Please help me find reputable online theology degree options

November 21, 2012 11:01 AM

I am trying to find some reputable graduate schools that offer masters degrees in Christian theology which can be completed mostly or completely online.

This degree is for my own interest and not for professional advancement. I am finding it difficult to easily determine which schools offer their programs via distance education. I have found only one school other than the for-profits that has a page specifically for listing its online degrees.

Thank you in advance.

posted by michellenoel to education (16 answers total)

A number of the schools of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA offer online classes.
posted by liketitanic at 11:06 AM on November 21, 2012

Looks like their Master of Arts in Theology is not online. Thanks, though and I'll stop posting.
posted by michellenoel at 11:17 AM on November 21, 2012

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is quite reputable. The University of Dallas is highly reputable.

Do you have a specific religious perspective you'd prefer? Gordon-Conwell is Evangelical Protestant; University of Dallas is Roman Catholic.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:18 AM on November 21, 2012

Earlham School of Religion offers a lot of its courses online. There is an emphasis on Quakerism. You will probably find that most programs, especially online ones, focus on some particular denomination.
posted by mareli at 11:19 AM on November 21, 2012

I am Lutheran, but the M.A. at Concordia Theological Seminary is not online. Evangelical Protestant would be good. Thanks.
posted by michellenoel at 11:21 AM on November 21, 2012

Just called Gordon-Conwell. Only a third of their classes for the M.A. in theology may be done online. This is the problem I'm running into. I want a masters degree, not CEUs or just a handful of classes.
posted by michellenoel at 11:25 AM on November 21, 2012

Holy Apostles College and Seminary, which has regional accreditation and a distance learning MA in Theology that can be completed entirely online. It is, however, from a conservative/orthodox Catholic perspective.
posted by Jahaza at 11:33 AM on November 21, 2012

Reformed Theological Seminary. Reformed (Calvinistic), of course.
posted by uncannyslacks at 11:35 AM on November 21, 2012

Southwestern College? They're Methodist.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:36 AM on November 21, 2012

The difficulty you're running into is that the Association of Theological Schools which offers accreditation for theology programs requires that the programs be done half in residence and half online (as Regent University explains). So a completely online degree in theology can only be regionally accredited and not accredited by ATS.

Regent (which is conservative and Pentecostal) has some programs accredited by ATS and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and some accredited just by the latter.

Their list of programs is here.

(Also, are we correct in assuming that you are in the U.S.? The situation in some other countries is different.)
posted by Jahaza at 11:39 AM on November 21, 2012

Yes. I'm in the U.S.
posted by michellenoel at 11:49 AM on November 21, 2012

St Andrews in the UK has a DL MLitt in Theology. A reputable institution in as much as Prince Andrew studied there. Please check your Memail also.
posted by biffa at 11:51 AM on November 21, 2012

Southwestern looks very promising. I have contacted them and I'll also review the list posted by Jahaza.

Thanks so much, everyone! Mefites rock.
posted by michellenoel at 11:51 AM on November 21, 2012

Duh, Prince William that should be.
posted by biffa at 2:09 PM on November 21, 2012

A friend of mine is doing something with Harvard Div School where she only has to show up in person like two weeks out of the year. Not really sure how that works, tho.
posted by novalis_dt at 4:19 PM on November 21, 2012

Thanks!
posted by michellenoel at 12:38 PM on December 21, 2012