The world is getting smaller and countries are more interconnected than ever before. Those unwilling to reach out will be left behind, but the Faculty of Theology at the North-West University has no intention of letting that happen.

The faculty boasts an international reach like few other and this is especially evident when looking at their post-graduate profile.

The faculty has 251 international postgraduate students compared to the 128 South African ones. From India to Indonesia, Brazil to Burundi and even the shores of the United States of America, there are students from 48 countries enrolled in the faculty’s postgraduate programmes.

“About 66% of our students are from abroad and that makes us very excited. We are also able to provide teaching in English, Afrikaans, Portuguese and French as these are some of the languages most spoken in Africa,” says Professor Henk Stoker, manager of faculty’s masters’ and doctoral programmes.

“The main reason for this is that many institutions abroad only provide 3 to 4-year theology degrees, but educators are required. The world need accredited educators and that is what we provide.”

He goes on to explain that the relationships the Faculty of Theology continuously build is part of the reason for their resounding success. 

“Many prospective students and institutions across the globe are also in favour of our specific paradigm and it is wonderful to have these relationships worldwide. It is also a relationship that results in numerous research projects. We’ve had exceedingly positive feedback about not only our paradigm but also our academic levels. We also use examiners from across the globe to ensure that our standards are of the highest level,” says Stoker.