Practical theology studies the practice of faith and ministry in church and in society.
It strives to be contextual, with a liberatory approach which has an emancipatory goal. The department of Practical Theology at Unisa is the largest in South Africa with five full-time members. The department has a variety of undergraduate courses and postgraduate papers focusing on preaching, instruction, pastoral care and counselling, worship, service, ecclesiology , church and society and practical theological research methodology. The department has a particularly strong postgraduate programme leading to either dissertation master's degrees or structured master's degrees and doctoral degrees. There are currently 41 master's students and 15 doctoral students registered in this department.