Online Learning
Many students want to know what it’s like to experience religious education online. Even though the online MAR program is designed to be flexible and convenient for students studying at a distance, the online theological seminary coursework is just as rigorous as courses taught on campus. Here’s what you can expect from the online learning experience.
- Courses are 14 weeks long. The two courses in a semester are designed to be complementary and integrative.
- All course materials can be accessed through our online theological seminary learning management system, Sakai, except for textbooks. Students will need an appropriate computer system and Internet connection to fully access all course materials.
- Our religious education online courses are media rich with content provided through video presentations, narrated PowerPoint presentations, and audio presentations. We highly recommend that you have broadband access to the Internet in order to view these media presentations.
- Courses are highly structured, with assignments due every week. Students should expect to spend 15-20 hours per week on coursework.
- Most assignments will be asynchronous (that is, they do not require you to log on at any particular time), although some courses may contain some synchronous sessions. In this case, we will accommodate multiple time zones.
- Religious education online courses are highly interactive, with weekly online discussions, group work, and faculty interaction.
- All library resources and support are available to students online.
- All students will complete two self-paced online courses before beginning the program: Student Orientation and Research and Writing. These courses will prepare you to be a successful online seminary student. Ongoing writing assistance will also be available through our Virtual Writing Center.
- All exams will be proctored. Students will identify a qualified proctor in their local community.
