School Chaplaincy Pathway
Ridley College offers a one-year (full-time) Graduate Diploma in Divinity that trains school chaplains and better equips Christian teachers.
Chaplains fulfil a unique role:
- They are active in promoting student wellbeing, particularly through the provision of pastoral care
- They encourage reflection about the spiritual dimensions of life
- They have an educative role in the areas of beliefs, values, morals, ethics and religion
- They work to facilitate the connection of students into the school network and wider community
Together with your teaching qualification, the Graduate Diploma will contribute towards the formal qualifications accepted by KorusConnect (in Victoria) for its chaplains. However, it is a Department of Education and Training (Victoria) requirement that you also complete two further VET units with Korus Connect; Respond to client needs and Work with people with mental health issues in order to become a Korus Connect School Chaplain.
Christian teachers will also benefit as they lead Christian studies, SRI (Christian Special Religious Instruction), pastoral care and other school-based ministries.
The Graduate Diploma may be studied full-time or part-time, on campus or online.
School chaplaincy is an ideal opportunity for Christian teachers who want to change the focus of their current engagement with students to a more proactive pastoral care and discipleship role.
The Graduate Diploma provides foundational studies in Old and New Testament, and an overview of Christian theology; a specialist unit in chaplaincy completes the core subjects. A range of electives allows you to tailor the course to your interests.
This is a course of the Australian College of Theology.
