Christian Distance Education
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Christian distance education opportunities abound across the Internet for the individual who is striving to answer the call of God upon his life. While a follower of Christ can certainly receive a fine education from a secular school, there may be certain courses, programs or approaches that are more in line with an individual's goals or interests that can only be supplied from a Christian education. An online education can provide the opportunity for a person to work fulltime in either a secular setting or a church setting while preparing for a vocation that is Christ centered. Since many people are already involved in some kind of life's work when the decision to get a Christ centered education is made, the online option is the only one available. Deciding which program to choose can be a daunting task, because there are hundreds of different programs from which to choose, and over five hundred schools that offer various degrees.
When a person decides to pursue Christian distance education opportunities, there are some things that first must be decided. Foremost would be one's denominational affiliation. If a person is expecting to serve in the ministry for a particular denomination after graduation, what are the qualifications for various positions in that denomination, and what schools will be recognized by the ecclesiastical councils? Receiving a degree that is not recognized by a chosen denomination would be a supreme disappointment. Since each denomination has varying qualifications and requirements, inquiry regarding them should be a high priority.
Secondly, if a person is choosing online Christian distance education for a professional licensure other than ministry, the accreditation of that school is also of supreme importance. For example, a person wanting to pursue a course of study leading to an eventual licensure in psychology would need a Christian education course study that is accepted by the American Psychological Association. The same would be true of a study in law needing the American Bar Association's approval. The accreditation of a school can be very important, or it may not matter at all, depending on the plans the student may have. For example, if a student desires a strong Bible emphasis education such as a Bachelor's degree in Biblical studies, many unaccredited degrees may be acceptable if the student plans on starting a non-denominational church. There would be no review boards or ordination regulations restricting or dictating the student's course of study, but those unaccredited degrees could haunt the person later when seeking a Master's or Doctoral degree.
While a person might tempted to think that only "spiritual" subjects are offered through Christian distance education, the reality is that degrees in such subjects such as anthropology, American studies, Information systems, human development, business management, accounting, criminal justice, computer programming and dozens more majors are available. What will set these courses apart from state and secular school emphases will be recognition of biblical principles and truths that have shaped history and the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the second person of the Godhead. Within those parameters, truth is disseminated and judged. Of course, that is the ideal. In some cases, a secular humanism has crept into many Christian distance education schools that questions the supreme truth that the Bible has always claimed. Depending on the person's own theological positions and understandings, this issue may be a deal breaker or not one at all. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2: 10, 11)
Choosing a school that does offer Christian distance education opportunities can be tough. Since location is not a problem, finances and perhaps the strength of the school's faculty may be the next two most important issues. Student government loans do not discriminate against Christian schools and so there are a number of low interest loans and grants available for even long distance learning courses. Much will depend upon how much a load the student is carrying. Online websites can help a student sort out the financial end of things. As far as the faculty is concerned, examine the faculty roster to see how many Ph. Ds are on staff. Look to see who has been published lately and ascertain the schools that the faculty attended. Being a Christian school does not excuse it from being or attaining academically excellent standards.
One of the things that will be important to someone pursuing a Christian distance education experience will be the access to an online library. It is important to find out what libraries will be available to the student. Many online school s do have agreements with other schools' online library facilities, so make sure that there are plenty of resources for all the papers and projects that will be due. Additionally, it will be important that a student have contact with other students during their college life. Finding out how to access student forums is key to learning from other students as well as teachers. Furthermore, students must know that they have easy access to faculty members through emails, phone numbers and other communication media.
Before attempting any Christian distance education experience, understand that there may be requirements for on campus experiences during the degree pursuit. Very few acclaimed programs do not require the student to be on campus at least a few weeks during the years of taking courses. One must consider the cost of such a requirement before agreeing to a particular degree pursuit. Having a fulltime job and perhaps a family adds a great burden to any student's life. Finding quiet time to study and work will prove to be a great challenge. Yet if called by God, what can a person do but respond?
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