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Cairn’s online Master of Arts in Religion program equips you with a broad foundational education in the inerrant Word of God and in the key doctrines of the Christian faith. It prepares you for teaching, preaching, and other ministries in the local church.
Credit Hours
Years (Avg.)
Next Start Date
Class Type
100% Online, 7-Week Terms, Asynchronous
Scholarships/Aid
Available
Accreditation/Approvals
Designed for students with varying goals, Cairn’s M.A. in Religion allows you to choose elective courses in the fields you feel will best prepare you for your professional and ministry goals. No matter which track you choose, you’ll receive a broad foundational education in the inerrant Word of God and the doctrines and theology of the Church. M.A. in Religion graduates are prepared for vocational service in many areas of Christian ministry, for further theological study, or for lay ministry.
The M.A. in Religion program is designed for students to:
Upon completion of the program, you’ll be able to:
All instruction is grounded in the timeless Truth of God’s Word. At Cairn, faith and truth do matter. We teach our students accordingly, challenge you to think deeply on these things, and strive to make you ready to serve Christ in the church, society, and the world as biblically minded men and women who not only give assent to truth but think and live in light of it.
There’s quite a bit of talk these days about the cost of higher education and the question of value. Many assume that you can’t have both value and affordability, so they settle for lesser options or assume that the costliest options must have the most value. But when Cairn talks about walking a different path, value is no exception. It’s possible to get a college education that is both affordable and valuable.
All courses are designed and taught by Cairn professors, who bring their scholarly expertise and ministry experience to bear. Students don’t just have professors, they have mentors who invest in them throughout the program and often remain connected long after graduation.
Customize your degree by choosing divinity courses that fit your career and ministry needs!
Advanced standing of up to 12 credits may be granted for Bible/Theology credits earned at an accredited Bible college, Christian liberal arts college or university, or seminary. Credits will be granted on a course-by-course basis.
The Cairn Master of Arts in Religion has been designed with input from our expert faculty in the School of Divinity, ensuring you graduate with the in-demand skills and knowledge that your ministry or church needs. The program requires 21 credits from the core curriculum courses, 6 credits from systematic and historical theology, 3 credits in applied theology, and 12 credits from electives. View a sample curriculum sheet for a snapshot of the courses you will complete.
BIB 701 – The Pentateuch (3 credits)
A study of the Pentateuch, with attention given to both the content of the first five books of the Old Testament, as well as the hermeneutical skills needed to interpret these books today.
BIB 702 – Old Testament Narrative Literature (3 credits)
A study of OT narrative literature (Joshua-Esther), with attention given to the hermeneutical skills needed to interpret these books today.
BIB 703 – Old Testament Prophets (3 credits)
A study of the Old Testament prophets in relation to the rest of Scripture, with attention given to the hermeneutical skills needed to interpret these books today.
BIB 704 – Psalms and Wisdom Literature (3 credits)
A study of the Psalms and Wisdom literature, with attention given to the hermeneutical skills needed to interpret these books today.
BIB 711 – Gospels and Acts (3 credits)
A study of the Gospels and Acts, with attention given to the hermeneutical skills needed to interpret these books today.
BIB 712 – Pauline Epistles (3 credits)
A study of the Pauline Epistles, with attention given to the hermeneutical and exegetical skills needed to interpret these books today.
BIB 713 – General Epistles and Revelation (3 credits)
A study of General Epistles and the book of Revelation, with attention given to the hermeneutical and exegetical skills needed to interpret these books today.
SYSTEMATIC AND HISTORICAL THEOLOGY – 6 CREDITS
THE 601 – Overview of Christian Theology (3 credits)
An introduction to the major doctrines of the Bible.
THE 701 – Church History (3 credits)
A study of the church from A.D. 100 to the present. Attention is given to important historical events, the development of church doctrine, and the relationship of the church to society.
Applied Theology – Credits: 3
CHM 621 – The Spiritual Life
A course that investigates the theology and principles of personal and corporate growth. The course includes a survey of the history of Christian spirituality and approaches to spiritual growth.
12 credits from any graduate courses not already required in the program
Please refer to the course catalog here for the selection.
