Distributed & Extended Learning

DISTRIBUTED LEARNING

Through Distributed Learning, Asbury Seminary is dedicated to John Wesley's claim that "the world is our parish." Distributed Learning offers opportunities for students around the globe to pursue degree programs and ministry training through our Virtual Campus and by taking classes at extension sites.

EXTENDED LEARNING (EXL)

Understanding the changing needs of students today, Asbury Seminary has built flexibility into its academic schedule. By taking ExL courses on the Virtual Campus, students may earn the certificate of Christian Studies, earn up to two-thirds of the Master of Divinity degree, or up to one-half of a Master of Arts degree online through three semesters each year. Students may choose from three campuses, multiple degree programs and various course-offering timetables to fulfill their academic goals. Working with an academic advisor, students move freely within the Asbury Seminary infrastructure to complete their traditional degrees in untraditional ways.

ExL courses may be described by two words: collaborative and asynchronous. As a collaborative learning environment, our faculty strive to develop a community of learners that work and share together in the learning experience. ExL is also asynchronous, which means students have access to the classroom anytime and anyplace. Students can read and post messages at hours convenient to them because our online classrooms are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The following are just a few ways that Asbury Seminary provides students flexibility in how they can complete their degree program:

Florida Campus

Block scheduling maximizes the calendar and minimizes the commute. Classes are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, including evenings, and some on Saturdays, so that students can condense their seminary classroom commitment.

Intensives (classes lasting one week to one month) are available in January, June, July and August. Students can complete one course each month in this "compact-semester" format. Area housing information is available.

Kentucky Campus

Block scheduling is blended with a more traditional course schedule as classes are offered Monday nights through Friday mornings, and an occasional weekend.

Virtual Campus

Attend class at your computer through the Virtual Campus.

Students can complete the Certificate of Christian Studies, one-half of a Master of Arts degree and up to two-thirds of the Master of Divinity degree though the Extended Learning Program (ExL).

The M.Div. can be earned by students' combining up to 64 hours on ExL and 32 hours on a geophysical campus. The 32 hours required on the geophysical campus can include intensives or one-year of residency. MACE, MACL and MAYM degrees are designed so that students can complete the degree by combining ExL course offerings with campus intensives.

THE IN-MINISTRY MASTER OF DIVINITY PROGRAM

Another option for completing an M.Div. through ExL is the In-Ministry M.Div. program. The In-Ministry M.Div. provides an avenue for persons involved in full-time Christian ministry to complete the M.Div. while continuing their ministerial responsibilities. It is designed to account for the growing number of persons who (1) are in a ministry situation that does not allow for relocation to one of the Seminary's campuses in Kentucky or Florida, (2) serve in ministry settings and/or denominations that do not require the M.Div. degree as a prerequisite for full-time ministry, and (3) nonetheless desire an M.Div. degree. Residency requirements are met through five, two-week intensive courses held on the Kentucky or Florida campus in January.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For admission requirements, see the section on Academic Information. In addition to the normal requirements for admission to the M.Div. program, admission to the In-Ministry M.Div. requires that the applicant be at least 35 years old, and have served at least 5 years in Christian ministry. ("Christian ministry" is defined broadly to refer to those forms of congregation-based or congregation-related vocations for which the M.Div. may serve as preparation or enhancement.)

When applying to the M.Div. program, applicants will be allowed to specify whether they wish to be admitted to the In-Ministry M.Div. program and when they would be available to start the first on-campus segment of the program. Applicants will be pooled and cohorts will be selected. Students will proceed through the In-Ministry M.Div. in cohorts of 25-35 people. A cohort will not be formed until a sufficient number of In-Ministry M.Div. students has been accepted into the program.

Transfer

Transfer units from other theological institutions, for courses covered in the In-Ministry intensive Modules (see below), cannot be accepted into the In-Ministry M.Div.

The Program

The In-Ministry M.Div. program consists of an intermixture of coursework taken on the Virtual Campus and through short-term, intensive, on-campus modules. ExL courses may be supplemented by coursework completed at a Distance-Learning site established by the Seminary.

The learning objectives and curriculum are those of the M.Div. program.

Course requirements for the In-Ministry M.Div. program are to be completed as follows:

64 units through ExL, 12-15 units per year, over 5 years.
32 units through on-campus modules-5, 2-week modules; 6-7 units per module; 1 module per year over 5 years. Should a person miss the first or second module, he or she will be dropped from the program and allowed to reapply for the next cohort. Should a person miss a module after the second, he or she may be allowed to participate in that module with another cohort.

Course Sequencing

Because the courses offered in modular form are set (see the schedule below), students should plan their ExL coursework around the on-campus modules. This means (1) not taking through ExL the courses that will be offered in on-campus modules and (2) ensuring that prerequisites for the on-campus modules are met in advance of the modules. Students are expected to have taken at least one ExL course before beginning the first on-campus module.

In-Ministry M.Div. - The Schedule

Year One

ExL (12 hours)

NT500: Concise Greek
IBS-1: Inductive Biblical Studies I (IBS 510-549)
NT520: New Testament Introduction
CH501 : History of Christianity I
Bible Content Examination

Module 1 (6 hours)

Year Two

ExL (15 hours)

New Testament Exegesis (NT 610-649 or 710-749 )
OT501 Survey of Biblical Hebrew
IBS-2 Inductive Biblical Studies II (IBS 610-649)
OT520 Old Testament Introduction
CH502 History of Christianity II

Module 2 (7 hours)

Year Three

ExL (11 hours)

Proclamation Core Elective (Preaching) (Choose 2 Prefixes; PR610-649 )
Old Testament Exegesis (OT 610-649 or 710-749)
MM601: Mentored Ministry: Local Church I
ST501:Method and Praxis in Theology

Module 3 (6 hours)

Year Four

ExL (13 hours)

Module 4 (7 hours)

PH501: Philosophy of Christian Religion
DO690 : Theology of Wesley
CD/CS670: Discipling for Evangelism and Social Justice * *(May be substituted with NT/CS655 Faith and Wealth in New Testament Perspective or CS654 - Morality at the end of Modernity)

Year Five