Program
The Best in Online Education
Dr. Alan D. Lyke
My name is Dr. Alan D. Lyke, and I am the provost at Nazarene Bible College. We are delighted that you are interested in Online Education. Earning a college degree or just taking some classes is made very convenient using Internet technology to deliver education. Nazarene Bible College was the first Nazarene institution of higher education to offer electronically mediated course delivery and has been offering online education since 1998.
While the national average of those who begin an online class and finish it is only 47%, Nazarene Bible College has had a consistent 94% completion rate average since 1998.
NBC continues to lead the way in offering courses available to anyone, anytime, anywhere in the world. This year NBC will offer over 150 different catalog courses, with fifty different classes offered in each of seven six-week-long online sessions. These classes can lead to a baccalaureate degree or to fulfill the educational requirements for ordination within the Church of the Nazarene or Christian school teacher certification though the Association of Christian Schools International.
The reasons for this outstanding completion rate are:
- The superior course management software,
- The outstanding student services,
- The quality and commitment of our faculty,
- The great sense of community developed in online classes, and
- The commitment of our online students.
Nazarene Bible College has developed a system of online course delivery that offers ease of use, power, speed, and reliability. Course content is delivered through Internet pages and class discussions are held in a "store and retrieve" newsgroup format. This allows for downloading the class notes and working off-line—a great benefit to students that is rarely found in other systems. Our course management software enables students to complete their education anywhere, anytime, from any computer in the world that has Internet access.
NBC places a priority on student services for our distance students. Each student is assigned an advisor who assists with all aspects of taking online classes. The advisor will walk with the student from the first contact with the college to graduation. It is personal and "high-touch."
All the online classes designed around the Good Practices for Electronically Delivered Courses are taught by faculty and adjunct faculty who possess both the appropriate academic credentials and the practical experience needed to provide the very best in ministerial preparation. NBC now has over 140 practitioner/instructors who have received training on how to teach in the Online classroom. This specialized training, along with their experience and teaching ability, contribute to the best possible educational experience for our students.
NBC has purposefully designed the online classes to foster a high sense of community. Classes are highly interactive with regular communication between the students and between the instructor and students. The learning process is enhanced by the contributions made by the entire learning community.
Many of the NBC Online students are currently involved in ministry assignments. Not only do the experiences they bring to the class enrich the discussions, but the things learned today can be put into practice tomorrow.