Christian Ministry, Pastoral Ministry Specialization, C.O.C.M.

Admission Policy

Anyone desiring to enroll in the Certificate of Christian Ministry program of study must complete an Application for Admission to be turned in to the local contact person or sent to Wayland Baptist University - San Antonio no later than two weeks prior to the first class period. A non-refundable, one-time application fee of $35 must accompany the application. Applications are available through local associational offices and through Wayland Baptist University - San Antonio.

Attendance Policy

Students enrolled in the Certificate of Christian Ministry study program are expected to make every effort to prepare adequately and to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the satisfaction of the facilitator who will decide if the omitted work may be made up and, if so, how.

Any student who misses twenty-five percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings will receive a grade of “F” for that course.

When a student reaches a number of absences considered by the facilitator to be excessive, the facilitator will so advise the student in order to encourage him/her to be present at each class meeting.

Students should not assume that he/she can miss almost 25% of the class meetings with no penalty. Students who miss class almost always perform more poorly than they expect and have lower grades. Remember, the way Wayland classes are structured, three class periods equal 25% of a course. Furthermore, attendance in a class period means being present from the time the class begins until it is dismissed. A late arrival or an early departure will be treated as one-half absence and two such half-class absences equals one week of absence.

Financial Policies

The tuition is $100 for each course with payment due at the time of registration. This includes the price of the study materials and the right to attend the weekly facilitator-led discussion times. The materials, of course, become the permanent property of the student for his/her personal study and library. The student is not authorized, however, to copy or otherwise use or distribute the materials in anyway without the express written permission of both the writer and the Certificate of Christian Ministry office at Wayland Baptist University - San Antonio. The textbooks are not available for purchase by someone who does not enroll in the Certificate of Christian Ministry program of study.

In the event a student must drop the course, a refund of the $ 100 is available on the following basis:

1. a full refund of the $ 100 tuition per course will be made when the student drops the course during the first week of study, i.e., before the second meeting of the Facilitator-led discussion time. Furthermore, the textbook must be returned in such condition that another student can use it or a $ 15 fee will be charged.
2. a refund of $ 65 will be made when the student drops the course during the second week of study, i.e., before the third meeting of the Facilitator-led discussion time. Again, the textbook must be returned in such condition that another student can use it or a $ 15 fee will be charged.
3. a refund of $ 35 will be made when the student drops the course during the third week of study, i.e., before the fourth meeting of the facilitator-led discussion time. Again, the textbook must be returned in such condition that another student can use it or a $ 15 fee will be charged.
4. no other refunds are available.

No scholarships for this program of study are available through Wayland Baptist University. Local churches or associations may provide scholarships and prospective students may contact them to ask them about scholarships.

Grading Policy

Grading follows the standards of the university as outlined in the undergraduate academic policy section of the catalog.

Certificate of Christian Ministry Courses of Study

The Certificate of Christian Ministry program offers studies in both the Old and New Testaments, Christian doctrine, biblical interpretation, preaching and teaching, church administration, church history, Christian leadership, and personal discipleship. Also included are studies in Christian ethics, different areas of Christian ministry, bivocational ministry, worship, missions, and evangelism.

A guided study format is used with these courses. Each course has a textbook written in a guided study instruction style that is designed for the student to spend more time in personal preparation and less time in class. Each study guide is composed of ten to twelve chapters, subdivided into three or four sections per chapter. The students will spend approximately two or three hours in personal preparation prior to meeting with the facilitator for one-two hours each week over an eleven-week period. There will be both a mid-term and a final examination administered by the facilitator. Each class is required to enroll a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of sixteen (16) students because of this guided study approach. There are no prerequisites for any of the courses and the successful completion of each course gives the student one semester hour of credit. A total of eighteen (18) semester hours of credit is required for graduation.