FHU Students Able to Receive Master's Degrees Online

Dr. Richard Eleby, currently living in Biloxi, Miss., recently earned a Master of Ministry degree from Freed-Hardeman University, the first FHU student to earn his graduate degree entirely online. At Freed-Hardeman University, more than half of students involved in the master’s programs in Bible are choosing to take at least part of their courses online. Current students participating online live in sixteen different states, as well as India, Australia, Korea, and Russia.

The School of Biblical Studies has offered online classes since 2006, with the program steadily building throughout the years. In 2009, Freed-Hardeman was able to provide the Master of Ministry degree fully online. Since then, the Master of Arts in New Testament degree and a significant portion of the Master of Divinity degree have been offered online.

Most graduate courses are now “hybrids,” in that the class can be taken in the conventional classroom setting while being offered online simultaneously; the online students are able to view the physical classroom and any audio-visual material on their computer screens. These students are also able to interact with their professors and classmates by making comments, asking questions, and presenting information to the class.

According to Dr. Mark Blackwelder, the Director of Graduate Studies in Bible at Freed-Hardeman University, those who receive their degrees online have an educational experience “equivalent in quality and value” to those in the classroom. He adds, “Offering our degrees online gives us the opportunity to extend our reach and offer the Freed-Hardeman experience to many people who are not in the position to uproot their families and move to Henderson. For many people engaged in a career in ministry, this can make the difference between getting a graduate degree or spending years wishing they could!”

Eleby, who already held a doctorate, chose to pursue a Master of Ministry degree online because he wanted a degree in religion and FHU met his criteria whereas colleges near his home did not. Eleby praises the program, saying that a benefit of the online classes was getting “to go back and view and listen to the lectures as many times as you like throughout the week.”

Chad Ramsey, who is currently seeking a Master of Divinity degree at FHU, has taken several of his courses online. He calls the program a great blessing because “it is possible to pursue the graduate degree while also working full-time…being able to see and hear the teacher and fellow students and being able to freely communicate with them makes online classes viable.”