The Yarra Institute shares with Yarra Theological Union responsibility for co-ordinating the program of social justice units and degrees offered by YTU in association with the MCD University of Divinity.
Students can take individual units in social justice or as part of the Bachelor of Theology degree, or specialise in various social justice degrees, namely- the one-year MCDUD Diploma in Social Justice
- the one-year Graduate Diploma in Theology (Social Justice) and
- the Master of Arts, concentrating on social justice units.
The Social Justice Studies brochure for 2011 has been delayed by changes in education regulations. The recent requirement that the MCDUD Dipoma take two years has been changed to allow the Diploma to be completed in one year.
YTU offers an extensive range of units in social justice studies, and as well as the usual history, biblical and theological units, also specialises in pastoral studies and missology.
Among the social justice units offered at YTU, three are recommended:
- Catholic Social Thought Overseas & in Australia
- Justice and Social Teaching and
- Introduction to Moral Theology
Equivalent units are offered at other Colleges of the MCDU.
At least four other units can be chosen from the following YTU units or their equivalents at other Colleges of the MCDUD:
- Biblical Justice & the Reign of God
- The Bible and the Land
- Exile and Return
- Social Teaching & Aboriginal Australians
- Major Issues in Moral Theology
- Christianity, Economics and Social Transformation
- Can War be Just? and
- Human Embodiment and Bioethics
Another unit can be chosen by the student to complete this Diploma, especially from closely related units, including:
- Prophetic Literature - Jeremiah and Hosea
- Eschatology: Living in Hope
- Comparative Survey of Religions
- Introduction to the Theology of Mission
- The Church's Mission: Yesterday and Today
- Liberating Mission: When Gospel meets Culture
A full list of the subjects offered can be found in the YTU handbook at www.ytu.edu.au. Units may vary from year to year.
Though YTU focuses on exploring the Catholic tradition, it is strongly committed to ecumenism. The Yarra Institute also promotes social justice studies in the context of a widening ecumenical endeavour. Hence students are encouraged to learn about the social traditions of the different denominations, and to undertake some accredited social units at other Colleges of the MCDUD.