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This page contains information specific to the Extension Program in Greenville, Alabama. Because many details are the same for students on both campuses, Extension students will also find other useful information throughout the main web site.
History of the Extension Program. In 2005, Bishop James McCoy of the Alabama-Florida Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Zion Church invited Hood Theological Seminary to establish an extension program in his area. The A.M.E. Zion Church made space available on the campus of Lomax-Hannon Jr. College, and the Alabama-Florida Episcopal District underwrote the expense of renovating rooms in the Alstork Administration Building to the seminary’s specifications. In 2006, Hood welcomed thirteen new students to the first class of its extension program. Our students enjoy the use of two large classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art interactive video conferencing (IVC) technology and wireless Internet access. In addition, they have their own chapel and theological library. Affiliation and AccreditationHood Theological Seminary was founded by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and operates under the sponsorship of that communion. Hood operates its extension program on the campus of Lomax-Hannon Jr., College, which is maintained by the Alabama-Florida Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Zion Church. Hood Theological Seminary is accredited by The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Telephone 412-788-6505) to offer the Master of Divinity degree program at its extension site in Alabama. Hood Theological Seminary has been approved by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to offer the Master of Divinity degree in Alabama.
For questions about admission requirements, click here.
For questions about student loans and scholarships, click here. Note that most student loan programs and scholarships carry a requirement that the student remain in good standing in the seminary and carry a full-time academic load. For this purpose, a full-time load is defined as nine (9) credit hours per semester. In some cases, a student may count a summer term course as part of the load for the previous spring semester. Likewise, a J-term course may be counted as part of the load either for the previous fall or the following spring semester.
WHY CHOOSE THE HOOD EXTENSION PROGRAM? Our track record with second-career seminarians. Hood has experience training not only traditional, first-career students, but also second-career students. Since 1995, we have offered our Track II weekend program, tailored to the needs of second-career students. Many of these have already been serving their churches for years as lay leaders or ordained clergy. Most of them juggle theological education with these church commitments as well as family obligations and full-time, secular employment. Our Track II allows students to take a full M.Div. program on Friday evenings and Saturdays, spread over four years. This is the model we have adapted to our extension program in Alabama. Program design. Students take 60 credit hours in Greenville. Extension students also travel to Salisbury for the remaining 30 credit hours, which they take as one-week intensive courses during J-term and Summer term. For a detailed overview of the program design, click here. Our emphasis on a community of learning. Hood is committed to the value of community as integral to theological education. We do not regard independent study at one’s private computer as sufficient for theological formation. We aim, therefore, to create a community of learning for our students in Greenville. We do this in four ways.
Our commitment to diversity. For over 100 years, we have been the seminary of the A.M.E. Zion Church, but we have always welcomed students from any denomination. Our faculty and staff represent some ten denominations, and our student body some seventeen denominations, including a strong pan-Methodist presence. In addition, we are highly diverse in terms of race/ethnicity and in the ages and backgrounds of our students. Many of our students hold advanced degrees and/or have significant experience in other fields before they came to seminary. We think that diversity enriches our theological conversations, and we want to foster that same diversity on the Greenville campus. Hood is committed to working with local leaders of various denominations to meet the needs of students in Alabama. We do not assume that one size fits all in theological education, but we attempt to respond to the local denominational needs of our students.
For additional information about the M.Div. program, click here.
Curriculum Courses are delivered in three ways. First, the majority of required courses are taught by the faculty on our home campus in Salisbury, via Interactive Video Conferencing (IVC) links to the Lomax-Hannon campus in Greenville. This allows extension students to participate in live instruction along with their counterparts on the home campus. Students at each end can see and hear one another, and Extension students are always encouraged to participate fully in classroom discussions. Second, some required courses are taught by qualified adjunct professors in Greenville. Third, the ATS requires that all Extension students take at least thirty (30) credit hours of instruction on our home campus in Salisbury. We offer a wide variety of elective courses in week-long, intensive format in Salisbury, usually two weeks in early January, and the first three weeks of June. These intensive courses meet six hours per day for five days. Some require some advance reading, and most require a paper or other written assignment that is due usually 3-4 weeks after the course meets. Extension students typically attend one week in January and two weeks in June, but they may choose to attend whichever courses suit their schedules and interests each year, as long as they eventually earn at least 30 credit hours in Salisbury.
Recommended Sequence of Courses a Students must take either OT Exegesis or NT Exegesis. If a student chooses to take both, then one will count as an elective toward the degree, but that will not affect the requirement to take 30 credit-hours in Salisbury. b Students may opt to write a thesis instead of taking the Theology of Ministry Seminar. A student who so chooses will take the course Thesis Tutorial in the spring of the year prior to expected graduation (usually 3rd year) and will take Thesis Writing in the fall of the year of expected graduation (usually 4th year). Students who wish to explore this option should consult with their academic advisor.
Supervised Ministry In parish placements, our students work with seasoned pastors from various denominations, including A.M.E. Zion , Baptist, C.M.E., Pentecostal, Presbyterian, and United Methodist. In non-parish placements, our students work with experienced leaders in various types of social services agencies, including battered women’s shelters, college chaplaincies, emergency services, hospice, hospital chaplaincies, and prison ministry. For information about Supervised Ministry in the Extension Program, contact the Associate Director of Supervised Ministry,Dr. Sondra Coleman.
Mrs. Ida Mae Brinson is the Associate Director of the Library with responsibility for the Extension library in Greenville. She works with Rev. Cynthia Keever, Director of the Library in Salisbury, to maintain a collection that is up to date and professionally managed. For more information about the Salisbury library, click here. The Extension library in Greenville contains over 3,000 volumes, plus electronic access to some ______ journals. When classes are in session, the library is open every Saturday, 8:00am to 3:00pm. The library can also be open on Friday evenings, depending upon student need, and at other times by special arrangement with the Librarian. The library catalogue is available is available online.
Academic Advisement Occasionally, a student expresses a desire to switch to a different advisor who shares a denominational orientation or a research interest or with whom the student has developed a personal connection. As a default, all Extension students are assigned to the Associate Dean for Extension Programs as their academic advisor, because the Associate Dean is the faculty member who is most familiar with the peculiar needs of Extension students. But if for any reason you desire to switch advisors, you may simply express that to the Associate Dean of the Extension Program, who will make every effort to accommodate your request.
Deposit
Registration & Orientation
January and Summer Courses During J-term and Summer term, we offer elective courses in one-week intensive format. This allows you to fulfill the ATS requirement that you earn at least 30 credit hours on our home campus. There is usually a variety of courses to choose from in any given week. You need not attend every week of January or Summer term each year, but may attend whichever weeks best suit your schedule and/or offer the courses of most interest to you. Just keep in mind that you need to accumulate at least 30 credits in Salisbury before you graduate. Your academic advisor can help you select which courses best meet your needs.
Other Special Events
Moodle
HOUSING In Greenville, rooms are available for Extension students who wish to spend Friday nights on the Lomax-Hannon College campus. There is no extra charge for the room, but students must supply their own bed and bath linens. To reserve a room, contact the On-site Coordinator. Students who prefer a hotel may contact one of the following: Holiday Inn Express Greenville
Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury Director of Admissions Associate Dean for Extension Programs
On-Site Coordinator for the Extension Program
Associate Director of Supervised Ministry
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