What can I do with an online master in biblical studies?–

An online biblical studies degree helps prepare students for a wide range of careers, including: Pastor Theologian Professor Counselor Missionary Youth Minister Director of a Christian Non-Profit. Key Point: An online master’s degree earned in a biblical studies program opens up a wide range of career options for graduates.

Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies

By Dr. James Barham

Published: Jun 22, 2021
Updated: Nov 27, 2023

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

Key Takeaways

An online master’s degree in biblical studies allows students to select a focus area that best suits their educational and career goals.

An online master’s degree program in biblical studies is a perfect solution for working professionals because you can complete school while continuing to work.
An online biblical studies degree can lead to a wide range of career options in ministry, service,counseling, or education.

Top 10 Online Master's in Biblical Studies Degree Programs

Dallas Theological Seminary
Biola University
Andrews University
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Bob Jones University
Liberty University
Calvin Theological Seminary
Western Seminary
Denver Seminary
Abilene Christian University

Bob Jones University
Biola University
Liberty University
Andrews University
Dallas Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
University of Dallas
Abilene Christian University
Regent University
Faulkner University

Alliance University 100%
Liberty University 99%
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 93%
Andrews University 91%
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 87%
Houston Christian University 84%
Faulkner University 82%
Cairn University 81%
The Master's University 78%
Trevecca Nazarene University 71%

Trevecca Nazarene University 22 to 1
Regent University 21 to 1
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 20 to 1
Liberty University 18 to 1
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 17 to 1
Alliance University 15 to 1
Houston Christian University 15 to 1
Columbia International University 13 to 1
The Master's University 13 to 1
Abilene Christian University 13 to 1

University of Dallas $48,000
Biola University $44,382
Abilene Christian University $40,500
Houston Christian University $36,750
The Master's University $32,870
Andrews University $32,734
Cairn University $31,965
Trevecca Nazarene University $28,200
Alliance University $27,500
Columbia International University $26,840

University of Dallas $33,750
Andrews University $26,580
Abilene Christian University $24,174
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg $24,000
Catholic Theological Union $23,232
Dallas Theological Seminary $18,439
Asbury Theological Seminary $16,608
Calvin Theological Seminary $16,269
Regent University $16,028
Western Seminary $15,408

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Columbia International University
Luther Rice College & Seminary
The Master's University
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
Trevecca Nazarene University
Cairn University
Faulkner University
University of Dallas
Alliance University

Luther Rice College & Seminary
Columbia International University
Alliance University
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
The Master's University
Cairn University
Denver Seminary
Trevecca Nazarene University
Asbury Theological Seminary

Regent University 32%
Columbia International University 48%
Biola University 57%
University of Dallas 59%
Abilene Christian University 66%
Luther Rice College & Seminary 68%
Trevecca Nazarene University 71%
The Master's University 78%
Cairn University 81%
Faulkner University 82%

Andrews University 10 to 1
Luther Rice College & Seminary 10 to 1
Cairn University 11 to 1
Bob Jones University 12 to 1
University of Dallas 12 to 1
Columbia International University 13 to 1
The Master's University 13 to 1
Abilene Christian University 13 to 1
Biola University 13 to 1
Faulkner University 13 to 1

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary $9,480
Luther Rice College & Seminary $9,808
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary $12,000
Regent University $19,680
Bob Jones University $21,890
Liberty University $22,511
Faulkner University $23,920
Columbia International University $26,840
Alliance University $27,500
Trevecca Nazarene University $28,200

Luther Rice College & Seminary $5,976
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary $6,520
Liberty University $7,893
The Master's University $8,400
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary $8,550
Cairn University $10,278
Bob Jones University $10,676
Columbia International University $10,710
Houston Christian University $10,924
Trevecca Nazarene University $11,424

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Biblical Studies Degrees

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 an online 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.

Key Point: With classes available online and in person, an online advanced degree in biblical studies is perfect for working professionals who may need more flexibility.

A master’s degree in biblical studies program online typically range from about 36-60 required credits and can take between two and four years to complete.

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

An online biblical studies degree helps prepare students for a wide range of careers, including:

Pastor
Theologian
Professor
Counselor
Missionary
Youth Minister
Director of a Christian Non-Profit

Key Point: An online master’s degree earned in a biblical studies program opens up a wide range of career options for graduates.

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

How do we determine the best online biblical studies master's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Biblical Studies Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Theology/Theological Studies

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Job Growth: 0.78%
Number of Jobs: 295,800

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary	2.75%	$76,104
Clergy	0.56%	$52,663

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$40,605	$63,748	$100,982

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 Utah	4% higher than average	$84,750
#3 Georgia	13% higher than average	$68,025
#4 Missouri	16% higher than average	$64,765
#5 Ohio	14% higher than average	$65,185
#6 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$68,215
#7 Texas	10% higher than average	$65,635
#8 New York	5% higher than average	$75,740
#9 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$61,640
#10 Indiana	11% higher than average	$63,240
#11 Vermont	13% higher than average	$80,110
#12 Arizona	5% higher than average	$67,365
#13 Illinois	7% higher than average	$65,785
#14 Virginia	5% higher than average	$67,265
#15 Michigan	15% higher than average	$59,490
#16 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$65,225
#17 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$64,240
#18 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$59,740
#19 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$82,745
#20 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$55,005
#21 Maryland	18% higher than average	$78,785
#22 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$62,375
#23 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$55,740
#24 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$61,305
#25 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$57,885
#26 Alabama	13% higher than average	$56,230
#27 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$55,745
#28 Iowa	9% higher than average	$58,870
#29 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$72,095
#30 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$57,540
#31 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$55,040
#32 Maine	9% higher than average	$68,865
#33 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$75,620
#34 California	26% higher than average	$79,370
#35 Colorado	3% higher than average	$64,935
#36 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$70,050
#37 Washington	7% higher than average	$66,205
#38 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$56,045
#39 Montana	3% higher than average	$58,570
#40 Florida	6% higher than average	$56,390
#41 Oregon	11% higher than average	$64,635
#42 Nevada	5% higher than average	$60,840
#43 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$68,560
#44 Kansas	9% higher than average	$52,895
#45 Idaho	7% higher than average	$50,795
#46 Delaware	2% higher than average	$54,210
#47 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$47,370
#48 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$49,410
#49 North Dakota	average	$48,570
#50 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$71,515
#51 Alaska	23% higher than average	$53,740
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$55,540

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary	$76,104
Clergy	$52,663

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

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.

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.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies

Key Takeaways

Top 10 Online Master's in Biblical Studies Degree Programs

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Biblical Studies Degrees

Why should I get an online master’s degree in biblical studies?

How long does it take to get an online master’s degree in biblical studies?

What courses will I take in an online master’s in biblical studies program?

What can I do with an online master in biblical studies?

Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies Degree Programs

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Biola University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Andrews University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Liberty University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Abilene Christian University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Asbury Theological Seminary

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Houston Christian University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Regent University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Alliance University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at University of Dallas

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Faulkner University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Cairn University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Trevecca Nazarene University

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at The Master's University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Luther Rice College & Seminary

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Biblical Studies degree at Columbia International University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Students with Biblical Studies Degree

Theology/Theological Studies

Degree Level: Master's

Career Salaries

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+