The Bachelor of Arts Te Tohu Paetahi at Laidlaw College is a three-year bachelor's level degree (level 7) designed to equip learners to serve and lead in Aotearoa New Zealand's culturally diverse communities from a foundation of Christian faith.
The degree has the following aims:
* To form graduates in faith, fostering Biblical engagement, critical thought, academic excellence, and transferable skills for vocational engagement and leadership.

* To cultivate graduates with critical thinking, communication, cultural contextualisation, and leadership skills, to contribute to the renewal of communities through a wide range of vocations.

* To produce graduates who can contextualise their work and leadership in the unique cultural contexts of Aotearoa New Zealand, in ways that recognise the cultural identities of learners, and are shaped by te Rongopai me te Tiriti o Waitangi.

* To equip graduates with biblically-grounded, culturally-engaged, vocationally-specific and applied knowledge to prepare them for their vocations.

* To foster graduates who can integrate faith-based insight, cultural competency, and applied leadership, and who can work to renew diverse communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally.

* To enable graduates in the pursuit of lifelong learning, including through postgraduate study and research in humanities disciplines and social, professional, and cultural vocations.

Laidlaw College's Bachelor of Arts Te Tohu Paetahi equips students to live and lead faithfully in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in twenty-first century Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.
Students will be formed by encounter with Jesus, and engagement with Scripture and Christian theology, leading to renewed minds able to think critically, discern meaning, learn through scholarship and research, and live wisely. They will become intelligent readers and interpreters of Scripture and culture, engaged with te ao Māori and honouring te Tiriti, grounded in their whanau, whakapapa and communities, and they will be quipped to be imaginative leaders who participate in God's ongoing renewal of the world in anticipation of the new creation.
Graduates will be people equipped to renew their communities with a faith characterised by intelligence and courage. They will have deep confidence in the Gospel, be people of faith, grace, love, and hope, and seek to live as Christ in the world.
On completion of the Bachelor of Arts Te Tohu Paetahi Laidlaw College graduates will be able to:
1. Embody leadership grounded in the Gospel, in community, and across vocations and society.
2. Think integratively about Christian faith, identity, traditions, and the world, and articulating their worldview with confidence, intelligence, creativity, and respect.
3. Practise critical thinking, transferable skills, and ethical behaviour when addressing societal issues and professional responsibilities.
4. Engage in interpersonal relationships in complex contexts with awareness, and excellent communication and collaborative skills.
5. Outwork their faith and vocation in relationship to whenua, and within the context of whānau, hāpu, and iwi, upholding a commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Additional GPO for the Te Reo Māori specialisation:
6. Ka whakaaturia te mātau me te māia ki te reo Māori mā te whakawhiti kōrero ki ngā horopaki ōkawa, ōpaki anō hoki. Ka matatau ki ngā āhuatanga o te reo me te mārama ki te tatao ki ngā tikanga Māori.
Additional GPO for the Theology specialisation:
7. Integrate biblical and theological knowledge with lived experience, evaluating how the centrality of Christ shapes their perspective and ministry in the world.
Additional GPO for the History specialisation:
8. Research, interpret, and communicate historical knowledge, with a focus on Aotearoa New Zealand, critically engaging with primary and secondary sources and diverse historiographical perspectives.
Additional GPO for the Chaplaincy specialisation:
9. Critically apply biblical, theological and practical skills to provide chaplaincy care across diverse contexts, offering spiritual support, pastoral presence and ceremonial leadership. 
Additional GPO for the Youth Work specialisation:
10. Critically integrate youth development theory and contextual understanding with ethical youth work practice to uphold Mana Taiohi and support the holistic aspirations of young people.

On completion of the Bachelor of Arts Te Tohu Paetahi graduates may be eligible to apply to:
* Graduate Diploma in Theology
* Graduate Diplomas in other subject areas
* Postgraduate studies (where entry criteria is met)
On completion of a specialisation in Te Reo Māori, Theology, or History, graduates with three teaching subjects may be eligible to apply to:
* Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary)

8.1.1 ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR BA (TE REO MĀORI)
To be accepted into this programme, an applicant must:
* be at least 16 years of age
* be a New Zealand citizen (or citizen of Australia, Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands) or permanent resident
* reside in New Zealand
* have successfully completed NCEA Level 3 Te Reo Māori or a New Zealand Certificate in Te Reo Māori Level 4 may
* meet with a kaiako to discuss course workload and commitment
Or
* successfully complete the pre-entry assessment
* meet with a kaiako to discuss course workload and commitment

8.1.2 GENERAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR BACHELOR OF ARTS TE TOHU PAETAHI (EXCEPT TE REO MĀORI)

NCEA Level 3
Three subjects at Level 3, made up of 14 credits each in three approved subjects (unless University Entrance was gained in 2020 or 2021 when only 12 credits each in three approved subjects applies)
Literacy: 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
o 5 credits in reading
o 5 credits in writing
Numeracy: 10 credits at Level 1 or above, made up of:
o Achievement standards: specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects, or
o Unit standards: package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627 - all three required).
NCEA Equivalence can include:
* University Entrance, A or B Bursary
* Overseas equivalent qualifications, including IB and CIE, or HSC (Australia)
* Other NZQA level 3 certificates in similar disciplines to Laidlaw programmes
* Other NZQA level 4 certificate in a different discipline
* Evidence of level of academic achievement or a portfolio of work for homeschooled students*
* Reference/support/documentation from employer*
* The applicant may need to sit assessment for entry.
All equivalences must be documented.
Applicants must seek NZQA's International Qualification Assessment (IQA) evaluation of their non-NZ (overseas) qualifications prior to applying.

Special Admission
For applicants who do not meet the above requirements, an Entry Assessment may be required.
* Includes a literacy test.
* Dates for assessment will be advised.
Possible study options can arise depending on the assessment result:
* An offer of entry to a level 4 or level 5 programme
* An offer of entry to another Laidlaw programme
* Entry to the BA (if appropriate)