Distance Education
Learn Online
Bible college courses, wherever you’re at.
Christian education,
wherever you’re at.
It’s not always possible to uproot family, interrupt work, or move to a new city to pursue theological education. That’s why MCS has integrated an online bible school to provide students with a flexible timetable and online learning.
Instructors are reshaping courses so you can learn from anywhere in the world, using the internet to participate fully with other remote or on-campus students. Our Digital Theological Library offers students unparalleled access to online resources for their research needs.
Live-Stream Courses
Live-Streamed courses allow out of town or out of province students to attend a live course taking place on MCS’s campus in Ontario through a video-conferencing service called Zoom. Students attend the class via live-streaming at the same time as on-campus students and interact with their professor and classmates in real time. Your course readings, activities, and essay writing happen as they would in a traditional course format. Out of town/province students can request to live-stream into most any MCS course taking place on-campus. Live-Streamed courses follow our on-campus course syllabi and course schedule.
In order to use the Zoom software, adequate high-speed internet is required. Zoom can be accessed and installed on Mac, PC, Android phone/tablet, iPhone/iPad.
NOTE: The deadline to register for live-stream courses is three weeks prior to the start of the course.
*High speed internet REQUIRED
Video on Demand Courses
If you are not able to join a class online during the day via live-stream, then later in the day or even later in the week you could watch the class on MCS-Horizon’s Video Centre through Video on Demand (VOD). In comparison to Online Video courses (more info below), VOD courses allow you to interact with the class and professor that you are watching on video, because you are following the same general schedule as the on-campus course. Our course schedules indicate those courses that are accessible by VOD.
NOTE: The deadline to register for VOD courses is three weeks prior to the start of the course. VOD is available for most (not all) courses that are running on-campus and as live-stream video.
How does it work?
Lectures are captured each day for the on-campus course, edited, and uploaded to our video site. VOD students will have assignment due dates similar to in-class students and are required to watch and engage with all of the recordings within a certain time-frame each day or week.
MODULE COURSES: Including the module week, each week for five weeks, VOD students are required to watch and engage with the recording from one full day of the module.
In order to pass the course, VOD students must submit VOD weekly submissions. The purpose of these submissions is to demonstrate thoughtful engagement with the class material.
For example:
For every week of the course, by 11:59pm each Monday, as a VOD student you will submit to the online class discussion a 2-3 minute video that:
1) affirms you have watched the required recording for the last seven days;
2) summarizes one thing you learned that week that will help you reach the course learning outcomes; and
3) explains at least one question you had after watching the class recording.
Alternatively, the student will meet with the professor live on Zoom on Monday at 3pm.
Each professor may provide a variety of different options for what these submissions could look like.
*High speed internet REQUIRED
Online Video Courses
Online Video courses involve interacting with a professor and students through video-based learning content and online discussions forums. You can view lectures whenever its convenient for you and participate in discussions as you work to complete course readings, activities and written assignments typical of traditional course formats. You don’t have set times to view lectures or “attend class,” although you do have deadlines for assignments and requirements to interact with other online students in the course.
These are courses that are not part of the regular on-campus, live-streaming or VOD course offerings. Online Video courses are offered on an as-requested basis and must be approved through the Registrar’s office. They run as full-semester courses in the following three semesters:
Fall (September – December)
Winter (January – April)
Summer (May – August)
*High speed internet REQUIRED
Directed Study Courses
Directed Study courses are completed using a traditional distance model that consists of course readings, activities, and essay writing.
These are courses that are not part of the regular on-campus, live-streaming or VOD course offerings. Directed Study courses are offered on an as-requested basis and must be approved through the Registrar’s office. They run as full-semester courses in the following three semesters:
Fall (September – December)
Winter (January – April)
Summer (May – August)
How to Request an Online Video or Directed Study Course
Current students MUST submit the Distance Education (DE) request form and fee to request a course by Online Video or Directed Study. If you have questions please email esther.dillabough@mcs.edu. If you are interested in taking a DE course but have not yet applied to be a student, please see the application links below.
How to Apply
To register for courses in the following DE formats you must submit an application and be an accepted student. If you have not yet applied please visit the relevant application page.
If you are already a student with us, check out the upcoming schedules for DE courses you can register for, and fill out the request form above. If you have any questions please email esther.dillabough@mcs.edu.