Advancement in Ministry
Welcome to an exciting new opportunity in ministry education!
Our Advancement In Ministry (AIM) track is designed to enable you to heed God's call by obtaining a seminary education while you remain in your current ministry or occupation.
A combination of one-week intensive and distance learning courses makes it possible for you to complete the following degrees:
- A Biblical Ministries Certificate in twenty (20) months
- A Master of Arts in forty (40) months
- A Master of Divinity in sixty (60) months
The basic requirements of and schedule for each of these degrees may be seen by clicking on the degree name above. If you have completed at least thirty hours of undergraduate Bible, Theology, and Church History your program requirements are reduced. You should contact Admissions for further details.
Program Overview
You will travel to Atlanta, Georgia or to the Columbia, South Carolina campus in January and June in order to complete the residence requirement for two one-week intensive courses on each trip. These intensive courses include pre-campus and post-campus assignments using a variety of instructional media.
Between your trips to Columbia you will complete two AIM track courses a year in your work or ministry setting. These courses are drawn from our collection of award winning distance learning courses and are facilitated by regular interaction with Columbia personnel.
Throughout the year you will engage in ministry skills development projects and spiritual formation activities set in the context of your home church. The basic Structure of a Typical Year may be seen in the table below.
Minimum hardware and software requirements have been established for all students.
A list of AIM track courses is available, as well as a quarterly newsletter for students enrolled in the Advancement in Ministry track.
Structure of a Typical Year
| Month | Course Work | Duration | Ministry Skill Development |
|---|---|---|---|
| June | Pre-campus assignments for intensive courses | 2 weeks | Supervised Ministry (26 weeks) |
| Two on-campus intensive courses | 2 weeks | ||
| July August | Post-campus assignments for intensive courses | 6 weeks | |
August November | Distance Learning Course | 16 weeks | |
December | Holiday Break (4 weeks) | ||
| January | Pre-campus assignments for intensive courses | 2 weeks | Supervised Ministry (22 weeks) |
| Two on-campus intensive courses | 2 weeks | ||
| February | Post-campus assignments for intensive courses | 4 weeks | |
| March April May | Distance Learning Course | 14 weeks | |