GENERAL INFORMATION
Accreditation
VHBSS, as an outreach of the Fellowship of Vineyard Harvester Churches, is recognized by the State of Georgia as a Domestic Non-Profit Corporation as set forth by Title 14 of the official Code of Georgia Annotated as of June 17, 1997.
VHBSS has a worldwide affiliation as a member of the International Communion of Charismatic Churches (ICCC).
VHBSS is fully accredited by Transworld Accrediting Commission, International (TAC).
Units of Credit
Two units of credit are offered for most courses. These courses include 18 hours of lecture (either live or video), written assignments, and a final exam.
A credit may be received by attending seminars, workshops, and conferences of at least 9 hours approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs. In addition, readings and a written report may be required.
A credit may be received by transferring credits from another approved school or program. Transfer credits must be approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Classes on Main Campus of VHBSS
Regular classes on the main campus of VHBSS will be conducted each term, primarily on Tuesdays and Thursday, from 6:00 P.M. through 9:00 P.M. Video courses can be set up on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM-12 noon. There will be two regular terms during the school year: Fall and Spring. Each term will be twelve (12) weeks in duration, with eighteen (18) hours of class time per course. In addition, one credit of credit may be earned through six (6) weeks of teaching in Wednesday night classes for one and one-half hours per week. There will be three (4) such six-week Wednesday night terms during the year.
Credit for Annual July Conference
Each year we have some of the most outstanding Five-fold Ministries to speak at our Summer Conference in Cedartown, Georgia. There can be no better ministry than can be received here. Therefore, one or two credit(s) may be earned through attendance at and participation in the Conference which begins the first Wednesday after the Fourth of July and continues through the following Saturday evening. An outside assignment may be required, which should be completed and mailed back to VHBSS within 30 days. Complete information on these special sessions will be available closer to the proposed dates.
Correspondence School
A student may enroll in any degree program offered by VHBSS and complete classes through online video presentations. A correspondence school student must be a regularly enrolled student by completing all entrance and registration requirements. The courses are available at www.vhbss.org.
If a student is full-time, then he/she must complete 30 credits per calendar year, which means that the pace should be that of a regular student on the main campus. A student is allowed to work at his/her own pace; however, there is a time limit of 180 days after the course is begun. After the time limit expires, the student must re-enroll (unless arrangements have been made for unusual circumstances). .
Transfer Policy
Credits may be transferred into an Associate Degree Program or a Bachelor Degree Program. No transfer credits will be accepted for a One-Year Certificate. When transferring into an eligible program, we will accept equivalent credits from other qualified Bible Schools and Colleges provided the grade of “C” or above has been received. All transfer credits must be compatible with Vineyard Harvester Bible School and Seminary’s programs of study and must be approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs.
Courses that do not have a VHBSS equivalent, but are academic in nature, are counted as elective credits unless transferred to meet a specific requirement. If a course is to meet a specific requirement, there must be written approval from the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student must present all transcripts for analysis, and there is a fee assessed for each credit transferred into VHBSS (according to present fee schedule). A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred toward an associate degree, and a maximum of 60 credits may be transferred toward a bachelor degree. All courses required by VHBSS must be met for each degree program.
Life-experience Credits
A student over thirty years of age may make application for life-experience credits. Guidelines for submission of life experiences will be made available upon being accepted as a student. Up to 30 credits may be earned, depending upon prior experiences, training, honors, accomplishments, and verification of leadership qualities. A fee is assessed for each credit granted for life experiences (according to present fee schedule).
Drop/Add Refund Policy
Residence students may drop classes for an 80% refund, or may change classes, only before the beginning of the second session of the course. After the beginning of the second session there will be no refund, and no classes can be changed. (This policy does not apply to online students).
Transcripts
All transcripts must be requested in writing by the student. All written requests should include the student’s name as registered, the student’s social security number, the date the student last attended, the name and address of the person to receive transcripts, and how many copies are to be sent. There is a fee for each transcript (according to present fee schedule).
