Flexible Delivery Modes

Our desire is to make a TEDS education accessible to all—at the same time maintaining our commitment to community building in a face-to-face context. We continue to work to create delivery options and plans that address the needs of program students unable to enroll in regular semester-length daytime courses. Visiting students and noncredit auditors who wish to attend courses for personal enrichment are also welcomed.

Though the availability of particular courses varies from semester to semester, courses applying to the Certificate in Theological Studies, the Master of Arts (Theological Studies) (MA/TS), the Master of Arts in Educational Ministries (MA in EM), the Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies (MA in ICS), or the Master of Divinity (MDiv) may all be completed in a combination of nontraditional modes. One may complete a Certificate in two years, an MA/TS, MA in EM, or MA in ICS in four years, and an MDiv in eight years by taking one or two courses each fall, spring, and summer semester.

Extension site, TEDS online, and summer and short-term Bannockburn campus coursework can be combined in a number of ways to complete major portions of these programs. Prospective and accepted students are encouraged to consult with the Admissions Office, the Office of Extension, or a program advisor to determine possible options.

Various TEDS course delivery options are described below. Not all courses are available in each mode. Students should consult the various academic advisement tools available for specific program planning and note any limitations that may exist for program completion. Some offices may need to be contacted during normal daytime business hours.

Current and projected Bannockburn course schedules are available online on MyTIU. A list of current TEDS Online courses may be found at http://tedsonline.tiu.edu. Current extension site offerings may be found at www.teds.edu/extension/.

Option One: Daytime Courses in Bannockburn

Most Bannockburn fall and spring semester courses meet one day each week—morning, afternoon, late afternoon, or evening. Biblical language classes and some other classes meet two days each week.

Option Two: Evening, Weekend, and Short-term Modules in Bannockburn

The core MDiv curriculum with some electives rotates through a four-year evening-weekend school schedule on the Bannockburn campus. Evening courses generally meet one night weekly for fifteen weeks during the fall or spring semester or for three or four Friday night–Saturday weekends during the semester, with summer school providing additional options. This rotation enables completion of MDiv coursework over eight years for those taking four courses each year. Completion of short-term modulars and summer school courses will lighten the load or accelerate the pace.

Option Three: Synchronous Online Courses Using Video-Conferencing Software

Many Bannockburn campus courses are offered both in the classroom and using video-conferencing software to allow students from all over the world to join the TEDS community without traveling or moving. See Option One for more details about course offerings. Students registering for these courses need to be available during the scheduled class times (in Central Time) to join the video-conferencing sessions.

Option Four: TEDS Online Courses

Fully Online Courses may be completed from anywhere in the world that has internet access. Courses require at least weekly internet access to watch video lectures, interact with others in discussion forums, and work on group assignments. Visit the TEDS Online website for more information at http://tedsonline.tiu.edu.

Students can complete the MA/TS, the MA in EM, and the Certificate of Theological Studies in an asynchronous online format in its entirety. Students can complete the MA in ICS in a combination of asynchronous online synchronous online courses.

Option Five: Summer School in Bannockburn

The core MDiv curriculum along with some electives are offered through summer school on the Bannockburn campus on a rotating basis. Summer courses are offered in one-, two-, or three-week short-term sessions. Courses are scheduled in two main sessions—Early Summer (May-June) and Late Summer (July-August)—with a one-week summer break surrounding July 4. The summer rotation enables completion of all MDiv coursework over six summers for those taking a full summer academic load or over four summers for those taking an additional two or three courses during fall and spring semesters.

Summer is often a convenient time for teachers and those involved in campus ministries to complete biblical and theological studies and provides opportunity for other students to accelerate their program completion. Students admitted for the fall semester are encouraged to begin coursework in the preceding summer term. Beginning Greek and Hebrew are offered each summer, enabling students to “jump-start” their fall program.

Option Six: Extension Locations

Church-based extension sites (Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin) hold weekend and evening classes. Classes at these sites generally meet for three to five weekends per semester and enable the completion of all MA (Theological Studies) coursework and about one-third of MDiv course work. Visit www.teds.edu/extension/ for more information.

Option Seven: Conference Wrap-Around Courses

TEDS offers graduate credit in conjunction with a number of high-profile conferences offered around North America. The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, the Urbana Conference, The Spiritual Formation Forum, Xenos Summer Institute, and the U.S. Center for World Mission’s Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course are all available for academic credit. Each year additional conferences are also available for academic credit. Contact the Office of Extension and Affiliated Education at 800.588.7705 or 847.317.6550 for current information.

Option Eight: Affiliated Programs

Trinity’s Office of Extension and Affiliated Education provides educational services for learners whose life situations are rooted in communities other than Bannockburn, Illinois. Through the affiliate partnership programs with parachurch organizations, Trinity enables students to pursue seminary training in the context of their ongoing ministry thus making graduate coursework accessible.