Course Structure

The course structure is based on three semesters (each of 13 weeks duration), with four subjects taught in each semester. It comprises:

• 4 core subjects (40 credit points)
• 3 specialisation subjects* (30 credit points)
• 4 elective subjects (40 credit points)
• 1 Capstone project** (10 credit points)

To qualify for award of the degree of Master of Leadership a candidate shall accrue an aggregate of at least 120 credit points, including satisfactory completion of the core subjects noted below.

*No specialisation is required for the MLead, but should students wish to specialise in Church Leadership or Entrepreneurship, they need to complete the specialisation units as specified in this document. Students who do not wish to graduate with a specialisation can choose up to 70 cp elective subjects from accredited Level 8 and 9 subjects offered by AC.

**Students who may have potential to pursue a Higher Degree Research course are recommended to choose RES501 (20 credit points) as the capstone instead of RES591 and complete 3 elective subjects (30 credit points).

For more information see the Student Handbook.

Subjects

Core / 4 Subjects

• LEA401 Authentic Leadership
• LEA535 Organisational Leadership
• LEA550 Governance, Law and Ethics
• THE401 Christian Worldview

Capstone / 1 Subject

Choose one of the following:

• RES591 Leadership Research Project; or
• RES501 Research Project

Note: Students who may have potential to pursue a Higher Degree Research course are recommended to choose RES501 (20 cp) as the capstone instead of RES591 and complete 3 elective subjects (30 credit points).

Specialisation

Church Leadership Specialisation

• MIN507 Church and Society
• MIN508 Church Planting
• 10 cp BIB/COM/LEA/MIN/THE 400 level or above

Entrepreneurship Specialisation

• LEA511 Creativity and Entrepreneurship
• BUS547 Entrepreneurship Business and Mission
• 10 cp ACC/BUS/COM/HRM/LEA/MAN/MKT 400 level or above

Students may also choose to specialise in Educational Leadership and Not-for-Profit Leadership, subject to availability. Enquire with the Program Director before enrolling.

Elective 

• Students who undertake a specialisation will enrol into a further 4 subjects (or 40 credit points) taken from accredited Level 8 and 9 (400, 500 or 600 level) subjects offered by the College, including subjects taken from other specialisations.
• Students who do not undertake a specialisation will enrol into a further 7 subjects (or 70 credit points) taken from accredited Level 8 and 9 (400, 500 or 600 level) subjects offered by the College.

More information

View the full list of subjects for this course. For more details on which subjects you can choose, see the current enrolment guide for this course.

Admission Criteria

Academic

Applicants with Recent Secondary Education (within the past 2 years)

This course of study requires the completion of a higher education qualification by an authorised institution. Applicants with recent high school education only are not eligible for direct entry into this course.

Applicants with Vocational Education and Training (VET) Study

This course of study requires the completion of a higher education qualification by an authorised institution. Applicants with a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification only are not eligible for direct entry into this course.

Applicants with Higher Education Study

Applicants whose highest level of study enrolment since leaving secondary education is a higher education qualification must demonstrate the completion of an AQF Level 7 Bachelor degree (or higher) by an authorised institution for admission into this course.

Applicants with Work and Life Experience

Applicants who have not completed formal higher education study are not eligible for direct entry into this course.

Essential Entry Requirements

In addition to the academic criteria above, applicants seeking entry into the Master of Leadership must demonstrate a minimum of 3 years’ relevant work experience in a managerial or professional leadership role. This may include:

Ministers in senior leadership positions;

Managers and leaders in non-government organisations which act to further social or cultural outworking of Christian ministry; or

Business people who are fulfilling positions of responsibility including team or industry leadership.

Applicants must submit a copy of their CV with a cover letter outlining how they meet the above criteria, or equivalent. This course of study requires the completion of a higher education qualification by an authorised institution.

Language

Overseas students are required to demonstrate their English proficiency skills. Such students admitted into our programs must attain an overall IELTS (or equivalent) score of 7.0 (with no score below 6.5 in any of the four skills areas). IELTS (or equivalent) is not required for applicants who have undertaken five years of required higher education study (or equivalent) in English from an approved country or who have completed a Certificate IV or higher qualification awarded in English under the Australian Qualification Framework by an authorised institution or registered training organisation.

Study Modes

Delivery Mode*: Face-to-Face (Campus class), Online Live (Zoom class), Online Recorded, Intensive (Sydney only)
Locations**: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Online
Duration: 1.5 years full-time (commencing in Semester 2); 2 years full-time (commencing in Semester 1); or Up to 7 years part-time
Intakes: Semester 1, Semester 2

* Our study modes are flexible so you can mix-and-match different modes throughout your course to fit your needs. For example, a face-to-face student can choose to attend some classes online or an online student may choose to take some subjects face-to-face.

** Some subjects may only be available in certain study modes each semester. Please check the timetable for the most up-to-date information. Face-to-face classes can be delivered weekly or via intensives, where the subject is delivered in a block over consecutive weekdays and/or weekends. Some subjects must be completed face-to-face to meet professional accreditation requirements.

Fees & Timetable

A complete Fee Schedule for all Alphacrucis programs and courses can be found in our Fees Information section.

For a full list of course dates for new and continuing students, please see our Timetables.

FEE-HELP is available for eligible students to assist you in financing your studies. For more information and other options, please visit the Financing Your Study page. For students who cannot access government loans, an alternative option is Study Loans, a private student loan provider. To learn more about loans provided by Study Loans, click here.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge:

Demonstrated:

• advanced and integrated understanding of key issues and practices within leadership;
• knowledge of scholarship and recent developments in the areas of educational, church or not-for-profit leadership;
• understanding of general research principles and methods, and advanced knowledge of specific research approaches used in the selected specialisation.

Skills:

Demonstrated ability to:

• evaluate, synthesise and critically engage the theoretical knowledge using appropriate methodologies and theories from the discipline;
• analyse and synthesise ideas and theories from other disciplines related to the area of specialisation;
• design a research question that explores a complex issue and to provide possible solution(s) to the problem raised;
• communicate effectively complex ideas and proposed solutions to peers and general audiences;
• critically evaluate new developments of scholarship in the field of leadership.

Application of Knowledge and Skills:

Demonstrated ability to:

• apply the knowledge and skills developed to develop appropriate evidence-based solutions to new situations;
• work independently, responsibly and with the level of professionalism expected of a practiced professional with an advanced level of expertise in leadership;
• design and implement a major research project in the selected specialisation.