Admissions Distance Education FAQ's
Augustine Institute Distance Education Frequently Asked Questions |
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Which degrees are offered via Distance Education by the Augustine Institute? How many credits are required for each degree? The Augustine Institute offers a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology with three concentrations:
There is no thesis requirement for the M.A. in Pastoral Theology, but students must pass a comprehensive exam after completing their coursework. What if I’m not interested in earning a master’s degree but would like to take some classes? We have several options for those who do not seek a master’s degree. The Augustine institute offers two types of certificates, basic and graduate. If space if available, students may also enroll in classes as a non-degree seeking student. Finally, students may also audit up to four courses per semester. Audit students receive the DVDs with course lectures but do not have access to Moodle, teaching assistants or professors. Is there any residency requirement for the Distance Education program? No, all the degree requirements, including the comprehensive exam, may be completed without traveling to our Denver campus. What is the Distance Education cycle of semesters at the Augustine Institute? Fall: late August through early December (14 weeks long) Spring: early January through early May (14 weeks long) Summer: late May though early August (11 weeks long) The current academic calendar may be found under Distance Student Documents.
Do I have to take courses in all three semesters (fall, winter, summer) in order to finish my degree? Yes. Currently, we are only able to offer 1/3 of our courses each semester. Thus, students will need to enroll in summer courses in order to complete the degree. Can students begin to earn credit towards a master's degree before they have completed their undergraduate studies? Yes. Students who have completed at least their junior year are eligible to begin taking courses for credit. A good option is to take one or more of the classes offered during the summer. How quickly can I earn a master’s degree? Distance education students may earn a degree in as few as two years. A student on the two-year course plan takes between four and six credit hours per semester. How long do I have to complete a degree? Students must complete all degree requirements within eight years of beginning the first course. What is the typical course load for an Augustine Institute distance student? We know that flexibility is one of the great benefits of distance education, so we have designed a program that accommodates the wide range of students who study with us. There is no one “typical” course load. Students should carefully consider how much time they will be able to devote to their studies each week and register for the number of courses that will fit reasonably into their schedules. Many of our students have job or family commitments that preclude the possibility of taking a traditional, “full-time” course load. There is no minimum course load, so a number of our distance students work through the program slowly, taking only 1 course per semester. At the same time, our program also adapts to those who wish to finish the program quickly and who can devote more time to study. Can courses be transferred from other graduate institutions? Yes. Normally, a minimum of 75% of all required coursework must be completed at the Institute. The Augustine Institute accepts only those credits carrying grades of “B-” (2.75) or above, at the discretion of the Academic Dean. Can I transfer credit from the Distance Education program to the on-campus program or vice versa? Distance students are encouraged to take intensive on-campus classes which will count towards the completion of their Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology degree. Students who begin in one program and would like to switch to the other may transfer up to nine credits between the programs. Admissions requirements for degree-seeking applicants are as follows:
What if an applicant does not have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0? In some cases, those who do not fulfill the normal requirements for degree-seeking status may be granted "conditional acceptance." Conditional acceptance consists of a probationary period of one semester for full-time students and one year (minimum of 6 credits) for part-time students, during which a 3.0 cumulative grade point average must be achieved to remain within the program. Do I have to take the GRE? Taking the GRE is not an admission requirement for any of the Augustine Institute programs. Does the Augustine Institute offer any study abroad programs? The Institute provides an intensive two week experience in Rome at the end of the spring semester which will count as one 2-3 credit course. It may also be audited. Are books included in tuition costs? No. All students are required to purchase the assigned texts for their courses from a vendor of their choice. Booklists are available before the beginning of the semester on the Augustine Institute website on the Distance Student Documents page. Is financial aid available for Distance Education students? We are not able to offer scholarships or loans to our Distance Education students at this time. Tuition for distance courses, however, is less expensive than on-campus tuition. How much time should I budget each week for my coursework? We recommend 2-3 additional hours of study time for each hour of lecture watched. Thus, a student enrolled in a 2 credit hour course should plan to devote at least 6 hours per week to coursework during the Fall and Spring semesters. (The condensed Summer term requires at least 7.5 hours per week for a 2 credit course.) While this recommendation is a good rule of thumb, students should be aware that the time commitment will vary according to individual learning styles. In addition, writing papers or studying for final exams likely will require more hours than the usual weekly time commitment. No, all the degree requirements, including the comprehensive exam, may be completed without traveling to our Denver campus. How will I be assessed? The assessments specific to each course are listed on the course syllabus. A typical course requires participation in the online forum, two quizzes, a paper, and a final exam. Quizzes and final exams, which must be taken within a specific window of time (e.g. in one hour anytime during a specified one-week period) are taken online through Moodle, our online course management system. Teaching Assistants will post grades and provide feedback on papers and final exams through Moodle. What are the computer/technology requirements for distance education courses? Distance students must have regular access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection. In addition, they must be comfortable enough navigating the internet to use Moodle, our online course management system. For an introduction to our Moodle system, you can click here to watch a tutorial video. Basic familiarity with some kind of word processor (such as Microsoft Word) is necessary to complete paper assignments. Distance students must be able to type quickly enough to complete essay questions on timed, online exams. Students will also need to provide the Augustine Institute with an email address and check it frequently throughout the semester for updates and announcements. Finally, we recommend installing and/or updating the latest version of Adobe Reader on your computer to ensure that you can open our PDF forms and documents. What is entailed in the comprehensive exam? Distance education students are required to take a comprehensive examination either in the final semester of coursework or during one of the following three semesters. The examination consists of three parts: 1) a two-hour written examination of essay questions dealing with content from the Augustine Institute’s core curriculum, 2) a two-hour written examination of essay questions dealing with content from the student’s area of concentration, 3) a one-hour follow-up oral examination administered in-person or by phone with two faculty members. |