What are Academics like at ASM?

Of course!  Academics make up the bulk of your seminary experience. Here's a little overview to give you a feel for academic life at ASM.

Academics at ASM are rigorous and demanding of your time and attention (like any reputable graduate-level theological program). Here's how they work:

• 100-level courses are either basic skills or hands-on courses worth 1 semester hour each.
• 500- and 600-level courses, except for the internship (INT 601), are worth 3 semester hours each.

 Note -Most 500- and 600-level courses are offered via student-led seminars. For a 500-level class, instructor presentations will take about ⅓ of the class time and the remainder will be composed of student presentations and class discussions. For a 600-level class, instructor presentation will take about ¼ (perhaps more at the beginning of the semester and less as the semester goes on), ¼ class discussion, and fully a ½ (perhaps more) in student presentations. You will be assigned your topic(s) for your presentation and you will be expected to be the class subject matter expert on that topic(s). About a week prior to your presentation, you will send a copy of your notes to your classmates. An accompanying PowerPoint® presentation is highly recommended and in some courses is required.

 The workload will be substantial. For 500-level courses, expect to:

• Meet once a week for 13 weeks via WebEx®;
• Meet at least 6 times with your mentor and complete the instructor-provided worksheets;
• Take about 3 to 4 weeks after the last class meeting to write-up your exam and the last of your papers;
• Read about 1,200 pages of material;
• Write 20+ pages combined of essays, seminar papers, book reviews, and term papers or final projects;
• Present 1 or 2 30- to 45-minute seminars; and
• Complete an exam of 4 to 6 essay questions (most exams are open book and involve extensive research).

 For 600-level courses, expect to:

• Meet once a week for 13 weeks via WebEx®;
• Meet at least 6 times with your mentor and complete the instructor-provided worksheets;
• Take about 3 to 4 weeks after the last class meeting to write-up your exam and the last of your papers;
• Read about 1,500 pages of material;
• Write 25+ pages combined of essays, seminar papers, book reviews, and term papers or final projects;
• Present 1 or 2 45- to 60-minute seminars; and
• Complete an exam of 4 to 6 essay questions (most exams are open book and involve extensive research).

You will also need some basic technology. System Requirements for study at ASM are:

• A high speed internet connection;
• An email account which allows large attachments;
• A computer with XP or higher operating system (Apples will work, as well);
• PowerPoint® 2007 or newer or PowerPoint® Viewer 2007 or newer;
• Word® 2007 or newer or compatible program (e.g., WordPerfect);
• A computer video camera;
• A computer audio-headset; and
• A microphone.