Master of Arts in Religion – Pastoral Ministries

What Will You Study in the Online Master of Arts in Religion – Pastoral Ministries?

As a pioneer of distance learning since 1985, Liberty University has worked hard to make our online religion master’s degrees flexible and affordable. With no set login times and 100% online, our pastoral ministry courses are designed to fit into your schedule, so you don’t have to choose between continuing your education and your family or current ministry role.

Our professors have real-world experience as pastors, and this enables them to teach you practical skills you can use to further your ministry. They also facilitate engaging online learning communities so you can have all your questions answered and learn from what the Lord has shown your classmates in their past ministry experiences. Our professors care about you and the call God has placed on your life, and they will do all they can to help you become a better pastor to your congregation.

In your pastoral ministry courses, you will study topics like:

• Spiritual factors of growing churches
• Strategic prayer and spiritual warfare
• Preventing ministry failure
• Pastoral counseling

Potential Career Options

• Associate or senior pastor
• Church education administrator
• Lay leader
• Missionary
• Youth Pastor

Benefits of Our M.A.R. in Pastoral Ministries Degree

As a leader in distance education since 1985, we understand what it takes to create a flexible and affordable education for busy people. Since we have been investing in distance and online learning for decades, our experience has taught us how to streamline our degree options so you can focus on what really matters to you. While many schools offer online degrees, we believe Liberty stands out.

Here’s what sets us apart:

• Our online programs are backed by our brick-and-mortar campus – ranked among Niche.com’s Top 5 College Campuses in America – and that commitment to excellence extends to our online students as well. Earning your online Master of Arts in Religion — Pastoral Ministries degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
• Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity has been accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Your divinity degree has been approved by ATS and has met rigorous accreditation standards, so you can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
• Your ministry matters – so when you take 9-15 credit hours per semester in your divinity program, you’ll pay a discounted block rate of $2,750. It’s our way of supporting all you do to serve others.
• The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
• To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for many divinity courses* all for one convenient fee.
• You’ll be able to complete your online Master of Arts in Religion – Pastoral Ministries degree in 2 years!

*Electronic textbooks are not provided for courses that fall under departments outside the School of Divinity.

Military Benefits

Service is important to us, so whether you’re currently serving in the Armed Forces, have served, or are married to someone who serves, we’re here to serve you. Liberty’s military benefits are available to:

• Active duty service members of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/retirees
• Spouses of service members and veterans/retirees
• Current Department of Defense employees

We are proud to support you in your pursuit of a flexible and affordable online education by offering you the following benefits:

• Tuition discounts — $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
• Discounted divinity block rate: $2,475 per semester — only $165/credit at 9-15 credit hours*
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Credits taken above 15 credit hours for the master’s in pastoral ministry degree program are charged at the part-time rate.