Faq

Frequently Asked Questions: What is PRTS? Go here. Can the Puritans teach us anything today? Listen to this. What was the reformation and who were the reformers? Read this. For the individual reformers, go here and here. What is meant by an “experiential emphasis”? Read this or listen to this. How can I support PRTS? Visit our support site. When does the next class begin? You may begin taking a class whenever you wish. Students studying in the PRTS distance learning program make and follow their own schedule. Do I have to follow any schedule? Are there any deadlines to meet? The PRTS distance courses are entirely asynchronous. This means that we give you the course materials, and you work through them on your own schedule. How will I communicate with the professor? All communications will be made with the director of distance learning. If contact with the professor is needed, he will make that contact. What Certificate should I pursue? That depends on what your goals are. • If you would like to understand better what the Bible teaches, you should pursue the Certificate in Systematic Theology. This certificate will leave you with a broad understanding of what the Bible teaches with regards to man, Jesus, salvation, the church, last times, etc. This certificate is especially valuable for those who are aiming for a teaching ministry. • If you would like to understand better the authors, background, and themes of all the Bible books, then the Certificate in Bible is for you. This certificate also will instruct you in textual

criticism, Bible translation, and the issues of inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture. • If the controversies of the church throughout the ages excites you, you might consider the Certificate in Historical Theology. This certificate will lead you through all the ebbs and flow of the church as it grew, deteriorated, reformed, and came into the modern age. • If you are a pastor interested in practical issues of daily ministering and pastoral counsel, then the Certificate in Practical Theology is for you. This certificate will help you preach better and be a better counsellor to the people God has entrusted you with. • If you are interested in missions, then the Certificate in Missions is the obvious choice.

How is the typical course administered? The courses vary but most courses will involve 20-30 lectures, two exams, and several papers/essays/book reviews. All the courses will have a required reading list. You can read most of the syllabi online. Do I need to have internet access? Internet access is required for some classes but not all. Ask the director. We have many courses that can be taken without it. Do I need a computer? Yes. Do I need any kind of special software? Yes, you will need to download and install iTunes. The videos are played using Microsoft Silverlight. Can I watch the videos on my Linux machine? This will vary. The Ubuntu distribution has a Microsoft Silverlight clone called Moonlight. Give this a try. It has worked for some. How do I access course materials? Course materials are accessed via Moodle. This is our online course management system. This website contains all the classes we teach. Students can gain access to any of these classes by paying $40. What does $40 get me? $40 gives you full access to the course. You can access all the lectures, handouts, and syllabus just as a normal student would. Can I take the course for credit? Yes, you can. Normal tuition rates will apply.

What is the tuition rate? $190 per credit hour. What programs do you offer? These are the degrees PRTS offers. PRTS allows its students to earn fifty percent of these via distance education. Certificates, however, can be earned entirely via distance education. How much time will I spend online? Very little. You only need to be online to download the lectures and obtain the course materials. Do I have to be online at any specific time? No. May I take a class at the same time as the class is offered on campus? Yes. All of the courses are livecasted which means you can watch the video of the class as it is happening. You will be held to the same deadlines as the normal students. Who are the instructors. Biographies of the professors can be obtained here. What is the typical online class routine? 1. Register with the PRTS course management site. 2. Once registered, log into the site. Find the course you want to purchase. 3. Click on the course name. Use your credit card or paypal to pay the fee and enroll in the course. 4. Obtain and read the syllabus. 5. Purchase the required textbooks. 6. Download and install iTunes. 7. Find the iTunes button in the course homepage and download the lectures from iTunes U 8. Listen to the lectures taking notes as you go. 9. Get a proctor. 10.Contact the director and ask that the exams be sent to the proctor. 11.Take the exams. 12.Write any required papers. 13.Send in your written work. 14.Request your final grade. 15.Along the way, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the director.

How do I get textbooks? Textbooks can be had anywhere you please. The seminary bookstore is here.

How well do I have to know how to use computers? A basic knowledge is all that is required. You might need some very basic help (anyone under the age of 21) to download and install iTunes. Otherwise, the only skills necessary are the receiving and sending of email and email attachments, listening to mp3 files, and word processing skills. What is iTunes? PRTS makes use of iTunes U to store and distribute our audio lectures. If you are not familiar with iTunes, you can easily become so by simply clicking and following the directions below. If not, don't hesitate to contact the director of distance learning for help or other options. In each course, you will see a link marked iTunes. That link will automatically take you to the PRTS iTunes U site where you can download our lectures. This will require you to have iTunes software loaded on your computer. Downloading and installing this software is free and very simple although it may take a few minutes to finish. Once the software is installed, however, iTunes will automatically download the audio lectures and load them onto your ipod. It is a very smooth and efficient way to receive and listen to our lectures. If you have an mp3 player that is not an ipod, you can still use iTunes to download the lectures, but an additional step will be necessary to load them on your player. If any of this is confusing, don’t hesitate to contact the director for clarification.