Receive credit for previous experience and coursework: At the discretion of the program advisor, three to six credits for prior learning (CPL) can be awarded for students with extensive background in areas addressed by specific courses.
The tuition for post-secondary education has become expensive in general. However, Cairn Online programs rank amongst the most affordable online bachelor’s and master’s programs. While the tuition costs vary by program level, the rate is typically $425 per credit or 12K per year for A.A. and B.S. programs and $300-$725 per credit for graduate programs.
The current tuition rates are available from this page. Scholarships and financial aid are also available.
Currently there are over 6 million online learners in the United States, and those numbers are growing every day. Online degrees that have regional accreditation are held to the same standards as traditional universities, ensuring that students earn a valuable degree that will prepare them with the skills and credentials for their career. Do research to find an online degree that is accredited and reputable, such as those offered at Cairn University.
Cairn Online courses based on Cairn’s 100+ years tradition of excellence in biblical education. Our on faculty has carefully designed them taking into consideration what works best for the online learner. The modular design and asynchronous delivery enable you to complete your studies while you pursue your career, ministry and spend time with your family.
Courses typically contain seven units and are delivered in 7-week terms*. Each unit contains 5-7 modular activities. Each learning activity includes instructional videos accompanied by reflections, quizzes, discussion forums and other assessments. Courses also utilize adaptive learning technologies such as Cerego for long-term retention of concepts and VoiceThread for enhanced collaboration.
The asynchronous delivery provides flexibility around your daily busy schedule. In most courses, interactive activities are typically due by Wednesday while the rest of the unit’s work is due by Sunday night. The MBA, M.A. in Music and Criminal Justice programs use the 7RD2 process and require the completion of certain activities daily to optimize learning.
Our own Cairn faculty intentionally participate in the course throughout the week to provide you with an incarnational experience.
*Few capstone courses are intentionally offered in 14 weeks to optimize student learning.
A.A. programs usually take 2 years and B.S. and B.A. programs typically take 3-4 years to complete.
Graduate programs vary in length by program. As an example, Cairn’s traditional MBA typically takes 20 months to complete but then there is also the accelerated One-Year MBA that you can complete in 12 months.
If you are looking to complete your program sooner, you can consider taking more 7-week courses at a time.
All courses are developed by one or more course developers and taught by our own faculty. The instructors are also intentionally involved in the course throughout the week by providing direction in the course activities, participating in the forum discussions, grading the student work and providing substantive feedback. Most courses also offer optional office hours weekly via Zoom or similar video conferencing tools.
Our instructional design team works very closely with the course developers and carefully plans the courses to balance the technology requirements. Most courses use the eLearning platform for hosting the course materials, Panopto for video capture and storage, VoiceThread for enhanced discussion forums, and Cerego for adaptive learning. Zoom is used at times for virtual office hours. These sessions are optional.
Except for the Hebrew and Greek language courses for the B.S. in Biblical Studies program, typically there are no required meeting times for the completing the course activities.
The course transfer depends on where you are transferring from, and what program you are transferring to. If you are coming to Cairn Online from another institution, it is very likely you will have some credits that will transfer. Because there are so many options, we encourage you to talk to an enrollment counselor. If you are transferring out, Cairn is a regionally accredited school and some credits should transfer with relative ease. Each college sets their own transfer criteria, so be sure to check their policies for specifics.
Cairn Online offers a variety of options for prior learning and experience. You can receive up to 6 credits for prior learning for graduate programs. At the discretion of the program advisor, three to six credits for prior learning (CPL) can be awarded for students with extensive background in areas addressed by specific courses. Additionally, advance standing may be granted for Bible or theology credits earned at an accredited Bible college, Christian liberal arts college or university, or seminary. Credits will be granted on a course by course basis.
Cairn is approved to offer financial aid because of its regional accreditation. There are many options available and typically students qualify for at least one type of federal aid. Many students receive scholarships and grants that make earning their degree even more affordable. Cairn offers a variety of scholarships and discounts in addition to options for loans and grants. Please refer to this page for details.
The requirements depend on the program you are considering. Please refer to this page for details.
Cairn Online has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which regionally oversees postsecondary online education.
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