Certificate

Each unit requires 50 demand hours. This includes 12 hours of class time plus additional time for completing required readings as well as researching for and writing your assignments.

Units are taught in hybrid mode - so students can attend in person on campus, or can attend online at the schedule class times.

If all, or nearly all, students select to attend online, you will be informed that the unit will only be offered online in that semester.

Open to persons who have satisfactorily completed Year 10 in an Australian school system (or equivalent); or other persons approved by the MAC Dean of Students.

There is no academic requirement to audit a unit.

MAC has an application process that involves completing an application form and providing the names of two referees. All applicants will also need to agree to MAC’s Code of Conduct which you can read ahead of applying.

For 2025, the cost of each MAC Certificate unit is $465 per unit.

Auditing a MAC Certificate unit (without completing the assignments) is $430. 

Please enquire if you need to pay in instalments.

For information about Narelle Jarrett Bursaries for MAC Certificate students, see our Fees page.

(Students enrolled in the MAC Certificate are not eligible to receive a FEE-HELP loan from the government.)

Auditing is where you don’t undertake any of the assessments, nor do you receive a qualification, but you do gain great insights personally and also for your ministry.

This course includes digital and online components. You will need access to a device and reasonable-quality internet that allows you to engage on Zoom with audio and video. The classroom component of the subject is live and designed to be interactive, and therefore sound and video make your experience and those of others far richer. You will also need a device to access resources such as class notes and online library resources, including ebooks, and to submit assignments. At Mary Andrews College, we want to assist you at each stage of your learning journey, and we can point you in the right direction for your digital and online experience.

The MAC Certificate may be studied as part of preparation for lay ministry or simply to help students grow in their knowledge, understanding and application of God’s word. The MAC Certificate offers an excellent entry point into theological training which can help prepare students for further study or provide a solid foundation for lay ministry. The right combination of units as part of the MAC Certificate may qualify a student to become a Community Chaplain.

The MAC Certificate is an internal program of study and is not offered through the Australian College of Theology (ACT). If you have previously started the ACT’s Certificate in Theology course but not finished it, MAC can give you credit for units completed within the last ten years towards the MAC Certificate in Biblical Studies and Pastoral Care. (Please enquire about receiving credit for previous completed units.)

For any further questions or clarification about studying at MAC, you might like to look at our Frequently Asked Questions page.