FYI - Another Distance Learning Philosophy MA (with some Theological Leanings)...

...and its RA to boot!

http://www.holyapostles.edu/HACS-maincontents.htm

It sounds interesting, and the price isn't too bad (Tuition per credit : $230.00 - Total per 3 credit course : $690.00 )

Total degree requirements: 13 courses OR 10 courses with thesis.

Not bad...I would consider it, but I think the program is bit too slanted towards the philosophy of religion. It might be a good choice for those of you looking to combine your theology studies with philosophy.

 

James is correct when he says that this Philosophy program has religious (Catholic) overtones. This might be a positive thing for some and a negative thing for others. On the other hand, I believe that it is only RA Masters in Philosophy program offered 100% through distance learning. For those interested, there are assigned texts and readings with video taped lectures sent to you by snail mail (you can get audio tapes if you prefer). There is a online discussion component that utilizes WebCT. Assignments are sent to the instructor by email and a there is a proctored final exam. To me the cost is reasonable (please note that the tapes are not included in the tuition, they are an additional $60.00)
Jack

 

Remember also that HACS has a language requirement. You will need a working knowlege of Greek, Latin or a modern romance language, IIRC.

 

An impressive programme for the Roman Catholic student. Really solid!
And best of all they want Latin! Good for them!

 

That may be true for the Masters in Theology program but I do not believe it is true for the Philosophy program. I'd have to go back and check to be certain.
Jack

 

OK, here's what I came up with:
http://www.holyapostles.edu/DistanceLearning/HACS-DistanceDegreeReq.htm
I don't see any language requirement for either program.
Jack

 

Taken from the HACS website (http://www.holyapostles.edu/):

"Language Requirement

Successful completion of a proficiency exam in Latin, Biblical Greek or an appropriate modern language (usually French, German, Spanish or Italian) is required of all M.A. degree candidates."

I found it under the college heading, listed under MA Requirements.

 

That's a good thing, IMO

I think the language requirement is a good thing, to be honest.

I wish there was someone here with first-hand experience who could comment on the program and its degree of religious focus.

Even with that focus...it's still a nice-looking program.

 

Yes, you're right. I found it. Good grab.
Jack

 

Captus bonus!

Joannes Presbyter Carpathicus

 

This is a great find, thank you! The program seems similar to the DL MA at Franciscan University of Steubenville, except Steubenville offers only theology, requires 2 three week summer residencies, but is slightly cheaper ($600 per course including tapes, v. ~$750 at Holy Apostles).

The HACS foreign language requirement is also listed under "General Info," and I suspect that if you were fluent in a non-Romance language but could demonstrate that you would use it in your research, it would be permitted.

I am familiar with HACS, and it is famed in conservative Catholic circles as a bastion of orthodoxy. The DL course content comes from International Catholic University, and the course listings professors there are well known in conservative Catholic circles. The philosophy program seems incredibly similar to De Universa, the classical philosophy master's Jesuit priests used to earn in "First Studies," so the Catholic content is I suspect extremely high.

I personally am not a big fan of the watch/listen-to-tapes pedagogy, and farming out the course content to an outside, unaccredited agency reflects badly for all that HACS merely wants to guarantee doctrinal orthodoxy in the finished product. But the cost and the 100% DL format is great.

 

Both the schools mentioned have quite a bit to offer. I noticed that Holy Apostles offers two types of MAs. Their "MA for seminarians" is a bit different than their "distance learning MA." The former seems more like a ThM in that an MDiv is required for admittance; it also seems to feature more concentrations. The distance learning MA requires merely a bachelor's degree and one undergrad philosophy course for admission.

I thought Steubenville's MA in counseling was impressive. With increasing numbers of Evangelical seminaries beginning to reject psychological approaches, programs like theirs may really meet some needs across denominational lines.

http://legacy.franciscan.edu/gradcounseling/index.htm

 

Wow, do you mean reject as in Tom-Cruise-on-Psychology reject? I would expect Evangelical seminaries to train people to be Evangelical therapists, but not to advise them to forget about becoming a therapist altogether.

 

I was referring to a trend toward rejecting psychology in favor of using the Bible alone for answers to people's problems. This model is sometimes called Nouthetic Counseling or Biblical Counseling. Jay Adams has been promoting this approach since the 1970's- -maybe even before that. Regretfully (IMO) there has been a renewed interest in this approach.

 

I agree this is quite regretful. I am thinking of a comment John Henry Newman made in 1833: "Nor, in the next place, is an assent to the text of Scripture sufficient for the purposes of Christian fellowship. As the sacred text was not intended to satisfy the intellect, neither was it given as a test of the religious temper which it forms, and of which it is an expression." (Arians of the Fourth Century, pages 146-147)