Master of Ministry - Chinese Language

The Master of Ministry (Chinese Language) is a graduate theology degree taught in Chinese, aimed at people already involved in church leadership, pastoral work or ministry who want to sharpen how they think about the Bible, theology and the day-to-day running of a congregation. You study the same ground as an English-language ministry master's, biblical studies, systematic and pastoral theology, church history, preaching and pastoral care, but the teaching, reading and assessment happen in Chinese, so you are not fighting a second language while you work through dense material. It suits pastors, lay leaders, missionaries and chaplains serving Chinese-speaking communities in Australia and overseas.

How the degree is structured

This is a master's degree under the Australian Qualifications Framework, and the AQF places master's study at one to two years of full-time work (longer where a course is taken part-time, as many ministry students do while serving a congregation). At the Australian University of Theology the course runs for three years, which reflects a structure built around students who keep working while they study. Expect the year to be split into semesters or trimesters, with each unit of study carrying a set number of credit points. You accumulate those credit points across core units and electives until you meet the total required for the award.

Most ministry master's degrees of this shape include a supervised research project or capstone unit in the later stages, letting you dig into a question that matters to your own context, a pastoral issue, a book of the Bible, a question in Chinese church history. Practical ministry units and supervised field education are common, because pastoral work is learned partly by doing it under someone experienced. Field education placements are usually arranged with a local congregation or ministry organisation.

What you actually study

Core work typically covers the Old and New Testaments, Christian doctrine, church history, ethics, preaching and worship, pastoral care and leadership. From there you choose electives, mission and evangelism, counselling, Chinese church history, youth and family ministry are the sorts of areas students pick. Assessment is a mix of essays, exegesis papers, sermons or ministry reflections, exams and the final project. You finish able to read a biblical text closely in its original setting, explain Christian doctrine clearly, and handle the practical demands of leading a congregation: preaching, pastoral conversations, funerals and weddings, conflict, and working with volunteers.

Who it is for, and the Australian context

This course is for people who already have a degree and some ministry experience, or who are moving into vocational ministry and want formal theological training without stepping away from their church. It also draws students from Chinese-speaking churches across Australia and the wider region.

If you are an international student, you will need to meet the university's English requirement and the separate English threshold the Department of Home Affairs sets for the Student visa. While your visa is current you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods. On finishing, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream is worth looking into if you want to stay and work in Australia. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 113487K. Check the official course page for current entry requirements, unit lists and fees before you apply.

• Pastor or associate pastor in a Chinese-speaking congregation
• Church planter or ministry team leader
• Chaplain in hospitals, aged care, schools or the defence forces
• Missionary or cross-cultural ministry worker
• Pastoral care coordinator or community services worker in a faith-based organisation
• Bible college or seminary teacher, or ministry trainer
• Worship, youth or family ministry leader
• Denominational or parachurch administrator and program coordinator

Employers in Australia include local churches and denominational bodies, faith-based charities and community service providers, hospitals and aged care providers, schools, and overseas mission organisations.