Master of Theology: Focal Area in Church History and Church Polity

• Any degree programme in Theology at NQF level 8, or any other appropriate four-year qualification equivalent to a four-year training deemed by Senate to be suitable for the proposed study; and
o you must comply with further requirements that the relevant discipline group may set;
o during your Theology studies you must have maintained an average achievement of at least 60% in the subject in which you wish to acquire the MTh degree, and obtained an average of 60% in the final year of Theology-related studies preceding the MTh degree;
o you must have applied in writing and have been admitted to the MTh programme by Senate, or
by the Executive Committee acting on behalf of Senate; or
• A BAHons (Religious Studies) which you have obtained after a BA (with Theology) at this University, or some other honours degree deemed equivalent by Senate, or if you have achieved in another way a standard of competence in your particular field of study, deemed adequate by Senate; and
o you must comply with further requirements that the relevant discipline group may set;
o during your Theology studies you must have maintained an average achievement of at least 60% in the subject in which you wish to acquire the MTh degree, and obtained an average of 60% in the final year of Theology-related studies preceding the MTh degree;
o you must have applied in writing and have been admitted to the MTh programme by Senate, or by the Executive Committee acting on behalf of Senate; or
• If you have passed this University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Theology with an average of at least 65%, and received a mark of at least 60% for the research assignment in the subject in which you wish to obtain the MTh degree, you may apply to sit for an admission examination, as determined by the relevant discipline group, with a view to enrolment for the MTh programme.
• If you wish to write an MTh thesis, you must submit a research proposal in which the research problem, the research methodology and the method of work are set out to the satisfaction of your supervisor(s).

Departmental form
Download and fill in the following departmental form, and submit with your application:
https://files.su.ac.za/public/postgraduate-studies/documents/2025-09/st…

Document placeholder name on application portal:
Dept-MTh Church History and Church Policy (thesis)

Please note: As from 2020, a number of modules are offered in collaboration with Glasgow University (GU), in Scotland, via videoconferencing. SU will offer the module History of Christianity in Africa in this way, involving GU students in joint video-linked seminars. In the same way, SU students can participate via video connection in the following modules offered by GU: The Early Church, Reformation History, and The Nature and Practice of Church History.

Duration of Programme
• The duration of the programme is at least one year.
• A supervisor may, after consultation with the discipline concerned, require a minimum period of six months’ residence for MTh students from outside Southern Africa.

Programme Content
Total 180 credits

Compulsory Modules (credits = 120)
Thesis Ecclesiology 873(120)

plus

Elective Modules (credits = 60)
Choose two modules to the value of 40 credits from the subjects below.

(credits = 40)
Church Law 872(20)
Early Christian Church History 872(20)
History of Christianity in Africa 872(20)
History of the Church in South Africa 872(20)
History of the Reformation 872(20)
Medieval Church History 872(20)
Modern Church History 872(20)
Nature and Practice of Church History 871(20)

plus

Choose any relevant module to the value of 20 credits in Arts and Social Sciences OR choose a module to
the value of 20 credits from the subjects below.

(credits = 20)
Missiology 872(20)
New Testament 872(20)
Old Testament 872(20)
Practical Theology 872(20)
Systematic Theology 872(20)