The need for well-trained leaders in Southern Baptist churches is increasing, but so is the cost of higher education.
SBC seminaries have responded by offering accelerated programs through which select students can work toward two degrees concurrently.
The programs are specifically designed to save time and money for students who sense a call to ministry and are interested in multiple degrees.
What does an accelerated program entail?
Every SBC seminary offers at least one accelerated or advanced program for those interested in combining the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, allowing students to condense the years of study required.
Jeremy Pelton, director of admissions at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, noted the seminary offers a five-year BA-MDiv program through its Boyce College, where students can pursue undergraduate work.
“With this degree, students receive both a bachelor of arts and a master of divinity from [Southern Seminary] in only five years,” Pelton said, “which is roughly two years shorter than doing each program separately. Concentrations are available in biblical and theological studies, business administration and communication.”
Accelerated programs allow students to save money and time regardless of which of the six SBC seminaries they choose.
Charlie Ray III, director of accelerated BA+MDiv at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, said students can enroll in master’s level courses at the same time they complete a bachelor’s degree at the seminary’s Leavell College, saving time and money.
Leavell College, like Boyce, offers students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree while studying in an urban environment.
While New Orleans, Southern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Midwestern offer accelerated programs for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Gateway offers an advanced program.
Rather than receiving the degrees concurrently, students are able to transfer class credits from previous related undergraduate education and waive up to a third of the master’s level courses.
Alex Stewart, vice president of academic services at Gateway, said, “Waiving a third of … courses represents a significant reduction in tuition costs and time commitment, while reducing the potential redundancy experienced by MDiv students who have already completed undergraduate study in Bible and theology.”
Gateway has in-person locations in Northern and Southern California, Phoenix, Denver and Vancouver, Washington.
How do I know the program is a good fit?
Accelerated programs are designed for students who have perceived a calling to pastoral ministry and would like to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in related fields.
“We’ve found two distinct groups of students that most benefit from the seminary track program,” Pelton noted. “The first is your traditional high school senior who knows they want to dive deep into Bible and theology while in college and pursue ministry.
“The second group might be considered ‘nontraditional’ students who are actively serving in ministry and never obtained a bachelor’s degree.”
Will Standridge, a student pastor in Amarillo, Texas, participated in the biblical and theological studies track at Boyce College and Southern.
“The biggest advantage I received was being able to fully engage academically at the seminary level while getting to be a part of undergraduate campus life,” Standridge said. “I was getting the best of both worlds in a way so many of my peers didn’t.”
What is the biggest advantage of an accelerated program?
For those already serving in full-time ministry, accelerated programs may offer a valuable opportunity to earn degrees quickly and affordably.
“I was already in full-time ministry when I enrolled,” said Dan Cogan, a church planter and student, “but it has certainly prepared me further by exposing me to a greater field of thought than I had previously encountered and giving me the tools I needed to be more diligent.”
Elliott Goldinger, director of student ministries at West Hills Community Church in Morgan Hill, California, completed the biblical and theological studies track at Southern.
After graduating high school in 2015, he was able to leave Southern in 2020 with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
“Pragmatically, the greatest advantage … is the time and money it saves compared to pursuing two separate, consecutive degrees. But experientially, the greatest advantage … is that it allowed me to experience the best of both worlds of Boyce and Southern,” Goldinger said.
For seniors in high school looking at degree options, accelerated programs may offer a chance to build meaningful relationships with peers while learning under some of the best Baptist scholars in the world.
The mission of each of the SBC seminaries is to equip young men and women for gospel ministry by teaching them how to understand and teach God’s word.
For more information on accelerated programs, visit each seminary’s website.
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary — nobts.edu
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary — sbts.edu
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary — sebts.edu
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary — swbts.edu
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary — mbts.edu
Gateway Seminary — gs.edu
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