[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/kearley-graduate-school-theology-receives-prestigious-ats-accreditation\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/kearley-graduate-school-theology-receives-prestigious-ats-accreditation\/","headline":"Kearley Graduate School of Theology receives prestigious ATS accreditation","name":"Kearley Graduate School of Theology receives prestigious ATS accreditation","description":"Kearley Graduate School of Theology of Faulkner University was recently accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools this month and ATS lauded the program as a potential model for other graduate schools. A successful accreditation…","datePublished":"2018-06-18","dateModified":"2019-09-23","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/#Person","name":"Rebecca Burylo","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Faulkner University","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","width":480,"height":128}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/VP-Black-College-of-Biblical-Studies-221-e1394373707688.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/VP-Black-College-of-Biblical-Studies-221-e1394373707688.jpg","height":"112","width":"300"},"url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/kearley-graduate-school-theology-receives-prestigious-ats-accreditation\/","about":["Adult Students","Biblical Studies","Current Students","Graduate","News","Online"],"wordCount":753,"articleBody":"Kearley Graduate School of Theology of Faulkner University was recently accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools this month and ATS lauded the program as a potential model for other graduate schools.A successful accreditation site visit was conducted in April on Faulkner\u2019s campus and the full accreditation was made official this week.The following degree programs have been approved by the Commission on Accrediting: Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies, Master of Arts (Biblical Studies), and Master of Arts in Christian Ministry.In June 2018, the ATS Board of Commissioners approved a four-year experimental Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies degree, permitting the degree program to be completed in a synchronous distance education format.\u201cThe Kearley Graduate School of Theology Ph.D. is a strong program and could be a model for other seminaries and graduate schools of theology who are exploring alternative delivery models for advance theological education,\u201d according to the\u00a0ATS On-site Evaluation Committee’s summary report to the Commission.Accreditation by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools is a prestigious honor and is one that Faulkner now shares with Harvard Divinity, Yale Divinity and others. Faulkner’s Kearley Graduate School of Theology is the only ATS accredited biblical studies Ph.D. program,\u00a0which is not to be confused with the D.Min. or Doctor of Ministry degree, among the churches of Christ.To receive the ATS accreditation was a dream of Scott Gleaves, Ph.D., dean of the V.P. Black College of Biblical Studies and the Kearley Graduate School of Theology, when he came to the school in 2011.The College of Biblical Studies began the accreditation process\u00a0three years later.\u201cATS accreditation represents an institution’s alignment with the highest standards in academic excellence and scholarship in theological studies among theological institutions,\u201d Gleaves said. \u201cAchieving ATS accreditation is no small undertaking. We went through an arduous four year self-evaluation of our programs in order to assess our alignment with the high educational and effectiveness standards of ATS.\u201cATS accreditation is a public verification and recognition that the Kearley Graduate School of Theology continues on the path of academic and ministerial excellence. Students of the KGST can be confident that they are receiving and experiencing the best in theological education.\u201dDuring that time, the Kearley Graduate School of Theology developed a fully online Ph.D. biblical studies program. The school also offers the Master of Arts (Biblical Studies) and the Master of Arts in Christian Ministry which can be completed online.The ATS accreditation is one that is very appealing among those looking for an official position in the ministry field, said Randall Bailey, Ph.D., the director of the Kearley Graduate School of Theology and a professor of Bible at the V.P. Black College of Biblical Studies.\u201cMany religious groups require their graduates to possess a degree from an ATS accredited school before they can work in an official position,\u201d Bailey said.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhile not all do, this accreditation will give us opportunity to serve many others, hitherto prohibited with studying with us prior to our accreditation.\u201d\u201cSince our emphasis is on biblical studies many of these individuals find our degrees very refreshing and their online delivery most convenient.\u201dIn addition, Faulkner University\u2019s undergraduate and graduate Bible programs have been accredited by SACSCOC since 1984.The Kearley Graduate School of Theology seeks to emulate Christ in attitude and behavior, thereby equipping its students to become effective Christian communicators and servants in both the church and the world.\u00a0\u00a0Students who choose to enter the Kearley Graduate School of Theology will find a spiritually oriented faculty who seek excellence in both scholarship and Christian service.The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) provides a collective voice to the more than 270 graduate schools of theology that make up its membership and only graduate programs. Through its innovative programming, the Association provides leadership development and networking opportunities to the administrators and faculty of member schools. The related Commission on Accrediting (COA) affords a system of accountability through peer evaluations in the accreditation process.The body recognized as the accrediting agency for The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada is the Commission on Accrediting of ATS, which is related to but separate from ATS. The current Commission membership includes nearly 260 graduate theological schools in the United States and Canada who are Accredited Members or Candidates for Accredited Member status.For more information, visit\u00a0https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/graduate\/graduate_academics\/kearley-graduate-school-of-theology\/"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Kearley Graduate School of Theology receives prestigious ATS accreditation","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/kearley-graduate-school-theology-receives-prestigious-ats-accreditation\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]