Graduate Diploma of Greek Philosophy

The Graduate Diploma of Greek Philosophy is a one-year qualification for people who want to spend serious time with the Greek thinkers, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Neoplatonists, and learn how their arguments still shape how we reason about ethics, knowledge, politics and the good life. It sits at graduate level, so you are expected to read primary texts closely and write argued essays rather than absorb summaries. You will work through the Presocratics, Socrates, Plato's dialogues, Aristotle's ethics and metaphysics, and the Hellenistic schools, with attention to how Greek ideas were received in later Christian and Islamic thought. The Australian University College of Divinity teaches this material with an eye on the questions that keep philosophers and theologians arguing: What is virtue? Can reason ground morality? What does it mean to say something is true?

The graduate diploma is a coursework award, not a research degree. Australian graduate diplomas sit between a bachelor degree and a master's on the AQF and usually take one year of full-time study, made up of units of study worth set credit points. At this institution the year is likely split into two or three study periods, and you will choose some units from a list of approved topics alongside core units in Greek philosophy. Assessment is typically essays, seminar papers and exams, with a final research essay or capstone unit that lets you dig into a text or problem in depth. The exact unit list, credit-point structure and any capstone requirement are set by the college, so check the official course page before you apply.

You will come out of it able to read a difficult text slowly, reconstruct an argument, spot a fallacy, and write clearly about abstract ideas. Those skills travel. Graduates use them in teaching, ministry, publishing, public policy, law, journalism and further academic study. The college has a theological and philosophical focus, so there is a natural link into its own higher awards if you want to continue to a master's or a doctorate later. If you are coming from another country, remember that international students on a Student visa can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, confirm the current rules with the Department of Home Affairs, because they change. English proficiency is required for international applicants; the college publishes an IELTS Academic range of 6.0–6.5 overall for coursework postgraduate study, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the college's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Student visa itself has a separate English threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs.

This course suits a few kinds of people: a graduate in philosophy, classics, theology or history who wants to go deeper before a master's; a teacher or minister who wants to teach this material properly; and a professional who simply wants to read Plato and Aristotle with guidance rather than alone. It also works as a pathway if your undergraduate degree was in another field and you need a year of philosophy before applying for a research degree. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 120890G. Check the official page for the current fees, intake dates, unit list and English requirements before you apply.

• Secondary school teacher of philosophy, religious studies or humanities (after a teaching qualification)
• Minister, pastoral worker or chaplain in a church or faith-based organisation
• Policy officer or researcher in government, think tanks or NGOs
• Writer, editor or publisher in academic, religious or general publishing
• University tutor or research assistant while continuing to a master's or doctorate
• Ethics officer or compliance adviser in health, public service or professional bodies
• Community and welfare roles where clear thinking and writing about values matter