Wesley Institute has announced plans this week to become Australia’s first evangelical Christian University.

The move comes as the Institute joins forces with Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU), one of the largest evangelical Christian universities in the US. Australia’s Wesley Institute will become an international campus for IWU and seek recognition first as a University College under Australian university legislation in 2015, and then for full University status in five years time.

A University College, under Higher Education protocols, requires Wesley Institute to provide qualifications Masters coursework in at least three broad fields of study and Research masters and PhDs in at least one broad field of study. To acquire a full University status, Research Masters and PhDs must be offered in at least three broad fields of study. “It’s the same depth of study, but just a larger number of fields, that’s the difference between a University College and fully fledged University,” Dr Greg Rough, Wesley Institute’s managing director told Eternity.

“There’s a lot of growth in Christian secondary education, with Christian secondary school growth outstripping government schools,” says Dr Rough. “We’re hoping to provide an opportunity that allows continuity between Christian secondary education and higher education.”

Students at Wesley Institute can already attain an undergraduate degree at bachelor level in music, dramatic arts, theatre, dance or graphic design. The Institute plans to offer a broader range of arts degrees come 2015, with plans for a business school that will begin operation in 2016.

While there are no plans yet to expand the Sydney-based institute into other parts of Australia, the partnership between IWU and Wesley Institute will seek joint campus facilities also in 2015, and are aiming to reach a national base and into the Asia-Pacific international student market.

Numerous legal and regulatory steps must be taken for a higher education institution to achieve University status, and Dr Rough says there is still a long way to go for accreditation. But he is confident there is much to learn from Indiana Wesleyan University, and the role Christian higher education plays in the US.

“We now have a partner who’s being integrating excellence in higher education with the Christian faith for more than 90 years. It’s an exciting time for Wesley Institute, and Christian higher education in Australia.”

In Victoria, the Melbourne College of Divinity was accredited as Australia’s first ‘university of specialisation’ (with one or two broad fields of study only) in 2012 and this week announced it will change its name to the University of Divinity. The move incorporates new branding for the institution, which will be formally launched in December this year.