Online Courses |
Peoria Catechists |
The Christendom Graduate School offers its Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree in online-delivery format to distance students. The online courses are the same challenging courses that are taught on the Christendom campus, with the same excellent professors, and they use various media such as audio and video recordings, print, Power Point, email, online resources, and discussion forums, all of these available on a secure, password-protected virtual classroom site. Most courses are available in video format, in which the lectures are recorded during an actual class at Christendom. Students receive a log-in code and password by email after they have registered for the online course; they are encouraged to change their password for further security; and they must use the log-in code and password each time they wish to access their course materials. No one has access to the student’s work in the online course except the professor and those administrators who maintain the site.
The degree requirements for the MA degree are the same whether courses are taken in the traditional or online format. Please click on “required courses” at the right for the list of required courses; more information may be found in the Graduate School Bulletin. All the credits for the MA degree (catechetics and systematic theology concentrations) may be earned online, or the student may combine classroom courses with online courses in any combination that is convenient for him. Many find that attending the six-week residential summer session while working on online courses during the rest of the year combines the great experience of the Christendom community with the advantage of finishing the degree in a shorter time. All the required courses for the catechetics and systematic theology concentrations of the MA are expected to be online by the end of 2012. It is possible to earn the MA degree in other concentrations by a combination of online and classroom courses and/or transferred credits.
Exams for most online courses are taken on the e-classroom site or are emailed to the professor. In the case that a professor might require that an exam be proctored, it would be the responsibility of the student to secure a proctor, such as a teacher, priest, librarian, or parish office worker. Once the proctor is approved by the Christendom Graduate School, the exam will be mailed to him. Any additional costs relating to the proctoring of the exam, such as postage to mail the exam, or a possible stipend for the proctor, must be borne by the student.
All students must travel to the Alexandria, Virginia, campus to take the comprehensive exam at the end of their course of studies.
The staff and faculty at the Christendom Graduate School are dedicated to making the online experience for distance students as close to the on-campus experience as possible. Students have ready access to their professors and to the office staff, and can ask questions, chat, get advice, or resolve problems, usually without delay.