Accelerated Program

Directed by Dr. Jonathan Patterson

The Accelerated Program helps qualified students seeking a Master's degree to earn their degree at a faster pace, while saving them money in the process. Qualifying students are those who have graduated from an accredited institution of similar theological background within the last five years and have earned at least a B in equivalent courses. Students who wish to determine their qualifications for the program should provide the Accelerated Program office with their undergraduate transcripts and a research paper (preferably graded) for evaluation.

Qualifying students have the opportunity to earn up to 27 hours of their MDiv, or up to 9 hours of their MA or MTS, through advanced standing or advanced placement in Greek and Hebrew with the Accelerated Program. For example, a student seeking a standard 84-hour MDiv may be eligible to receive up to 28 hours credit toward that degree through the Accelerated Program. Thus, qualified students could earn their degree in less time and at a significant savings through the program.

How Do I Apply?

The Accelerated Program is not a new degree program and requires no special application process. Students will declare their major through the Registrar’s office (i.e., MDiv in Christian Ministry or their chosen specialization) and contact the Accelerated Program office for a transcript evaluation. In addition, students must submit a graded research paper to the Accelerated Program office or write a paper demonstrating ability in research and writing. The student’s transcript will be evaluated to determine what credits he/she is eligible to receive through the Accelerated Program. The student will then receive a record of the credits he/she is eligible to receive through the Accelerated Program, up to 27 hours toward the MDiv or up to 9 hours toward the MA or MTS. Students qualifying for more than the maximum allowable hours for their degree program must contact the Accelerated Program office to select the courses for advanced standing.

Leavell College students are encouraged to contact the Accelerated Program office prior to their senior year for guidance on how they might maximize their potential through the program.

How Do I Receive These Credits?

Advanced standing credits will be added to the student’s transcript only after the student has applied and been approved for graduation, while advanced placement credits in languages may be added once the student has completed an upper-level language class with a B or better. No fees are assessed for advanced standing credits, so students will not have to pay anything to have these credits added to their transcript once they have applied for graduation. For advanced placement credits in biblical languages, students are charged 1/3 tuition for each bypassed course. In other words, a student who qualifies to move directly into Greek 2 must earn a B or better in that course, then pay 1/3 tuition for the bypassed Greek 1 course. Students will need to keep track of these credits throughout their degree program to ensure they do not repeat courses and/or have completed all other necessary courses before applying for graduation. While the Accelerated Program office will keep a record of all student qualifications, evaluation and approval for graduation is handled through the Registrar’s office alone.

Courses Available for Advanced Standing

Currently, the Accelerated Program offers advanced standing credits for a number of courses at NOBTS and more courses may be added in the future. We encourage students to ask about any new courses that may have been added. To qualify for advanced standing credit, students must have completed equivalent courses at the undergraduate level with a grade of B or better.

Courses requiring three equivalent hours at the undergraduate level:

BBBW5300 Encountering the Biblical World
CEAM6320 Church Leadership & Administration
CEEF6302 Foundations in Educational Psychology
CEEF6306 Lifespan Development
CEWM5388 Women in Ministry Leadership
COUN5300 Counseling in Ministry
ETHC5300 Christian Ethics
EVAN5300 Evangelism
HIST5300 History of Christianity: Early to Medieval
HIST5301 History of Christianity: Reformation to Modern
HIST5323 Baptist Heritage
MISS5330 Christian Missions
PATH5331 Pastoral Ministry
PHIL5300 Philosophy of Religion

Courses requiring at least six hours at the undergraduate level:

NTEN5351 Interpreting the New Testament 1
NTEN5352 Interpreting the New Testament 2
OTEN5351 Interpreting the Old Testament 1
OTEN5352 Interpreting the Old Testament 2
THEO5300 Systematic Theology 1

Advanced Placement in Languages

Students who have significant hours in Greek and/or Hebrew at the undergraduate level may also qualify for advanced placement in languages. For every six hours of undergraduate credit in Greek or Hebrew (with a B or better), students may qualify to proceed into the next logical class (e.g., six hours of Greek or Hebrew qualifies the student to bypass Greek 1 or Hebrew 1 at NOBTS and enroll in Greek 2 or Hebrew 2; 12 hours qualifies a student to bypass both Greek/Hebrew 1 & 2 and enroll in an Advanced or Exegesis course). Students who bypass one or more courses in either language must earn a B or better in the course they take at NOBTS. In addition to tuition for the class taken students will pay 1/3 tuition cost for the bypassed classes (i.e., you pay for one hour and receive three). Students who may qualify for advanced placement in languages should contact the Accelerated Program office for more information.

The following is the list of courses students may be eligible to bypass based on their undergraduate studies:

NTGK5351 Greek 1
NTGK5352 Greek 2
OTHB5351 Hebrew 1
OTHB5352 Hebrew 2

How to Contact Us

For more information about the Accelerated Program, you may contact the office directly via phone at 1-800-NOBTS-01 ext. 8171 or via email at accelerated@nobts.edu. You may also visit our website at https://nobts.edu/accelerated-program/.