International Student Information

(CRICOS 02788J)

(refer also http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/Home.htm)
(and http://www.actheology.edu.au/internationalstudents.php)

Introduction

Malyon College (Queensland Baptist College of Ministries) has been serving God and the Baptist Churches of Queensland since its commencement in 1904. Since that time many Christian pastors and leaders have been trained to become more effective in their Kingdom ministry. The current courses are naturally much different to 100 years ago, but the strong Biblical basis has never faltered and remains true today. Our emphasis is on training and preparing spirit filled leaders to guide our churches, to work in overseas missions, and to be effective as God’s “seeds” in every level of secular employment into which God may place them.

As part of this desire to train and equip Godly leaders we believe we have a calling to be part of the development of international students whom God may lead to seek further training. We want to assist you to be more effective in ministry back at home or elsewhere overseas. We are not a “big” college with only 50 or so full-time students and another 100 or so part-time, but every student is a valued member of the college family and we warmly welcome international students into our “home”.

If God is calling you to study His Word, we welcome your enquiry, although we must acknowledge that it can be a difficult and arduous process at times for international students to work their way through the “mine field” of government rules and procedures and to finally arrive here with us.

Below are a number of practical issues which will help you in your search for God’s will for your future. There is also much other information on our website and we encourage you to browse that and to email us with any questions or help you may require.

Fees

Overseas students must have a full time study load. For undergraduate courses this means between 9 and 14 hours in class each week. The tuition fees are available under "New Students" then "Information and Forms" from the menu.  Fees must be paid before commencing for new students and before the second week of the semester for all continuing students.

As well as academic fees, a single student should budget at least AUS$300-400 per week for accommodation and living expenses. More details on typical living conditions and costs involved can be obtained from www.brisbanecitylife.com.au. Books and resources should also be budgeted at about $500 per year.

If you have school aged children, an annual fee is charged for enrolment in Queensland Government schools. This fee can be of the order of $10,000/student/year. Some private Christian schools may have competitive rates for parents in training for ministry.

College Facilities

Malyon College occupies its own three storey building in the Queensland Baptist complex at Gaythorne, a north-western suburb of Brisbane about 8km from the city centre. The building was fully refurbished in 2005 and provides 5 high quality lecture rooms with data projector facilities, a modern library with a range of computers available for catalogue searching and an unlimited broadband internet connection for student use. The middle floor of the building comprises the student worship and recreation facilities comprising kitchen/dining area, overnight accommodation rooms, table tennis and billiard tables and a dedicated chapel. The college is within easy walking distance to a large suburban shopping centre (Brookside) as well as a bus terminus and two train stations. Further details of the college and its history can be obtained from this web site.

Australian Government Requirements

Malyon College is a teaching institution of the Australian College of Theology which is approved and accredited by the Queensland Office of Higher Education, and as such it is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Prospective students are advised to download the ACTh International Student Handbook from http://www.actheology.edu.au/internationalstudents.php to get all the necessary details.  When an overseas student is accepted by Malyon, the College (on behalf of the Australian College of Theology) issues an “Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment’ (ECoE) form showing the details of the course and the student. The ECoE is registered electronically on the Government Database and used by the Department of Immigration when the student applies for a visa at the appropriate Australian Embassy.

Each student must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) through Medibank Private or similar organisation in Australia. The cost for 12 months cover is approximately $400 for a single and $750 for a family. Health cover must be renewed each year and is the responsibility of the student. Your first health cover payment should be paid before coming to Australia or sent with your fees for your first semester of study. Refer to http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/StudyCosts/OSHC.htm for more details.

All students are also advised to study the information made available for students on the Immigration web site at http://www.immi.gov.au/students

Academic Requirements

The academic requirements and course details are available from our web site and from the web site of the Australian College of Theology at www.actheology.edu.au. Suitable academic pre-requisites for the proposed course of study may be required. The applicant is asked to send photocopies of all academic results when sending in the application papers.

When English is not the overseas student’s first language a suitable score from an IELTS test is the standard requirement. If an applicant does not have such a score then they will be expected to sit for the test and provide a score before the application is completed. At degree level the IELTS score required is 6.5 overall including at least 6.0 in each section.

Professional Requirements

Malyon College normally only accepts overseas students if it is certain those students will return to their country after the course has been completed. A reference from the applicant’s church is required, along with other references from Christian friends.

Process of Application

An interested candidate must first complete and return to the College an "Overseas Student Preliminary Enquiry" Form. A response from the College will be given, and if favourable, a full time application form will be sent for completion. Details of the IELTS test for proficiency in English must be provided. Also some means of substantiating the student’s financial ability to meet the course costs will also be required.

Application deadline

The closing date for application for students living overseas is normally 30 September of the year before entry is required. An enquiry must be made before that date for acceptance for the following academic year. Mid year admissions must normally apply by 30 March of that year. Whilst these dates can be varied under certain circumstances, it usually takes a minimum of 10 weeks to obtain a visa once the college application is approved and the student has received his/her ECoE.

Responsible Person

Our registrar, Kerry Connell, is the person responsible for all student applications including those from overseas students.