Self-study students can enrol at any time. Cohorts follow our semesters: Semester 1 runs from February to June and Semester 2 from August to November. To join a cohort, register or let the Registrar know of your interest during the month before the semester begins (or earlier). Not every course is offered as a cohort every semester.

Yes. All ACCM courses are delivered online. You can study on your own, or join a cohort in some regions, which is also online and adds Zoom discussions. Some regions also hold face-to-face intensives, and participants have access to the same online course resources.

Check the academic calendar to see which cohort courses are available for your preferred semester or if there is an intensive coming up in your region. Then contact the Registrar to confirm your place or obtain more information. Please note that all cohorts have four compulsory Zoom discussions.

ACCM offers two qualifications:

• Certificate of Christian Ministry: five core courses. These are Jesus and the Gospels, Spiritual Formation, Survey of Trinitarian Theology, Christian Leadership, and The Bible and Doctrines.
• Diploma of Christian Ministry: the five Certificate courses plus Pastoral Life and Care, Introduction to GCI Polity, Christ-centred Preaching, Introduction to Christian Ethics, and the Applied Ministry Project.

ACCM is introducing new and updated courses, and some are not yet available. Courses marked “coming soon” on the Courses page are still in development. Contact the Registrar for advice on what you can study now.

The Certificate and Diploma are denominationally recognised ministry qualifications of Grace Communion International. They are not externally accredited, so courses cannot be credited towards other programs.

The program is designed to meet the needs of men and women serving in ministry within the church. Completing it does not guarantee appointment to any role, but we expect people with congregational responsibilities to take at least some courses. Many lay leaders already have other ministry training. Members are also welcome to study for their own growth and receive recognition for the courses they complete.

Cohort students complete all work for a course within the semester they enrolled in. Self-study students have six months from the date of enrolment. Please direct any request for an extension to the Registrar.

Yes. You can take as many or as few courses as you like. Each course must still be completed by the end of the semester (cohort) or within six months (self-study), unless the Registrar has granted an extension.

No. There are no prerequisites for the Certificate or the Diploma. Courses are listed in a recommended order, but you may take them in any order that suits you. The one exception is the Applied Ministry Project, the Diploma’s capstone, which is completed last. See the Courses page for full course outlines.

Students receive one of four grades: High Distinction, Distinction, Credit or Resubmit.

Along with completing the course, its exercises and any discussion forums or Zoom sessions, your assessor considers:

• how well you followed the assessment instructions
• your engagement with and understanding of the course materials, supplementary resources and any extra reading
• your written or oral analysis and argument
• the structure and presentation of your work
• how well the sections of your work hold together
• the detail you use to support your main points.

High Distinction is generally awarded for work of an exceptional standard that goes beyond the requirements. Distinction is awarded for work of a high standard. Credit is awarded for work of a reasonable standard, and this is the target.

Resubmit means the work has not yet reached the target standard. We want you to succeed, so your assessor will give feedback on how to improve. You may resubmit up to two times during your enrolment period. Please direct administrative questions about grades to the Registrar.

An ACCM teacher personally assesses your work and gives you feedback and a grade. You can view both in your student account.

All work you submit must be your own. ACCM does not accept plagiarism of any kind. Work found to be plagiarised receives a Resubmit grade, and you will be asked to revise and resubmit it.

Plagiarism is using someone else’s work, in part or in whole, without acknowledging them as the author or source. Examples include:

• copying another student’s work
• copying passages from textbooks, journal articles or the internet
• summarising someone else’s words or ideas without fully acknowledging the source.

To avoid plagiarism, always acknowledge ideas, words and images that are not your own by referencing the source. For example: “As Stewart Matthew explains regarding pastoral work: ‘…we are caring for people rather than dealing with problems’.”

All ACCM course material is copyright and provided for your individual study only. It must not be copied, published or distributed in any form. By enrolling in any ACCM course, you agree to these conditions.

Each course is AUD $300. The fee includes all online course content, video lectures, personalised feedback on your assessments, and additional resources such as book excerpts and articles.

ACCM Australia provides transcripts, documentation and other services for graduates of the Certificate and Diploma of Christian Ministry. Please contact the Registrar.

For alumni of Ambassador University, or of Ambassador College in Pasadena (California), Big Sandy (Texas) or Bricket Wood (England), please contact Grace Communion Seminary for transcripts and other records.