Category: Future Students

How Online Education Works at Central Seminary

What Does Online Education Mean at Central Seminary?

When prospective students search for an educational program they can complete online, they will find many different words to describe the instructional type:  Online, On-Demand, Virtual, Live Online, Asynchronous, Synchronous, and more.

Prospective students need to understand that these words do not mean the same thing and each institution may define these words differently.

Understanding Various Types of Online Learning

Understanding what online means at the institutions you  are considering will help you  quickly determine if the educational experience  fits your  learning style, lifestyle, and schedule.

Here are a few types of online education prevalent today at seminaries around the country:

  • On-Demand. On-Demand programs allow students access to a bank of pre-recorded content, and the consumption of this content is usually self-directed. This type of online learning is impersonal. You likely will not have any interaction with other students or with professors. NOTE: Central Seminary does not offer these courses.
  • Asynchronous. This type of online learning is currently one of the most popular available at seminaries. Asynchronous courses allow the instructor to post pre-recorded content, and students may access the content any time. Students interact with their classmates and professors generally through message boards. NOTE: Central rarely offers an asynchronous course.
  • Live Online/Synchronous. This type of educational experience feels most similar to learning in a traditional in-person classroom. Classes meet at a certain day and time, and everyone logs into a system such as Zoom. All classmates and the professor are live. Teaching and discussion happen live. This learning option offers students the greatest opportunity to interact with their professor and other students, to ask questions and get feedback, to form relationships, and to expand their professional networks. The real-time discussions also allow for additional explanation and context. NOTE: Most classes at Central are offered in this format!
  • Live Online/Synchronous combined with In-Person Intensives. This option is less common at most institutions as it combines the live online set-up with an occasional in-person opportunity to learn in the same space and fellowship during breaks. NOTE: Central does offer courses in this format for some doctoral-level courses and the occasional course in the counseling program.

Each student needs to determine which online learning opportunity best suits their life and their educational style.

Online Learning at Central Is Flexible and Accredited

At Central, the quality of instruction in one of our online degrees is indistinguishable from our in-person programs, both of which are all fully accredited. Your degree will not indicate whether yours was earned either online or in-person. All our programs are carefully curated and leverage the latest innovations to bring the same high-quality educational experience to students at every level in any location. Reach out to one of our advisors to learn more about our programs.

Ready to Learn More? Reach Out Today

You can complete a form here and a Central staff member will reach out shortly, or you can reach out to a staff member directly on this page. We look forward to hearing from you soon!