Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies

Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies

Find top-ranked online master’s in biblical studies degree programs to prepare students to become professors, theologians, chaplains, and more.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Biblical Studies Degrees

Why should I get a master’s in biblical studies?

If you want to improve your leadership skills, dive into the scriptures with greater depth, and find ways to channel your faith into a career, pursuing a master’s degree in biblical studies may be a good option. This degree path comes in a variety forms and focuses, allowing students to select an option that best suits their educational and career goals.

With classes available online and in person, this advanced degree is perfect for working professionals who may need more flexibility.

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How long does it take to get a master’s in biblical studies?

Programs range from about 36-60 required credits and can take between two and four years to complete.

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What courses will I take?

Students will take advanced courses covering topics like Christian theology, teaching the Bible, and biblical interpretation.

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What can I do with a master’s in biblical studies?

A master’s in biblical studies helps prepare students to become professors, theologians, chaplains, and more.

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Learn more about what you can do with a master’s in religious studies.

Best Online Master's in Biblical Studies Degree Programs

Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies Degree Programs

  1. Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Biblical and Theological Studies
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  2. #2

    Biola University

    La Mirada , CA

    Tuition + fees

    $44K

    Acceptance

    61%

    Graduation

    70%

    Student body

    5K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1180/25

    Online Degrees

    MA in Bible Exposition
    • Required Credits: 49
    • Completion time: 2.5-3.5 years
    • Format: Online
  3. #3

    Andrews University

    Berrien Springs , MI
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $32K

    Acceptance

    82%

    Graduation

    72%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1205/24

    Online Degrees

    MA in Religious Education

    Concentrations

    • Bible Teaching
    • Required Credits: 48
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  4. Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    80%

    Graduation

    42%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1081/22

    Online Degrees

    MDiv in Divinity

    Concentrations

    • Christian Ministry
    • Great Commission Studies
    • Biblical Counseling
    • Required Credits: 88
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  5. #5

    Bob Jones University

    Greenville , SC
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $21K

    Graduation

    65%

    Student body

    3K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 37
    • Completion time: 1-1.5 years
    • Format: Online
    MA in Biblical Counseling
    • Required Credits: 33-41
    • Completion time: 1-1.5 years
    • Format: Online
    MDiv in Divinity

    Concentrations

    • Advanced Track
    • Bible Translation And Linguistics
    • Biblical Counseling
    • Biblical Languages
    • Church Planting And Urban Ministry
    • Church Worship
    • Global Missions
    • Military Chaplaincy
    • Preaching And Pastoral Ministry
    • Required Credits: 72-87
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  6. #6

    Liberty University

    Lynchburg , VA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $23K

    Acceptance

    99%

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    79K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1145/25

    Online Degrees

    ThM in Theology

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: 1 year
    • Format: Online
    MA in Biblical Exposition
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 1.5 years
    • Format: Online
    MA in Biblical Languages
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 1 year
    • Format: Online
    MABS in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  7. #7

    Calvin Theological Seminary

    Grand Rapids , MI

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Bible and Theology
    • Required Credits: 39
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  8. #8

    Western Seminary

    Portland , OR

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    MABL in Applied Biblical Leadership
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 3 years
    • Format: Online
    MA in Biblical And Theological Studies
    • Required Credits: 56
    • Completion time: 24 months
    • Format: Online
  9. #9

    Denver Seminary

    Littleton , CO

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Biblical and Theological Studies
    • Required Credits: 39
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  10. Student body

    1K

    Online Degrees

    ThM in Theology

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MBT in Biblical And Theological Foundations
    • Required Credits: 39
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MA in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 3 years
    • Format: Online
  11. Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Biblical Ministry
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  12. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $36K

    Acceptance

    85%

    Graduation

    44%

    Student body

    4K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1090/22

    Online Degrees

    MDiv in Divinity

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Languages
    • Required Credits: 72
    • Completion time: 4-5 years
    • Format: Online
  13. #14

    Regent University

    Virginia Beach , VA

    Tuition + fees

    $19K

    Acceptance

    41%

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    7K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1080/25

    Online Degrees

    ThM in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 24
    • Completion time: 1.5 years
    • Format: Online
    MTS in Biblical Languages
    • Required Credits: 48
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    MTS in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 48
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    MDiv in Biblical Languages
    • Required Credits: 72
    • Completion time: 3 years
    • Format: Online
    MA in Human Services

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Counseling
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  14. #15

    Alliance University

    New York , NY

    Tuition + fees

    $27K

    Acceptance

    100%

    Graduation

    40%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    960/19

    Online Degrees

    MA in Biblical Literature

    Concentrations

    • New Testament
    • Old Testament
    • Required Credits: 54
    • Completion time: 3-4 years
    • Format: Online
    MA in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
    MDiv in Theology

    Concentrations

    • Mission Bible and Greek Theology
    • Required Credits: 93
    • Completion time: 4-5 years
    • Format: Online
    MDiv in Theology

    Concentrations

    • Mission Bible and Hebrew Theology
    • Required Credits: 93
    • Completion time: 4-5 years
    • Format: Online
  15. #16

    University of Dallas

    Irving , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $47K

    Acceptance

    58%

    Graduation

    72%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1240/26

    Online Degrees

    MA in Theological Studies

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 37
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  16. #17

    Faulkner University

    Montgomery , AL
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $23K

    Acceptance

    65%

    Graduation

    19%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1097/20

    Online Degrees

    MA in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  17. #18

    Cairn University

    Langhorne , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $31K

    Acceptance

    82%

    Graduation

    61%

    Student body

    1K

    Online Degrees

    BS/MA in Bible and Religion
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  18. Tuition + fees

    $27K

    Acceptance

    78%

    Graduation

    49%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1146/22

    Online Degrees

    MA in Theology and Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 32
    • Completion time: 18- 24 months
    • Format: Online
  19. Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Arts

    Concentrations

    • Bible
    • History
    • Theology
    • Pastoral Care
    • Interfaith Studies
    • Christian Education
    • Lutheran Studies
    • Liturgy and Music
    • Integrative Theology
    • Metropolitan/ Urban Ministry
    • Rural Ministry
    • Black Church
    • Required Credits: 51
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  20. #21

    The Master's University

    Santa Clarita , CA

    Tuition + fees

    $29K

    Acceptance

    67%

    Graduation

    72%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    MABS in Biblical Studies
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  21. Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    42%

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    MA in Theology

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Counseling
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 18-24 months
    • Format: Online
  22. Tuition + fees

    $26K

    Acceptance

    46%

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1045/20

    Online Degrees

    MA in Bible Exposition
    • Required Credits: 48
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    MDiv in Divinity

    Concentrations

    • Bible Exposition
    • Care And Counseling
    • Chaplaincy
    • Ministry Studies
    • Missiological Studies
    • Muslim Studies
    • Teaching English As A Foreign Language
    • Youth Ministry Leadership
    • Required Credits: 78
    • Completion time: 3 years
    • Format: Online
  23. Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    98%

    Graduation

    52%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    MTS in Theological Studies

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Studies
    • Church Planting
    • Church Revitalization
    • Leadership
    • Discipleship Ministries
    • Missions
    • Preaching And Pastoral Ministry
    • Worship Ministries
    • Required Credits: 45
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MA in Biblical Counseling
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MDiv in Divinity

    Concentrations

    • Biblical Counseling
    • Biblical Languages
    • Preaching And Pastoral Ministry
    • Christian Education
    • Church Planting
    • Leadership
    • Christian Ministry
    • Required Credits: 90
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online

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Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Resources for Prospective Grad Students

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.