KANSAS CITY – Midwestern Baptist College (MBC), Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), leaders unveiled a new 100-percent online undergraduate degree program on Feb. 21, with enrollment currently underway for the term beginning April 30.
Fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry degree will be added to the online program’s Master of Arts, Theological Studies (MATS) degree that was launched in 2010.
The undergraduate program of MBC was launched in the fall of 2006, and recognizing the need to stay current with improvements in educational technology and online delivery, online courses were added to the program in early 2011. With the announcement that the Higher Learning Commission has granted full accreditation to the online undergraduate program, non-resident students can now complete their bachelor’s degree fully online.
MBC-Online will begin with a core of nine courses for its initial terms and then introduce new classes each term going forward until the degree track is completed. To earn the degree completely online, a student would need to take 42 classes for a total of 126 credit hours. With this addition, students now have multiple choices in completing their undergraduate degree: the traditional on-campus program, the fully online program, or a blended program including both on-campus and online courses.
Online program leaders say this is an excellent way for students who cannot make it regularly to campus to complete needed courses toward their degree. “What’s really exciting about this new program is that people can obtain an undergraduate degree from nearly anywhere in the world, and do so at a pace that’s convenient for them,” said Ted Davis, director of the MBC-Online program. “The Midwestern-Online team is committed to providing high-quality Christian education for life and ministry and also to making that education affordable and accessible. We’re thrilled that students will now be able to manage their busy schedules while achieving the important goal of a college education through these online courses.”
Classes will be offered in eight-week terms, with two terms being offered each semester. MBC-Online is currently accepting applications to the program, and enrollment is available for the upcoming Summer terms: Term A – April 30 – June 22 and Term B – June 25 – August 17. In Term A, the available classes will be: Introduction to Nutrition, Survey of Old Testament Literature, Christian Doctrine I, and World Literature. In Term B, the classes will be: Christian Doctrine II, Introduction to Computers, Teaching Ministry of the Church, Marriage and Family, and The Pentateuch.
“Because the courses’ lengths are considerably shorter than those in traditional semesters, the workload is challenging,” Davis said. “However, we think students will find the online format friendly to their schedules. Whereas, people once had to travel to the main campus or extension locations to attend a class, they can now complete courses from anywhere they have internet access!”
“Another extremely beneficial aspect of these courses is the cost,” said Rodney Harrison, dean of the School of Online Studies at Midwestern. “When compared to other online courses offered by state or private institutions, our costs are quite reasonable. One other point to note is this: the cost you see is what you get. There are no hidden fees whatsoever.”
Tuition for the online courses is currently $250 per credit hour, with each course being worth three credit hours. The only additional costs a student will incur include textbooks and any other required materials for the course.
“All of these courses are offered as part of the undergraduate degrees currently available at the college,” Davis said. “Additionally, even if someone doesn’t desire a degree but wishes to add to their biblical knowledge, there are great opportunities for them to grow spiritually and educationally!”