This program has been designed to provide you with a comprehensive Biblical education in an accelerated online four-module educational format. The 32 credit hour requirement for the Master of Arts portion of the Fast Track Combined M.A./Ph.D. program are fulfilled by completing four projects in the Major Concentration of your choosing.

Depending on your personal educational objective, you select the Concentration which fulfills your educational objective. You may choose either, Biblical Studies, Christian Counseling, Pastoral Ministry, or Theology.

Once you have received your passing Mark for your final Project in the Master of Arts program, contact the Faculty Dean for approval to begin your graduate studies and access the Doctor of Philosophy Resource Room.

Atlantic Coast Theological Seminary has adopted the British Model for the awarding of the Ph.D. degree. British Universities award the Ph.D. on the basis of an acceptable thesis. At universities in the U.K., the term thesis is usually associated with the Ph.D. (doctoral) and research Master’s degrees. The term dissertation is the more common title for a substantial writing project submitted as part of a Master’s degree. The British Model Ph.D. requires only the thesis as described in the Doctor of Philosophy Resource Room.

How Long Should it Take to Write Your Thesis?

The answer: not as long as you think. Most of the time academics confuse time with quality. When a project takes a long time, it’s almost always believed to be more valuable than one completed more quickly.

Most theses can be completed in six months or less, with two exceptions. The first (and most obvious) exception is when your study will require data collection or longitudinal research over a long period of time. For example, if your research design requires observation over a one year period, you won’t be able to complete the thesis in six months. The second exception is if you do not work on your thesis consistently.