Core Curriculum
The following courses are required for all undergraduate degrees received from Vineyard Harvester Bible School and Seminary:
American Cultural Studies (2 credits): ACS***
Bible Electives (4 credits) BIB***
Church History (2 credits) MIN221
Covenant (3 credits)MIN295
Intro Christian Counseling (2 credits) COU201
English Composition (4 credits): ENG201, ENG202
English Grammar (4 credits): ENG101, ENG102
Kingdom Principles I (2 credits) BIB441
Ministry Electives (5 credits) MIN***
Multi-cultural Studies( 2 credits): SOC252
New Testament Survey (4 credits): BIB111, BIB112
Old Testament Survey (6 credits): BIB101, BIB102, BIB103
***Any course with this prefix
TOTAL 40 credits
Programs of Study
Bible and Biblical Studies
Ministry
Ministry of Christian Therapy
Family Studies
CERTIFICATES AND DEGREES
Vineyard Harvester Bible School and Seminary offers numerous programs to fit the individual student’s need. One-year certificates may be earned in Bible and Biblical Studies, Ministry, Ministry of Christian Therapy, and Family Studies. One-year certificates may be received upon successful completion of 30 credits in the field of study.
The Associate (2 years), Bachelor (4 years), and Master (a year beyond the Bachelor) degrees may be earned in each of the above programs of study.
The doctoral degree (60 credits above the Masters) may be earned in Bible and Biblical Studies or Ministry.
Associate Degree Programs
The Associate of Theology degree must consist of 60 credits, which includes the Core Curriculum (30 units) in addition to 20 units in the study area of specialty. A 2.5 grade point average (GPA) must be averaged for the associate program.
Bachelor Degree Requirements
To receive a Bachelor of Theology Degree from Vineyard Harvester Bible School and Seminary, 120 credits must be completed with a grade average of at 2.5 (4.0 grade scale) The Core Curriculum must be completed, and a major and minor area of study must be declared. A grade average of at least a “B” should be maintained in the major area of study. No credit can be granted for a course in the major with a grade less than “C.”
Bachelor of Theology degrees are offered in the fields of Bible and Biblical Studies, Ministry, Ministry of Christian Therapy, and Family Studies. A minor may be obtained in any of the above areas of study.
Following would be the bachelor degrees offered:
Bachelor of Theology in Bible and Biblical Studies
Bachelor of Theology in Ministry
Bachelor of Theology in Ministry of Christian Therapy
Bachelor of Theology in Family Studies
The course of study for the bachelor degree must include the following:
Major: 30 credits
Minor: 18 credits
Core: 40 credits
Electives: 32 credits
Total: 120 credits
Note: The purpose of the Core Curriculum is to be sure that a student has a variety of classes in different fields. Any credit in the Core Curriculum could be counted as part of major or minor requirements. For example, a major in Bible and Biblical Studies requires 30 credits. There are 8 Bible and Biblical Studies credits in the Core Curriculum. That means one would need 22 additional credits of Bible to satisfy requirement of 30 credits for the major. The same would be true for a major in Ministry. There are 10 credits of Ministry required in the Core curriculum. For a major in Ministry, one would need 20 additional credits and 8 additional credits for a minor. The credits would have to total 120 for the bachelor degree. The remainder of the credits needed beyond the Core Curriculum, major, and minor will be credits for Life Experience and electives.
Graduate Programs
Master of Theology Requirements
In order to become a candidate for the Master of Theology degree, an individual must have a bachelor degree from an approved school. The Master of Theology program must include 30 credits of course work in addition to a Master’s Thesis (6 credits). Twenty (20) credits must be in a major area of study. The program of study must be approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs.
A Master’s degree may be earned in the following fields of study:
Bible and Biblical Studies
Ministry
Following would be the master’s degrees offered:
Master of Theology in Bible and Biblical Studies
Master of Theology in Ministry
Doctor of Theology
In order to become a candidate for the Master of Theology degree, an individual must have a Master’s Degree from an approved school. The Doctor of Theology program must include 60 credits of course work, which includes a 12-credit dissertation. Additional information is provided in the Doctor of Theology Student Handbook. The program of study must be approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs.
A Doctor of Theology degree may be earned in the following fields of study:
Bible and Biblical Studies
Ministry
Following would be the doctoral degrees offered:
Doctor of Theology in Bible and Biblical Studies
Doctor of Theology in Ministry
Grading System
Grade |
Percent |
GPA |
A |
90-100 |
4.0 |
B |
80-89 |
3.0 |
C |
70-79 |
2.0 |
D |
60-69 |
1.0 |
| F | Below 60 | 0 |
