Student status is obtained by enrolling in full-time or part-time study. At the beginning of their studies, students sign a Study Agreement with the college, and those admitted to the student dormitory also sign a Housing and Meal Agreement. These agreements are valid for the entire duration of the studies.
Index, Student Card
The index, or student card, which the student receives upon enrollment at the college, is an official document used to prove student status. All sections concerning personal data must be filled out legibly by the student. The names of course instructors and course titles are entered in the index with the help of the Student Service staff. The conditions for obtaining signatures are explained individually by each professor or instructor. The index is used to record exam grades and other information relevant to student status, and these entries are made exclusively by authorized personnel (professors and staff).
Classes (Rights and Obligations)
The structure of the theology program, spanning undergraduate and graduate studies, lasts five years (ten semesters) and includes a set number of instructional and working weeks. During this period, students must complete courses worth a total of 300 ECTS credits. Classes are organized by semester and delivered through lectures, seminars, professional practice, and other teaching formats. Courses are grouped by semester and attended individually, sequentially, over one, two, or three weeks. Biblical languages (Greek and Hebrew) and foreign languages (English and Croatian for foreigners) are taught for two hours, two to three times a week. In the first three years, all classes are simultaneously translated between English and Croatian, while in the fourth and fifth years, classes are conducted exclusively in English.
Students are required to regularly attend classes, write seminar papers, participate in professional practice, collect signatures, and pass exams. They may contact their course instructors during designated office hours or via email. Students have the right to obtain a certificate of their student status, a transcript of grades, and, upon written request, borrow documents from the archive.
Assessment of Knowledge
During the course, professors and instructors may assess knowledge and progress through quizzes and tests, while students take exams at the end of the course. At the start of the academic year, all course instructors submit a schedule of exam dates for the entire academic year to the Student Service. Part-time students may take exams monthly, just like full-time students, after completing a course.
Exams must be registered with the Student Service using an application form at least eight days before the exam date and may be canceled no later than 24 hours before the exam, either in person or by request at 031/494-200. Students may enroll in courses from other theological faculties or faculties of humanities and social sciences that are directly or indirectly related to their field of study and expand their knowledge in theology, ethics, philosophy, linguistics, pedagogy, and psychology. At a student’s request, selected courses from equivalent programs at other institutions may be recognized as completed at this college.
Advancing to the Next Year of Study
Completion of the semester, including attending and being tested, is a prerequisite for advancing to the next semester. To enroll in the next academic year, students must have earned at least 48 out of 60 ECTS credits (i.e., 80% of the program must be completed). The prerequisites for specific courses, if any, are listed in their descriptions. Students must acquire the remaining 12 ECTS credits from the previous academic year before enrolling in the next semester.
Repeating a Year
A full-time student who fails to complete all required obligations may repeat one year during their studies. Upon re-enrollment, students take only the courses they failed to pass that year. Additionally, for justified reasons (e.g., illness, pregnancy, military service), students may repeat a year again during their regular education. In such cases, they must submit a request to the college secretary along with the appropriate documentation.
Completing Studies and Procedures for Submitting and Defending a Final or Graduate Thesis
Upon fulfilling all obligations outlined in the curriculum, students submit their final or graduate thesis and begin work on it with the help of their chosen mentor, eventually defending the thesis.
- After completing all exams and seminars and collecting signatures, students must settle remaining obligations with the college as per the instructions from the Student Service.
- The topic of the final or graduate thesis, determined in agreement with the mentor (the supervisor of the thesis preparation and defense), should be relevant, useful, and tailored to contemporary pastoral needs as well as current domestic and international theological advancements.
- After the thesis is reviewed and approved by the mentor and the committee members, the student prepares five bound copies and submits them to the Student Service.
- The date for the thesis defense is agreed upon with the mentor and committee members.
- Following the thesis presentation, the committee evaluates the overall preparation, presentation, and defense and confers the academic title upon the student.
- Two copies of the final or graduate thesis, along with completed and signed forms by the committee members, are submitted to the Student Service. The graduate receives a certificate of the acquired degree from the college within eight days.
- The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek organizes an annual formal graduation ceremony, and graduates are notified in writing.