Ans. There is no difference between the degrees awarded to students who attend on campus and those who complete their course work on-line or through home study.

Ans. Bethany is . . .

1. Licensed and approved by the Alabama State Board of Education to operate as a degree granting institution.

2. Incorporated under the laws of the State of Alabama and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit religious institution.

3. Approved by the Veteran Administration for veterans who attend on-site classes.

4. Approved (college division) by the Evangelical Training Association, formerly known as ETTA, to award the ETA certificates.

5 . A member of the United States Distance Learning Association (this is not an accrediting association). To learn more about the USDLA, you may access their web site here. To view Bethany's listing with the USDLA, you may access the listing here.

6. Bethany is an approved teaching Center for Seminary Extension Courses in affiliation with the Seminary Extension Program of six Southern Baptist Seminaries.

7. Bethany has been granted "Affiliate Status" with the Association for Biblical Higher Education For more information concerning "Affiliate Status" - Go here  

Note: The primary focus of the Association for Biblical Higher Education is accreditation, but non-member institutions may also relate to the Association through an Affiliate Status. This affords affiliate institutions the opportunity to take advantage of many of the programs and services that the Association provides without becoming an accredited member. Affiliation with the Association is not to be confused with accreditation.

Ans. The following is a quote from John B. Bear"...there are schools which, by their very nature, are academically sound, legitimately and sincerely run, appropriately licensed, but unlikely ever to gain "traditional" accreditation because of the innovative or experimental or non-traditional nature of their programs...In evaluating an unaccredited school, the two crucial questions that must be asked are these: 1) who are the people behind it (and what are their credentials)? and 2) what is the quality of work being asked of, and done by, the students?" John B. Bear, Ph.D., author of, Bears' Guide to Earning College Degrees Nontraditionally (more than 300,000 in print).

Ans. Yes, students who wish to transfer credits from previous academic work must submit official transcripts from all colleges previously attended and this must be done within 90 days of enrollment. Then and only then can these credits be accepted and applied. Courses with a grade of “C” or higher will be considered for transfer. Regardless of the number of credits transferred, the student must complete no less than 30 credits with Bethany to receive a degree. No transfer credits are accepted towards a graduate (Master or Doctoral) degree except in the Master of Divinity which requires the student to complete a 96 semester hour program. Even in this program, the student must complete the last 30 credits with Bethany.

Ans. Students desiring to transfer credits from another college or seminary, acceptable to Bethany, may transfer all previously earned credits toward an undergraduate program except for the final 30 credits required for the degree. At the Master’s level, requiring 36 credits, the student may transfer only six credits.

Students who desire to enroll into the doctoral program may transfer post-graduate credits for work done with another institution of learning, providing the course work is the same as required by Bethany. In such cases, the student will not be allowed to transfer more than 30 credits and then they must be approved by the Dean. The final 30 credits toward the doctoral degree must be completed with Bethany.

Ans. Yes, This is called Portfolio Learning Assessment. The student may receive six-semester hour’s credit at the undergraduate level for each documented year spent in full-time Christian service, not exceeding 30 credits. No life experience credit is given towards graduate and post-graduate (Master or Doctoral) work under this program.

Ans. Students who are working toward a degree with Bethany may earn credits in their field of concentration by on-the-job training. Students who are pastors or working under full-time pastors may obtain credit for this experience which is done during the same time period the student is studying for his or her degree,. This would be true in the field of Christian Education, Christian Counseling, or working in a Christian day school. These credits are based on six semester hour credits for each full-time year spent in the ministry.

Ans. Yes. The cost of converting life learning experience into college credit is $30.00 per credit and is non refundable. It is the fee for the administrative time expended to convert the Life Learning Experience into acceptable credits and is not to be confused with regular tuition fees. The fee for these credits is applied to the student’s overall tuition costs.

Ans. Each college sets its own standard for accepting credits transferred from another college. Should the student anticipate transferring to a different school after studying with Bethany, the student should contact that school and asked them from what schools do they accept credits.

Ans. The student can study at his own convenience and not worry about a class schedule where he is required to report to class at a certain time. The student sets his own schedule and studies at his or her own pace.

Ans. The student can earn an Associate, Bachelor, Master or Doctorate.

Ans. The student can enroll into the following concentrations or majors: Bible, Christian Counseling, Christian Education, Pastoral Ministry, Missions, or Theology.