Campbell University Divinity School’s Master of Arts in Christian Ministry degree will be offered in a cohort-based, retreat-anchored online model starting this fall. The program has received approval from the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools and from SACSCOC and is currently accepting applications for its first class.
The program offers a foundation in theological education with specialization in specific areas of ministry. It is unique to the Divinity School in that aside from a once-per-semester in-person retreat, all coursework will be completed online, allowing more accessibility for adult learners.
“We have explored online delivery before, but in the past, we did not have a model that allowed us to preserve the intense experience of formation and community that is distinctive in Campbell’s theological education,” Divinity School Dean Dr. Andrew Wakefield said. “Our experience with delivering remote instruction during the pandemic, particularly with the cohort-based [Master of Arts in Faith and Leadership Formation] degree, allowed us to test a retreat-anchored model that gives us the best of both worlds with the convenience and access of online delivery and the strong spiritual formation and community that we feel is an essential part of preparing for ministry.”
The hybrid-cohort format’s area of specialization will be congregational leadership. The two-and-a-half-year, 48-hour program will be made up of night courses online twice a week (Tuesday and Thursdays) and hybrid retreat courses, which will be conducted fully online except for one in-person, two-day retreat each semester.
According to Wakefield, students in the program will be eligible for significant scholarship assistance. Support from a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. will also assist students in the initial cohorts to cover the costs associated with the retreats, which will typically last two to three days in a centralized location.
For more information on the program, contact the Divinity School admissions office at divinityadmissions@campbell.edu or call (910) 893-1830.