Educational Opportunities

General Information for all Graduate Theology and Ministry Programs

Course Formats

Olivet's graduate-level theology and ministry courses are offered in a variety of traditional and non-traditional formats, including semester, half-semester, modular, and online formats.

Modular courses

Modular courses meet for one concentrated week of study, normally Monday through Friday on Olivet's campus. Modular courses require appropriate off-campus study before that week and additional off-campus study after that week. To complete the work done before and after the module, the student must have computer access to the internet. Assigned work following the session must be completed and submitted to the instructor for grading 30 days following the completion of the class session. Students with extenuating circumstances may request an extension - not to exceed four weeks - from the instructor.

Traditional courses

In the most traditional format, a course meets on campus two or, more rarely, three times a week for a full semester. Variations can include half semesters (called blocks). Many of the graduate courses in ministry, theology, and biblical studies meet once a week. A few meet every other week for a semester.

Online courses

Students in the M.A. in Pastoral Leadership program will take all their courses in an online format, and Master of Ministry (Spanish) students will take many of their courses online. Online courses do not require any on-campus study. Each online course is available only to students in its respective program, and is part of a tightly integrated sequence within that program.

Grades

All students must achieve at least a "B" average (3.0 cumulative GPA) in order to graduate from the program. No course with a grade lower than a "B-" can be counted towards the degree.

Rules and Procedures Specific to the Graduate Programs in Religion

The graduate degree programs in religion have their own rules and regulations in the following areas: time limits for Master's theses and projects, low grades, probation, suspension, dismissal, petitions, and appeals. In all other cases, the graduate programs in religion follow the rules for the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies, which may be found in the academic catalogue for Olivet Nazarene University.

Grades of C+ or Less.

All graduate degree programs in the School of Theology and Christian Ministry require a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in order to graduate. The basis for the computation of the GPA may be found elsewhere in Olivet's catalogue.

Grades of C+ or less are entered into the student's GPA but do not count towards the total number of credit-hours required for graduation. The specific number of hours required for graduation may be found in each program's "Graduation Requirements."

Students who receive a C+ or less may petition to repeat the course. (See below for petitions.) The higher of the two grades will then be used to calculate the GPA. If the final grade from the repeated course is a B- or higher, its credit-hours count towards the number of credit-hours required for graduation. It should be noted that in many cases, a course is offered only once every two years. Moreover, the School of Theology and Christian Ministry does not guarantee, and is under no obligation, to re-offer the course in question.

Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal.

Students whose GPA falls under 3.0 at the end of any term are automatically placed on academic probation. A notice of probation will also be sent to the student's last recorded email address.  The School of Theology and Christian Ministry reserves the right to limit the number of courses or credit-hours for which a student may register while on probation.

(1) The following rules concerning probation, suspension, and dismissal apply to all graduate programs in theology and ministry. However, different definitions of term/semester are provided below for the programs leading to the degrees of Master of Ministry, Master of Ministry in Spanish, and Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership (Online).

Students may remove the probationary status in the following way. If the final grades for courses taken in the following semester (or the next semester in which the student registers) raise the GPA above a 3.0, the student will come out of probation and the student's academic good standing will be reinstated.

Students whose cumulative GPA remains below a 3.0 after the following semester (or after the next semester in which the student registers) will be suspended from the program. A notice of suspension will be sent to the student's last-known email address. Students taking a reduced load after being placed on probation have two courses (normally six credit hours) to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above. The two courses can be taken in the same or in the different terms.

A student who has been suspended may reapply for admission after six months. A non-refundable charge of $50 is required for each readmission petition. (See below for petitions.)  Once a student's GPA falls below the minimum required and the student has previously undergone academic suspension, he or she will be dismissed as a student from the degree program and will not be eligible to reapply for admission to that degree program.

(2) The M.Min. program offers its courses on a one week, intensive modular format, mostly in January, May, and August. Modules offered in January are considered to be part of the Spring Semester. Modules offered in May are considered part of a "Summer Term" which, for this purpose, is considered a semester. And modules offered in August are considered part of the Fall Semester. The above rules for probation and dismissal apply to students in the M.Min. program with these definitions of semester.

(3) The M.A. in Pastoral Leadership (online) and the M.Min. in Spanish follow a cohort model, in which the student takes a set menu of courses in a set sequence. The cohort takes only one course at a time. The courses are offered on a schedule that is different from Olivet's standard academic calendar. Therefore, the student is given two courses to satisfactorily raise the cumulative GPA. If the student successfully raises the GPA, probationary status is removed. Failure to remove the probationary status results in suspension from the program. The learner is notified of the academic suspension in writing.

Petitions and Appeals

The student may make a petition on any matter under the authority of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry. The initial petition is made to the Director of Graduate Studies for the School of Theology and Christian Ministry. Should the student choose to appeal the Director's decision, the student may appeal to the Dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry. The student's petition or appeal should be an email or letter stating the problem and the desired outcome, along with the facts of the case and supporting reasons and evidence. The petition/appeal is to be directed to the Director or Dean but sent through the Program Specialist for the graduate programs in theology and ministry.

There are two distinct situations: the first when the issue involves specific people, and the second when the issue concerns a policy or an official decision.

If the issue in the petition or appeal involves a specific person(s), the student must first consult with that person(s) and try to resolve the problem without a formal petition or appeal. For example, if a student disagrees with a grade in a course, the student should first consult with the professor in the course, asking for an explanation of the grade and presenting any supporting reasons or evidence for changing it. If the problem remains unresolved, then the student may initiate a petition to the Director, and if still unresolved, the student may appeal to the Dean.

Petitions involving policy or decisions of the School of Theology start with a letter to the Director of the School of Theology. For example, petitions concerning the retaking of courses in which the student received a low grade, probation, suspension, the master's thesis, etc. Petitions and appeals concerning matters not under the direct authority of the School of Theology must follow the separate appeals process laid out in the catalogue of the SGCS.

Specific considerations guide petitions concerning academic probation and suspension. The student's petition to have a suspension postponed is more likely to be successful if one of the following conditions applies: (1) The student's grades in the next semester after being placed on probation averaged above a 3.0, but the number of hours taken was not sufficient to bring the cumulative GPA to 3.0 or better. (2) The student's grades throughout the program were generally were above 3.0, but the student received a low grade in just one course; and if the student retakes that particular course and achieves a passing grade in the retake, the student's GPA would be a 3.0 or above. This consideration applies particularly when the course in question will not be offered in the subsequent semester and thus cannot be retaken until a later time. No petition or appeal will be successful, however, if the Director or Dean judges it impossible or unlikely that the student will raise the GPA to 3.0 or better before graduation.

The Master's Thesis and Master's Projects

Students should expect to complete the Master's thesis or project in the semester in which they register for the "thesis course" or the "project course." The advisor can give the student an "Incomplete" and extend the due date for completion for up to four weeks. Students needing a longer period of time in which to complete the thesis or project may petition the Director of Graduate Studies for the School of Theology. The petition should explain the reasons for the delay, propose a new deadline, and provide evidence that the student can complete the thesis or project by that proposed deadline. The petition should also be accompanied by a supporting letter from the advisor.