second or third level unit without the appropriate prerequisites (i.e. first level studies in the discipline for second level, and second level studies for third level) or an approved equivalent. Similarly, graduate students should normally complete Foundational units before proceeding to Integrative, Specialised or Elective units.
Students are welcome to take units at the MCD’s other Recognised Teaching Institutions towards their degree or diploma, particularly if the desired units are not available at the UFT. Enrolment for such admission and payment of fees must be made through the UFT office, in addition to fulfilling the requirements of the RTI concerned.
The UFT reserves the right to cancel or vary unit offerings. Every effort will be made to notify students of such cancellations a week before classes commence, and to indicate alternative units that may fulfil student needs should this occur.
The administration at the MCD and the UFT offices take your right to privacy seriously and only use information you provide for the purpose for which it was given.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| BTheol 2010.pdf | 56.63 KB |
| Foundational 2010.pdf | 57.17 KB |
| Online 2010.pdf | 61.56 KB |
Application to receive credit for previous study (also known as recognition of prior learning) should be made at the time of admission to a degree. Credit for undergraduate study is according to determination of the MCD's Academic Board through its Coursework Studies Committee. In broad terms, applicants for the Bachelor of Theology may receive credit towards their degree if they already hold a degree, and they may also apply for recognition of incomplete theological study taken at another institution. Complex applications for credit can take considerable time to process, especially where reference must be made to the Coursework Studies Committee, so applicants for admission who intend to apply for credit should do so at an early stage. The UFT office can provide further details of credit for the Bachelor of Theology.
Credit is normally not granted for postgraduate coursework study.
Step 1: Research
Research the degree or diploma that interests you, and units you may wish to take using the resources on this website or in the printed Handbook. When considering what units to take, the key point to note is that students must normally complete basic study (level 1 in the Bachelor of Theology, Foundational in the Graduate Diploma or Master of Divinity) prior to proceeding to higher level units. The UFT office can provide a list of appropriate beginner-level units upon request.
Step 2: Advice
Contact the UFT office for an appointment with the Dean. This conversation ensures that you choose the award and units most appropriate to your needs and abilities. If you are unable to visit the UFT office, or are thinking about online study, you are welcome to discuss your course with the Dean via email, or to make an appointment to speak with him on the phone. If you are considering formal ministry as an outcome of your theological study, you may also wish to take advice from your church or agency as to particular requirements they may have.
Step 3: Enrolment forms and documentation
If you know which award you wish to take, download a copy of the relevant enrolment form from the MCD website and fill in the sections requiring your personal information prior to your appointment. The details of your course and units should only be completed after consultation with the UFT office staff. Ensure that you use the right form: do you have the Application form for new students? are you an Australian citizen or on an International student visa? are you studying at undergraduate or postgraduate level? for a coursework or research degree?
Present the completed enrolment form together with originals or certified copies of the following documents to the UFT office:
• birth certificate or passport or other documentation verifying citizenship in your current name (if your name has changed, please provide certified copies of evidence)
• VCE Certificate or equivalent (if you have not completed a tertiary degree)
• academic transcripts for all previous tertiary study
The UFT office can make and certify copies of these documents if you attend in person. In addition you will need to provide:
• your tax file number (if fees are to be paid through FEE-HELP)
• your email address (it is an MCD requirement to include your email address on your enrolment forms and email is the chief form of communication between you and the UFT office)
Step 4: Fees
Complete and sign your enrolment form and pay your enrolment fees or complete a FEE-HELP form. The Dean must sign all enrolment forms, and may contact you if there is a problem with your enrolment. When your form has been processed you should receive an enrolment summary by email.
New research students (MA, MTheol, MMin, DMinStuds, PhD and DTheol) should contact the UFT Dean for information about enrolment and for an appointment. (The Dean presently acts as Research Coordinator for MCD purposes.) Consult the prospectus and regulation on the MCD website for the awards which interest you, and check that you have the necessary prerequisites. Research students are responsible for identifying an appropriate thesis topic and locating a qualified supervisor within the MCD academic staff who is prepared to work with them, although the UFT Dean can provide advice on these matters. The process of admission to a research degree can be time-consuming, but the time is well-spent as students should begin the degree with supervision arrangements and a coherent topic in place.
Returning students should download the re-enrolment form from the MCD website and fill in the sections requiring your personal information. The details of your course and units should only be completed after consultation with the UFT office (or with your College advisor) to ensure you will meet the requirements of your award. Returning students are welcome to make an appointment with the UFT Dean to discuss their course of study, or to email him regarding their units.
Once the enrolment form is accurately completed, please submit it to the UFT office for the Dean’s signature, and pay your enrolment fees or complete a FEE-HELP form. Please note that if you wish to change from upfront fees to FEE-HELP or vice versa, you must inform the UFT office well in advance of the beginning of semester.
Students who have already enrolled for a year but wish to add a further unit or remove a unit may do so by completing a 'Change of Enrolment' form and paying the appropriate fees if they are upfront fee-paying students.
Scale of coursework fees for domestic students in 2010
| Undergraduate 15-point unit | $888 | |
| Undergraduate full-time semester (4 x 15 point units) | $3552 | |
| Undergraduate full-time year (8 x 15 point units) | $7104 | |
| Postgraduate 15-point unit | $1188 | |
| Postgraduate full-time semester (3 x 15 point units) | $3564 | |
| Postgraduate full-time year (6 x 15 point units) | $7128 | |
| Audit fee per 15-point unit (Audit students attend classes but may neither submit work nor obtain credit for the unit.) |
$400 |
Details of fees for international students, and for students undertaking research essays, minor and major theses, and doctoral programs are available from the MCD website or from the UFT office.
