Providing a theological education pathway for Churches of Christ around the world
PARTNER SCHOOLS WITH GCS
Global Christian Studies partners with accredited seminaries and theology programs affiliated with Churches of Christ. A partner school must have the capability to offer solid biblical or ministerial training through distance education.
Currently, GCS holds strategic partnerships with Harding School of Theology in Searcy, Arkansas; Heritage Christian University in Florence, Alabama; and Heritage Christian University in Accra, Ghana. To view more information about each program, click the icon beside each school.
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Harding School of Theology challenges Christian leaders to deeper faith in God and higher standards of ministry and scholarship. Combining academic rigor and interpersonal connections, HST operates in an urban context and online, allowing students to engage in ministry as they study.
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HST students live and work across the US and around the globe.
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All faculty have terminal degrees in their field and congregational ministry experience.
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HST is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Association of Theological Schools for the US and Canada.
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HST is associated with Churches of Christ and is part of the American Restoration Movement. HST has been equipping ministers since 1958.
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For more information, visit their website or contact Chris Jackson at cjackso2@harding.edu.
Heritage Christian University
Florence, Alabama
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Heritage Christian University exists to help Christians answer God’s call to ministry. They offer a balanced, comprehensive, practical education that touches the whole person. They challenge students academically, enhance their passion for ministry, and strengthen their skills for service.
GCS can help students to pursue a Master’s degree at Heritage Christian University Graduate School of Theology in Florence, Alabama (HCU Florence). HCU Florence is fully accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of The Association of Theological Schools (www.ats.edu) as well as the Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation. HCU Florence offers a complete degree online. Students can choose between the academic MA degree or the ministry-oriented MMin degree.​
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Fore more information about HCU Florence, visit their website or contact Rebecca Harrison at rharrison@hcu.edu.
Heritage Christian University
Accra, Ghana
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Heritage Christian University in Accra, Ghana (HCU Ghana) offers a fully accredited Master of Arts in Christian Studies (MACS) program. The program runs for one calendar year, and allows students in ministry or with full time positions to gain a graduate degree.
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The GCS Bursary Fund helps three students in the program each year. Graduates of HCU Ghana are preparing to serve throughout the church, leaders in campus ministries and serve new congregations near universities across Ghana.
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Heritage is accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. The MACS is believed to be the first fully accredited master’s degree from a Churches of Christ-associated institution on the continent of Africa. HCU Ghana has no affiliation with HCU Florence.
US EDUCATION SYSTEM
The academic year in the US runs from August to July and consists of two main semesters- fall (August to December) and spring (January to May). Classes are often offered in a more intensive format during a summer semester, running from June to July. Courses may also be offered during a winter short-course session, between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester. The amount of time in class is described as “course hours” or “credit hours”.
A typical 3 credit hour course will consist of roughly 3 hours of lecture per week (note that intensive courses will have roughly the same amount of time in lectures, but over a shorter span of time). Degree requirements are often stated in course hours (thus a degree may have a program length of 48 hours, requiring 16 3-hour courses). A course load, the number of classes a student takes during a given semester, may also be described in terms of course hours (a student may have a 3-hour course load, or 6-hour, and so on).
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Schools provide an “Academic Catalog” with specific information regarding admission requirements, degree requirements, academic policies and other areas of student concerns. Consult the Academic Catalog for specific, authoritative information regarding your school and degree.