Courses Offered at South African Theological Seminary (SATS) for 2027

The South African Theological Seminary (SATS) was started in 1996 by Christopher Peppler as a distance education seminary. It is a broadly evangelical, non-profit institution based in Bryanston, Johannesburg, and describes its purpose as providing Bible-based, Christ-centred education to train leaders for the church. Over the years it has grown into one of the larger online theology providers in Africa, with students in many countries.

Accreditation: SATS is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution (registration no. 2001/HE08/005), and all of its qualifications are accredited by the Council on Higher Education. US credential evaluators have also assessed its degrees as comparable to those from regionally accredited US universities.

How study works: all programmes are offered 100% online, so there is no need to relocate or attend classes on campus. The academic year runs from 1 February to 31 January and is split into four terms of three months. You enrol for individual courses each term and pay per course before the term starts. This lets working adults set their own pace, although each programme has a minimum pace (usually 48 credits every 12 months) and a maximum time limit. Graduation ceremonies are normally held once a year in Johannesburg.

Qualifications offered:
- Higher Certificate in Christian Life (NQF 5)
- Higher Certificate in Christian Counselling (NQF 5)
- Bachelor of Theology, with an optional Christian Counselling concentration (NQF 7)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Theology (NQF 8)
- Bachelor of Theology Honours, with an optional Christian Counselling concentration (NQF 8)
- Master of Divinity (NQF 9)
- Master of Theology, by research or through coursework streams in New Testament and Christian Counselling (NQF 9)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Theology (NQF 10)

Subject areas covered across the programmes include Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Practical Theology, Missiology, Church and Society, and Christian Counselling.

Student support: students get online access to a large digital library (about 200 000 e-books and 16 000 journals, according to the prospectus), help from academic and administrative staff through a helpdesk and chat, and provision for students with disabilities, such as extra time or oral answers. A small bursary fund helps students who cannot afford their studies.

Fees: SATS charges per course rather than per year, and each course must be paid in full before its term begins. Fees rise each January and are non-refundable. The current price list is available from the seminary on request or on its pricing page.

How to apply:
- Complete the online application on the SATS Nexsis portal and upload your supporting documents
- Pay the application fee
- You will receive an invoice for the enrolment fee and your first course, followed by an acceptance letter and DHET form to sign
- Once payment is confirmed, you receive your student login details

You can apply at any time of the year and begin in the next available term. Postgraduate applicants can contact PGStudy@sats.ac.za with questions.

Useful documents (official PDFs):
- SATS Digital Prospectus 2025: https://sats.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SATS-Digital-Prospectus-2025.pdf
- SATS Digital Prospectus 2024B: https://sats.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SATS-Digital-Prospectus-2024B.pdf