Payment of fees
Students must pay their fees at the UFT Office at the time of enrolment, either by paying the fees upfront or by submitting an application for FEE-HELP. A student who is an Australian citizen, or holds a permanent humanitarian visa, may take out a FEE-HELP loan from the Federal Government to cover his or her fees. This loan is paid back through the taxation system when the student’s income reaches a certain level, or through voluntary repayments. FEE-HELP forms and information booklets are available from the UFT office (see below).
Students who elect to pay upfront fees must provide payment when they present their completed enrolment forms. Students should make cheques payable to ‘Melbourne College of Divinity’. Credit card payments can be accepted. Where a third party organisation is paying fees, a letter must be provided from that organisation along with the enrolment form. Where fees are unpaid, enrolment may be cancelled, library access withdrawn and examination results withheld.
Fee-HELP
Students in any MCD course who are Australian citizens, or hold a permanent humanitarian visa, can have their tuition fees met by a loan from the Commonwealth Government. The scheme – brought in under the Higher Education Support Act (HESA, 2003) – is called the Higher Education Loan Program: FEE-HELP for short.
To apply for a FEE-HELP loan, you must fill in the Government form and send it to the MCD office (the UFT office will forward this on your behalf). The form must be received by the census date (13 March for first semester, or 14 August for new application for second semester). Forms and FEE-HELP information are available from the UFT and MCD offices. Your fees will be paid to the MCD office by the Commonwealth, and the UFT will receive payment for your classes and library use. You need to fill in only one form once in your course for each degree or diploma.
Before you apply for a loan, please note carefully, the following:
For further information:
• Read the FEE-HELP Information booklet
• Visit the Going to Uni website at: www.goingtouni.gov.au
• Call the FEE-HELP enquiry line on 1800 020 108
Youth Allowance and Austudy is currently available for eligible students enrolled in the Bachelor of Theology, the Diploma of Ministry, the Advanced Diploma of Ministry, the Graduate Diploma in Theology, the Master of Divinity, the Master of Theological Studies and for combinations of these awards.
When applying to Centrelink, students must state that they are taking studies towards the Bachelor of Theology or Master of Divinity [etc.] of the Melbourne College of Divinity at the United Faculty of Theology campus. The UFT office will provide students with a letter of confirmation of enrolment, on request, to accompany their application.
Please note that Centrelink requires students to be full-time (4 units per semester for the BTheol, 3 units per semester for the MDiv). BTheol students who take only 3 units per semester may still be eligible as full-time students are defined as studying at least a 75% load. Students receiving allowances should therefore take advice before withdrawing from a unit as they may be liable to repay all payments received during the affected period.
Further information is available from Centrelink offices. Please consult the website www.centrelink.gov.au.
The UFT community includes international students from across the globe, including places such as South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Timor L'Este, the UK and many Pacific island nations.
International students are defined by the Australian Government as those who do not hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship and have not been granted Permanent Resident status in Australia. You may only enter and remain in Australia as an international student if you hold a valid student visa. The Commonwealth Government’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) requires all international students to study full time. (Please note that international students not resident in Australia may study online at the UFT without a student visa.)
Applying for and obtaining a student visa can take considerable time and should be made well in advance of enrolment closing dates. For further information about student visas, please contact the MCD office or visit the ‘International Students’ section of the MCD website. Students are also strongly advised to view the government website aei.gov.au/AEI.
International students intending to undertake study should note that payment of tuition fees must be made in advance, together with the completion of all necessary documentation required by DIAC including evidence that they can meet all living costs during their time in Australia. The English standard needed is an IELTS score with an average across all bands of at least 7.0 with no band under 6.5. (The requirement for undergraduates is an average across all bands of at least 6.5 with no band under 6.0.)
If a student fails to satisfy course requirements, the MCD must report this to DIAC. This is a legal requirement, and no exceptions can be made. Students must also inform the UFT and MCD of any change to their contact details. In cases of withdrawal, the refund of fees for International students will be paid to the person who originally paid the course fees. The MCD also requires international student applications to be accompanied by an admission fee.
Students who, for whatever reason, desire to withdraw their enrolment in any unit must complete a ‘Change of Enrolment Form’ available from the MCD website, and inform the lecturer(s) in the unit(s) concerned. The same form is used to withdraw from a course altogether. Please note that withdrawal from a course means that a student must make a new application for admission should they wish to enrol in units in the future, and that recognition of prior learning is not automatic.
If a student withdraws from a class before the Census dates for each semester, no record of enrolment for the unit will be recorded on the transcript. Please note that no refund of fees can be made after the census date for each semester.
Approved withdrawals up to four weeks before the end of the teaching semester will be recorded as a WD on the student’s academic record. Withdrawals in the last four weeks of the teaching semester will normally be recorded as a Fail.
Students who do not notify the UFT office of their intention to withdraw, and who do not complete the requirements for the unit will be regarded as having failed, and a Fail will be entered on their transcript.
Students who are not studying for a semester or longer should apply for leave of absence using the 'Change of Enrolment' form. This extends the time the student has to complete the degree. Please note, however, that the MCD regulates the maximum amount of leave of absence to which a student is entitled for different degrees.