MA, Spiritual Formation, Online
At a Glance:
Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation
| Semester hours | 42 |
| Average Completion Time | 3 years |
| Cost per credit | $448* (financial aid available) |
| Accreditation | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; Association of Theological Schools |
| Location | Portland Center (near Tigard), with online and local format options |
| Application Deadlines | Rolling application deadline; apply now for next start date |
*All stated financial information is subject to change.
Features
The Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation degree program is designed for Christians who desire a deeper personal walk with Christ; a grounding in Bible, theology, and church history; and the development of ministry skills for helping others become more Christlike in their everyday living. The program provides professional ministry training for persons who desire to further their Christian understanding in a formational and academic context.
- 42 credit-hour professional degree
- Offers foundations in biblcial studies, pastoral studies, and Christian history and theology
Online Learning Community
The Online Learning Community (OLC) consists of students from various geographic locations that engage in distance learning online six days a week, with face-to-face gatherings twice a year in Portland, Oregon. The face-to-face gatherings meet for three to five days each in October and February.
Program Objectives
- Enable the individual to mature into God's fullness
- Encourage habits of authentic disciplines for thinking and living in Christ's presence
- Gain a critical and constructive understanding of the biblical and theological foundations of the Christian tradition
- Define, implement, and assess spiritual formation processes in individuals and groups in a variety of social and cultural settings
- Train discerning and gifted people as spiritual guides in the Christian tradition
- Equip individuals for leadership and teaching in the ministry specialization of spiritual formation
"It is easy to take any academic class trying to understand the minimum requirements to pass, (but) it is hard to leave a spiritual formation class not feeling convicted about some stone that God has turned over in your heart. I found these classes helped me understand the depth to which God desires to take my darkness, my suffering, my failures, my joys, my hopes, and my faith and bring them all to a place of full redemption that somehow becomes a part of the story I'm to share with others."
- Jeff Golden, Sherwood, Oregon