FAQ

How do I apply?
Will my computer work?
What about residency?
What if I am out of town?
How long is a typical course?
What are courses like?
What courses are available?
How is it different from traditional coursework?
How much do online courses cost?
How many online courses can I take?
Do I have to be a Multnomah student to take an online course?
Is enrollment limited for online courses?

How do I apply?

The Multnomah application process starts with contacting one of our seminary admissions counselors:

Penny Rader, Seminary Admissions Counselor pennyr@multnomah.edu A native of Oregon, Penny enjoys the diversity that the northwest has to offer: the beaches, the mountains, and the diverse urban culture. Having grown up on a Hazelnut farm, she is known to be "nuts" about her family, and thoroughly enjoys spending time with them. Her immediate family consists of a small miniature rabbit named Raindrop, distinct with her black fur and one white drop on her nose. Penny is a graduate of George Fox University and a recent graduate of Multnomah Seminary with her Master's degree in Ministry Management. Penny enjoys a good baseball game, the great outdoors, traveling, reading, and she loves it when the Oregon sky produces sunbeams! She is excited to see God transfrom the lives of students and looks forward to hearing your story!

Naomi Abdilla, Seminary Admissions Counselor naomia@multnomah.edu Naomi was born and raised in Portland. She is a graduate of George Fox University with a Bachelors of Arts in Spanish. After graduation, she spent a year as a missionary in Salamanca, Spain ministering to children and youth. Her dream is to return to Spain someday as a full-time missionary with her husband, Jason. She loves the Spanish language, people, and culture. She recently graduated from Multnomah Biblical Seminary in 2006 from the MAPS: Intercultural Studies program. Her heart’s passion is to live and speak Christ wherever she is and in whatever she is doing and to know Him and His Word more deeply.

Will my computer work?

Multnomah Connect's course management system is built on industry standard HTML based code and therefore will work well with most contemporary web browsers such as Internet Explorer 6 or 7 and Firefox 2. Other requirements such as updates to Java or Flash usually happen automatically but rarely pose a problem. Although Multnomah Connect is inherently a PC based program, a limited number of issues have been identified by MAC based users. The only difficulty is in submitted assignments and compatibility.

See our Technology Standards for Online Students for additional information.

What about residency?

Currently, all programs must contain a residency component due to accreditation standards.

What if I am out of town?

Being out of town or out of the country is another way that online education really shines! As long as you have access to a computer (laptop, hotel guest access, coffee shop hot spot, library, etc.) you will have access to Connect. In fact, students have used PDA's and "smart phones" to access Connect. Much of Connect is "asynchronous" or not requiring you to participate at a given time. Several key aspects are live and will require a time/date participation.

How long is a typical course?

In general, 3 credit courses are 6 weeks in length and 4 credit courses are 7 weeks in length. Often with longer courses, a week may be inserted for students to catch up, prepare papers, etc. without having to be actively involved with the online environment. We do break for standard holidays.

What are courses like?

Generally, all Connect courses share similar aspects to how they work. You will have key texts from which to do most of your forum posting. Key aspects of these texts will be posted in weekly discussion forums where these questions will have to be answered by you. In addition to responding to the text questions, you will be asked to examine your classmates' postings as well and respond, showing affirmation, clarification, similar observations or gentle disagreements.

Key to our program is the use of weekly live text chats using Connect's built-in chat module. Your class and professor will all gather weekly for a discussion of the text and the course in general. Here you will find questions that stimulate application and understanding of the course.

Additional assignments are always present such as summary papers, investigative papers, interviews, group projects etc.

What courses are available?

Currently, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has designated Multnomah Connect as a pilot program offering a limited number of courses in an online format. Check with Admissions to see what courses are currently available.

How is it different from traditional coursework?

Generally, online coursework is not much different from traditional proximal instruction, but differences do exist nevertheless. A course that is normally conducted over a 16 week semester is now condensed into 6 or 7 weeks. So while it may seem at the outset that the course is shorter and therefore easier, in fact your work is often doubled. This is one reason why the number of courses you can take online is limited. We strive to create online courses that are essentially similar to our on-campus courses, taking into consideration the difference in content delivery. In a study conducted by Thomas Russell, research showed that when the course materials and teaching methodology were held constant, there were no significant differences between student outcomes in a distance-delivery course as compared to a face to face course.

How much do online courses cost?

Online coursework fees are lower than on-campus fees. Check with Admissions for current tuition.

How many online courses can I take?

Currently, students are limited to taking two Multnomah Connect courses at a time.

Do I have to be a Multnomah student to take an online course?

Yes, all students must go though the normal application process. Please contact Multnomah's Admissions Department for further details.

Is enrollment limited for online courses?

Yes, enrollment is limited to maintain quality interaction between students and the professor. Generally course enrollments over 12 are unmanageable.

© 2008 Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary