Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Are you a current student in need of IT support?
Please read through the following:
- Most IT issues that are occurring from within a course or test can and should be resolved by your course professor.听 (For example, questions about course materials, grades, or test rescheduling, etc) Please ask him/her first.
- If you are having non-critical issues with Populi or your 万博体育 email account, please email听Jennifer Arel at听[email protected].
- If you are having critical issues during normal business hours (such as you’re in the middle of a final exam and cannot work on this exam again the next day and you cannot reach your professor)听 please email Jennifer Arel at听[email protected].听 If it is after normal business hours and Jennifer has not seen your email, please email听[email protected].
- If your technical issues are due to your own wi-fi or computer problems, we likely cannot help with this.听 Please read other areas of the FAQ section to make sure you’re using the proper equipment necessary to run the Populi software.听 You can email us during normal business hours and we will try to discern what the problem is so that you can fix the problem on your own or via听a Geek Squad support person near where you live.听 听
Q: I am interested in taking online classes, am I a good candidate to study online?
A: 听While students who study online do not need to have a degree in Computer Science, they do need to have some 鈥渢ech savviness鈥. 听Being able to communicate via email is essential since the students as well as the faculty are from all around the world, on very different timezones. 听Our courses are taught through what is called a Learning Management System; we use Populi. When you begin your studies with us, we provide a 2-week free Populi Orientation course. 听This helps you navigate the Populi system. However, it doesn鈥檛 help you with basic computer skills. It is assumed that you have those. What are some of those skills besides being able to use email? 听听Knowing how to upload and download documents to or from the computer is essential since the professors will need you to download files (pull files 鈥渄own鈥 to your personal computer) as well as need you to upload your papers (push your personal 听files 鈥渦p鈥 to a location where the professor can see them). A number of professors will require the use of Microsoft Office Suite products such as Power Point, Excel and Word. You will need to purchase this software or use some free comparable software that allows you to view Microsoft files through them. 听Can you view videos or listen to CDs? Do you know what a Browser is and can you navigate around one? Can you use an online database, such as one that our library provides, for publications? If you don鈥檛 feel comfortable with some of these, then you would likely benefit from taking a small computer course through places like your Public Library or a Geek Squad group. 听It鈥檚 also helpful to have someone near your home (like a teenager or a tech support person) that you can call when you get stuck. The Technical people at 万博体育 are here to help with Populi issues, but we simply cannot teach beginning computer skills at this point in time.
Q. Is the 万博体育 Online Learning program accredited?
A: 万博体育 College and Seminary, including our online learning program, is accredited by the 听and by the State of Connecticut Board of Higher Education.
Accredited Membership in the Association of Theological Schools
万博体育 College & Seminary is accredited by The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological School (10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275
Phone: 412.788.6505),
The following degree programs are approved by the Commission on Accrediting:
Master of Divinity
Master of Arts (Theology) (Academic MA)
Master of Arts (Philosophy) (Academic MA)
Master of Arts (Pastoral Studies) (Ministerial MA)
What is the ATS?
From the ATS website: The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is a membership organization of more than 270 graduate schools that conduct post-baccalaureate professional and academic degree programs to educate persons for the practice of ministry and for teaching and research in the theological disciplines. The Commission on Accrediting of ATS accredits the schools and approves the degree programs they offer. ATS membership is open to schools in the Christian and Jewish faiths. The current membership represents the full range of Christian denominations, including schools in mainline and evangelical Protestant and Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, as well as multidenominational and nondenominational schools. Schools representing other faiths and other organizations interested in theological education may become Affiliates of ATS.
You may see more about our Accreditation standings HERE.
Q. Is there a residence requirement for the 万博体育 Online Learning program?
A: There is no residency requirement for the 万博体育 online program. The Associate of Arts program can be completed entirely online within three years of matriculating into the program. The Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts programs can be completed entirely online within six years of matriculating into the program.
Q. What computer programs and requirements do I need in order to be successful in the online program?
Please follow this link to view our听Online Learning and Technology Requirements
Q. What degrees does the 万博体育 Online Learning program offer?
Our Online Learning programs include both undergraduate and graduate studies.
Undergraduate Students can earn the following degrees entirely online: Associates of Arts degree, Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in a number of subjects.
