Multi-level Education and Training

With VBI, multiple-choices are where it’s at!

Our system offers four levels of training, not one. This means it may take you a little longer to understand how they all work, but it also means that you can find the level that suits your needs, as an individual student, group, local church or training school. Going from the bottom up, the levels are as follows:^[1]

School of Ministry

The level of content and testing, compared to the higher levels, is like a take away, or “to go” meal compared to a full dinner. The course texts are roughly 30 pages (full text are 130-200), and the multiple choice assignment (Quiz) has 30 questions. The course texts are available as immediate downloads in .pdf format and can also be ordered as published booklets.

This level is ideal of small groups and local church teaching classes.

This level is also ideal for training in church planting contexts in developing countries, where English is not the first language. Our School of Ministry booklets have already been translated into Spanish and Mandarin, and we anticipate that other languages will follow. A system of Licensed Teachers enables those in missions contexts to offer this training for free.^[2]

The relationship between this entry level and the higher levels is important. With the Licensed Teacher program, only graduates of a particular course at Diploma or higher levels (i.e. the full text) are licensed to teach the School of Ministry courses. Similarly, in a local church training school, those who teach the School of Ministry courses should be graduates of the same course at Diploma or higher.

The multimedia suite (DVD, Quick Time video, Flash, Power Point and Mp3) is there to assist teachers in missions or local church contexts.

Diploma level

Here are the details for this level.

• Diploma level courses are full text, and identical to the course texts used by Advanced Diploma and Degree level students.
• The multiple choice assignment is the same as higher levels, with 80-100 questions. The difficulty level of the questions is higher than the School of Ministry assignment.
• Diploma students do not do the essay or the reading and research required of degree level students.
• The multimedia suite is available to assist them in their learning.

Advanced Diploma level

Here are the details for this level.

• Courses are full text.
• The multiple choice assignment (Quiz) is the same as the Diploma level.
• There is a 2500-3500 essay assignment.
• With two of the 10 courses per certificate, two Ministry Projects are required.
• The multimedia suite is available to assist them in their learning.

Bachelor of Christian Studies Degree

Here are the details for this level.

• Courses are full text.
• The multiple choice assignment (Quiz) is the same as the Diploma level.
• There is a 2500-3500 essay assignment.
• Extra reading of set work publications is required.
•  An independent research assignment is required.
• The process of extra reading and research takes place through the online forum.
•  For at least two certificates, course work and forum activity takes place in a cohort which includes live class time, either on campus, or through webinars.
• Course work is followed by a Senior Seminar and a Directed Learning Project.^[3]
• The multimedia suite is available to assist them in their learning.

Upgradable levels

Part of the multiple-choices provided by VBI is the fact that Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels are upgradable to Degree level, provided course work is done in a cohort with degree students.^[4] The School of Ministry level is not upgradable.

This table shows how the different levels compare.

• Italics is what applies per certificate, otherwise details apply per course.
• Green relates to course work within a cohort, to enable upgrade.

Item	School of Ministry	Diploma	Advanced Diploma	Degree
Read course text (30 page)	●
Quiz (30 questions)	●
Read full course text		●	●	●
Multiple-choice assignment or quiz		●	●	●
2 ministry projects[5]		●	●
Essay			●	●
Forum research and assignments				●
Live class time		●	●	●
Senior Seminar or Oral exam				●
Directed Learning Project				●
Courses per certificate		10	10	7