2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Theology

Belhaven University (BU) is a private, nonprofit institution rooted in the teachings of the Presbyterian church, offering an online Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies. Full-time students generally complete the required 36 credit hours in two years. BU has a diverse student body and accepts 50% of applicants. Among those who are enrolled at BU, 45% end up graduating with degrees.

BU uses Canvas to deliver course content and instruction securely to online students. Those in the theological studies program enroll in classes such as Hermeneutics, The Old Testament: Prophetic Books, The New Testament: Hebrews to Revelation, and Systematic Theology: Jesus Christ. Course curriculum helps prepare students for missionary, pastoral ministry, and Christian education work.

Campbellsville University (CU) is a private, nonprofit, Baptist institution offering an online Master of Theology, with concentrations in biblical studies, pastoral leadership, and theological studies. It generally takes full-time students two years to complete the required 30 credit hours, 18 of which are in the chosen concentration. CU has a 78% acceptance rate and a 39% graduation rate.

CU delivers online instruction and coursework through the Moodle learning management system (LMS). Theology students may enroll in core classes such as Poetry and Wisdom in the Old Testament, Ministry of Proclamation and Worship, Reformation and Post-Reformation History of the Church, and Ethics of the Christian Faith. Program alumni often work in education, ministry, and Christian counseling.

Liberty University (LU) is a private, nonprofit, Evangelical institution offering an online Master of Arts in Theological Studies. This program requires students to complete 36 credit hours, which is designed to take full-time students at least 1.5 years. Similar online degree programs offered by LU include a Master of Religion Education and a Master of Arts in Religion. Overall, LU accepts exactly half of its applicants, and among enrolled students, 34% graduate.

LU Online uses Canvas for instruction and coursework delivery. Online theological studies students sign up for classes through the LMS, including Introduction to Apologetics; Intercultural Communication; Survey of the History of Christianity; and Research, Writing and Ministry Preparation. Graduates may pursue careers as archeologists, biblical historians, Christian authors, and pastors.

Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary (BMATS) is a private, nonprofit institution with values steeped in the Baptist faith and offering an online Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology. This 36-credit-hour program takes full-time students approximately two years to complete courses in advanced theology and biblical studies. BMATS accepts 44% of students, and 34% earn their degrees.

BMATS delivers online class instruction and assignments via Moodle. Distance learners in the Pastoral Theology program engage in classes such as Church Administration, Theology of Worship, Biographical History of Missions, and Advanced Christian Psychology. Once they graduate, alums may choose to work as pastors, church administrators, and Christian and lay educators.

Veritas Baptist College (VBC) is a private, nonprofit Baptist institution offering an online Master of Ministry - Bible and Theology, which requires completing 30 credit hours of coursework. Full-time students interested in obtaining this advanced biblical knowledge typically finish this program in two years. VBC has a 68% acceptance rate and a 37% graduation rate.

VBC's online students use the Canvas LMS to access lectures and coursework. For example, students in the bible and theology program may choose from classes such as Principles of Biblical Counseling, Advanced Sermon Development, Organization and Administration of Church Ministries, and cross-Cultural Church Planting. Graduates may go on to work as pastors, church administrators, or Christian counselors.

Eastern University is a private, nonprofit American Baptist institution offering an online Master of Practical Theology. This 36-credit program takes an average of three years to complete. While courses are delivered online, students may opt to attend integrative seminars on campus. EU accepts 64% of students, 62% of which graduate with degrees. Eastern also offers an online Master of Arts in Theological and Cultural Anthropology and an online Master of Theological Studies in Latino/a Ministries to their diverse student body.

Eastern provides the LMS Brightspace to its online student body for curriculum delivery. Practical theology students complete core courses such as Koinonia: Leading and Building Community, Kerygma: Communicating the Gospel, Diakonia: Missional Service, and Paideia: Spiritual Formation. Eastern’s master's programs prepare students for careers and vocations within the church and abroad doing missionary work.

Ohio Christian University (OCU) is a private, nonprofit institution rooted in the Wesleyan-Arminian faith, and it offers an online Master of Arts in Ministry - Practical Theology. Distance learning classes in this 36-credit program last five weeks and are self-paced, enabling full-time students to complete the program in two years or less. OCU accepts all those who apply and has a 29% graduation rate.

OCU uses Brightspace as its secure online learning delivery platform. Students in the practical theology program engage in courses such as Biblical Preaching, Mission in the Western World, and Worship in the Church. Completing a capstone project is also required to graduate. The curriculum generally helps students develop the advanced skills necessary to serve the church and society effectively and compassionately.

Holy Apostles College and Seminary is a private, nonprofit Catholic institution offering an online Master of Arts in Theology, which generally takes full-time students two years to finish. Students can choose from one of eight concentrations in his 36-credit program, including (1) General Studies, (2) Moral Theology, (3) Church History, (4) Thomistic Studies, (5) Bioethics, (6) Bioethics with a certificate from the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), (7) Dogmatic Theology, and (8) Sacred Scripture. Holy Apostles has a 100% acceptance rate and a 55% graduation rate.

Remote students at Holy Apostles access instruction and coursework on Populi, where they enroll in classes, such as Nature and Grace, Prophetic Literature, Ecclesiology and Ecumenism, and Bioethics and the Law. Completing a comprehensive exam and written paper is required to graduate. This program may appeal to healthcare professionals, Catholic educators, youth ministers, and spiritual directors.

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) is a private, nonprofit institution with a curriculum grounded in the teachings of the Anabaptist Mennonite faith. It offers an online Master of Arts in Theology and Global Anabaptism, which generally takes full-time students two to three years to complete the required 46 credit hours of coursework.

AMBS courses are delivered to online students via Moodle. Classes within the online theology program include Strange New World of the Bible, Anabaptist Approaches to Scripture, God’s Shalom and the Church’s Witness, and Christian Leadership in the 21st Century. The knowledge students can gain through this program can help develop their Anabaptist biblical, theological, and historical knowledge, which can deepen their spiritual work.

Newman University (NU) is a private, nonprofit, Roman Catholic institution offering an online Master of Arts in Theology, which helps prepare students for a PhD. Students must complete 30 credit hours of coursework, and this typically takes full-time students at least two years. Similarly, NU offers an online Master of Theological Studies that may suit students who are uninterested in a doctoral degree. NU accepts 83% of applicants and has a 58% graduation rate.

NU’s online theology master's program allows students to participate in class and receive the curriculum via Canvas. Students may enroll in online courses such as Foundations of Moral Theology, The Four-Fold Gospel, Newman, and the New Evangelization, and Controversies in Church History. Students must also complete a thesis to graduate and progress to NU’s PhD program.