Graduate Students enrolled in our program can earn the following degrees entirely online: 听a Master鈥檚 degree in Philosophy, a Master鈥檚 degree in Theology, or a Master鈥檚 degree in Pastoral Studies.
万博体育 also offer Graduate Certificates as well as Post Master鈥檚 Certificates.
High School and Homeschooled students have the opportunity to earn college credits through our Take Credit! Program and our Angelicum Academy Partnership. 听
We currently do not offer an M.Div听online at this time.
You may explore more details about our Academic Programs HERE.
Q. I am a current student at 万博体育, and I want to enroll in a class, what do I need to do?
A: 听For all current undergraduate students, please contact your Academic Advisor. 听For all current graduate students, please contact [email protected] . 听
Q: I am a current 万博体育 student and I need an official transcript, how do I obtain one?
A: 听Please visit the Transcript Request Page.
Q: I am interested in pursuing Financial Aid, what do I need to do?
A: Please visit our Tuition and Financial Aid page听for more information on our financial aid policy, FAFSA and contact information. 听
Q: What is the difference between a degree-seeking student and a Personal Interest Student?
A: 听Degree-seeking students are pursuing one of the following: AA (Associates of Arts) degree, BA (Bachelor of Arts) degree, MA (Master of Arts) degree, PMC (Post Masters Certificate), or a GC (Graduate Certificate). 听听
Personal Interest students merely want to take a few courses in order to learn about a particular subject or to have those courses transferred to another institution. They are not pursuing a Degree with 万博体育. 听
Q. What is the enrollment policy for the Online Learning program at 万博体育, and how are the semesters set up?
A: The听online program has a rolling admissions policy. We offer three full semesters of course work per year divided up over sixteen-week sessions. Our sessions run in the Fall, Spring and Summer. A student interested in the DL program can enroll in one class as an in-process student while a completed application is on file.
Q. Is your program open to residents outside of United States?
A: Yes. We regularly enroll students from Asia, Australia, and Europe in our programs. Please note that all tuition and fees must be paid in United States Dollars.
Q: Do you make accommodations for students with disabilities?
A:听Yes. The college has a process in place to accommodate for students with disabilities. Students in need of this kind of accommodation may submit, along with their application, a Disabilities Accommodation Form with documentation of the disability.
Q: How much does it cost to study at 万博体育?
A: Current tuition for a three-credit course at 万博体育 is 72% lower than the average private colleges/universities. Please see our Tuition & Financial Aid for details.听听Some courses require DVD lectures, others CD lectures, while others utilize text and Internet-based resources. This information is available with our registration materials that can be purchased before each semester.
Q: Where can I locate my course syllabus and required books/materials?
A: A course syllabus is made available before the start of each semester鈥檚 registration period. All required books and materials will be listed on the course syllabus. You may find a listing of the current semester鈥檚 syllabi by visiting听Online Courses & Registration Information.
Q: How quickly do faculty respond to student emails?
A:听The Faculty Response Policy, effective October 15, 2013, reads as follows: All faculty will respond to emails from students within 48 hours of receipt. If faculty plan to be away from their email for longer than that period, they should notify their students of their absence and post an out-of-office message on their email providing a reasonable time frame in which a response may be expected.
Q: How do I contact the state board of education in the state in which I currently reside in order to register a complaint against 万博体育 should the need ever arise?
A:听万博体育 College & Seminary is currently completing a two-year effort to ensure that the college is authorized to operate in every state in which its students reside. Should you exhaust the grievance procedures at the college itself in your pursuit of a redress against the institution, you are invited to submit your complaints directly to the Office of Higher Education within the state in which you reside. Please visit WCET鈥檚 page at to find the information for the state in which you reside.
Example: 万博体育 College & Seminary is currently filing paperwork to be authorized to operate in the State of Maryland. Residents of the State of Maryland who wish to submit a complaint may use the following contact information: Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202. Please see the Student Complain Process for the State of Maryland located at:
Q: What is the refund policy for tuition?
A:听Please visit our Tuition & Financial Aid page for details regarding the refund policy.
**Maryland students please this specific policy located听HERE.**
Q. How much time am I expected to participate in each class each week?
The short answer is about 7.5 hours a week over 15 weeks based on the Carnegie Unit defined in November, 2010, by the United States Department of Education for coursework in programs of higher education. The way it breaks down is this:
Federal regulation defines a credit hour as an amount of work