Overseas Students

The Reformed Theological College (RTC) welcomes applications from overseas students. Along with the general admission procedures that apply to Australian students, there are certain requirements that overseas students must meet before being accepted for study. You will need to:

show evidence of educational qualifications or work experience and means of financial support
provide two recommendations from your home country (one of these should have had experience of your involvement in the life and ministry of a church), and
demonstrate a proficiency in written and spoken English*

The Reformed Theological College is approved to deliver the following courses of the Australian College of Theology (CRICOS 02650E), which is the official “Higher Education Provider” for overseas students at the Reformed Theological College:

Diploma of Theology (CRICOS 054649A)
Diploma of Ministry (CRICOS 054659K)
Diploma of Theology/Ministry (CRICOS 086267F)
Bachelor of Theology (CRICOS 054676J)
Bachelor of Ministry (CRICOS 054670D)
Bachelor of Theology/Ministry (CRICOS 086274G)
Graduate Certificate of Divinity (CRICOS 076017G)
Graduate Diploma of Divinity (CRICOS 054685G)
Master of Divinity (CRICOS 054688E)

More information concerning the process for enrolment may be found at the Australian College of Theology’s Overseas Student page.

Please consult the Australian Government Immigration website for additional Visa and immigration information; note especially the regulations concerning Student Visas. To study at RTC, you will need a Student Visa Subclass 500. You are unable to apply for this Visa until we have accepted you as a student and supplied you with an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE).

Please note that the Visa approval process is controlled by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, not the RTC. If you are a citizen of New Zealand, you will not require a Student Visa to study in Australia, and technically you would not be an Overseas Student.

Overseas students may access student support services that are broadly available to all RTC students.

Please also know that the RTC may not admit an overseas student in the first six months of a registered course from another provider, except where expressly permitted. For more information, please review the Australian College of Theology’s Overseas Students Release and Transfer Policy.

APPROXIMATE COST OF STUDY

Please note that the tuition cost for an Overseas Student is approximately $13,000 AUD per semester. If you require accommodation at Barkley Hall, you will require a further $7,000 AUD per semester. The RTC is presently unable to offer scholarships or financial assistance to overseas students. Click here to see a full listing of the 2023 fee schedule.

TIMING OF APPLICATIONS

If you are applying from outside Australia, apply before September 30 in any given year if you wish to begin studies in Semester 1 of the following year, or before March 31 of any given year if you wish to begin studies in Semester 2 of the same year. If you are applying from within Australia, it may be possible to receive your application later than September 30 or March 31.

*ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Proficiency in both spoken and written English is essential for undertaking theological studies, particularly at an advanced level. English language proficiency can be demonstrated in two ways.

(1) By the completion of Secondary School in English in one of the following countries:

American Samoa
Australia
Botswana
Canada
Fiji
Ghana
Guyana
Ireland
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
New Zealand
Nigeria
Papua New Guinea
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland)
United States of America
Zambia
Zimbabwe

(2) IELTS test (International English Language Testing System) – Academic version

Overseas students may arrange to sit the IELTS test in a major city of their home country. The test is administered by officers of the International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP) or the British Council.

The results required are as follows:

Diploma: IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each subtest.
Bachelor degree: IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each subtest.
Graduate Diploma or Master of Divinity: IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in reading and writing subtests, and 6.5 in listening and speaking.

The results of the test should be sent to RTC with the completed Pre-Application form below or brought to an interview.

PROCEDURE FOR MAKING AN APPLICATION AS AN OVERSEAS STUDENT

STEP 1 – PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS

If you live in Australia and wish to apply for the Student Visa while here, please:

Download the Overseas Student Information and read it carefully.
Download the Overseas Student Preliminary Application (in Australia) — complete and return it to RTC.
You must also send these items:
- A Certified Copy of the Certificate of an IELTS Test, not more than two years old, showing satisfactory scores for the level of study you wish to undertake (click here for required IELTS scores; click here for information about alternatives to IELTS testing). PLEASE NOTE – an IELTS test is not required if you have already gained a tertiary credential in an English-speaking country, within the last five (5) years.
- A Certified Copy of any Degree which you have already gained, in any country, in any discipline.

If you are presently living outside Australia, and wish to apply for the Student Visa while outside Australia, please:

Download the Overseas Student Information and read it carefully.
Download the Overseas Student Preliminary Application (overseas) — complete and return it to RTC.
You must also send these items:
- A Certified Copy of the Certificate of an IELTS Test, not more than two years old, showing satisfactory scores for the level of study you wish to undertake (click here for required IELTS scores; click here for information about alternatives to IELTS testing). PLEASE NOTE – an IELTS test is not required if you have already gained a tertiary credential in an English-speaking country, within the last five (5) years.
- A Certified Copy of any Degree which you have already gained, in any country, in any discipline.

STEP 2 – APPLICATION PROCESS

If the pre-application process proves to RTC that it can legally invite you to apply as an Overseas Student, you will receive an Application form for full-time, on-campus study. You will complete and submit this form to the RTC, along with any other documents required.

When these have been received, we may arrange an interview with you – by telephone if you are situated outside Australia, or in person at the RTC if you reside in Australia.

If your application meets the entry requirements, the Australian College of Theology will send you a Letter of Offer along with a Written Agreement which you may sign or otherwise accept.

Once we receive your accepted Letter of Offer, the Registrar will create an “electronic Confirmation of Enrolment” for you (“eCoE”). If the Australian College of Theology approves your eCoE, you will use it to apply for your Student Visa.

NB: The RTC may not enrol an overseas student seeking to transfer from another registered provider, except where expressly permitted by the Australian College of Theology’s Overseas Student Release and Transfer Policy.

Other Information

Overseas students can access awareness and safety information about life in Australia through the following external resources:

Preliminary Application for Overseas Students

RTC Academic Manual 2023

Approved courses and CRICOS codes