Northwest offers a wide range of graduate programs. Our degrees are offered as either course-based or competency-based education.
Competency-based & course-based learning
Our competency-based theological education programs are engaged by students while they serve in their leadership context. Students are endorsed by their ministry leadership to enroll, they are assigned interdisciplinary mentor teams, and develop and demonstrate competency while working in their leadership role. They attend in-person and online seminars and learning events, but progression is based on demonstrated achievement of outcomes, not completion of courses. These types of programs are preferred by students who are self-directed, already established in a community, and prefer a guided on-the-job approach to learning.
Our course-based programs follow the model of higher education used by most universities and seminaries. Individuals self-select to apply to a program and earn a credential through successful completion of in-person and online courses offered by the school. Northwest offers many programs in this model through its ACTS partnership. These types of programs are well-suited to students who prefer a structured, instructor-led, classroom-based approach to learning.
