Background

The recurring question, “do you offer anything online?” is one a recruiter at Perkins School of Theology is accustomed to hearing. Due to full-time employment (often in ministry), family situations, the projected salary of ministry/non-profit positions, the staggering expense of relocation into the DFW area, there are often practical and financial (not necessarily pedagogical) reasons behind the, "online question." More importantly, most students have some prior positive experiences with online learning and digital community.

In light of the “online question,” – how might the transformative power of a Perkins education become more broadly attainable?

Hybrid History at Perkins

In 2018, Perkins innovatively re-imagined the Houston-Galveston satellite to meet the early desire for an online offering. The Houston-Galveston Extension Program (HGEP) model is based on delivering instruction approximating half online and half in-person during twice-a-term intensives hosted first in St. Paul United Methodist Church and then in Houston Methodist Hospital. The intensive coursework for HGEP functions like 'bookends,' providing in-person instruction at the beginning and end of each class. 

In addition to serving those in the Houston-Galveston/Louisiana area, the HGEP attracted students across the southwest with a percentage representing states from coast to coast. Over four years, the program grew to include almost half of all students at Perkins. Students were thrilled to combine the flexibility of online education with the in-person learning community created as they gathered at least five times a year in Houston.

The vast majority of HGEP's draw, however, is predominantly the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area. 

Approximately 66% of HGEP Students are in the Houston MSA and more than 80% are commuting from within a four hour drive.

The Change

In early 2023, the University Senate of the United Methodist Church made the decision to accept fully online degrees from United Methodist schools as sufficient for the criteria of ordination. This announcement was a pivot from the previous requirement that at least 1/3 of all instruction would be delivered through an in-person format.

In the wake of the pandemic and the rapid transition to online learning only furthered the question: “do you have an online program?” The HGEP, while significantly online, involved two trips each term for intensives in Houston (totaling approximately 18 trips for an M.Div.) and was becoming less competitive in an online marketplace.