In the fall of 2017, the number of people who applied to Talbot rose by 18 percent, and student enrollment increased by 13 percent. Two master’s programs saw a dramatic increase: the Master of Arts in Theology (186 percent growth in applications, a 400 percent increase in enrollment) and the Master of Arts in Bible Exposition (200 percent growth in applications, a 250 percent jump in enrollment). Though interest in Master of Divinity programs has decreased across most seminaries in the U.S., interest in Talbot’s M.Div. also went up, with a 13 percent growth in both applications and enrollment.

Why the sudden and striking increase?

In recent years, Talbot’s administration, faculty and staff have been working hard on a new initiative to offer more flexible, streamlined programs to help alleviate some of the pressures students face, such as finances, time and distance.

The increase in enrollment coincides with the recently revamped degree programs. Talbot now offers three Master of Arts degrees fully online: Bible Exposition, New Testament and Theology. Further, up to 50 percent of the M.Div. is also available online, and many of the master’s programs not yet fully online offer a significant portion of their programs online or in a hybrid format. In the near future, more degrees are scheduled to become fully online.

Along with designing these more accessible platforms, Talbot reshaped its degrees to be more efficient, so that students can pursue a master’s degree with as little as 49 credits, and the M.Div. with 79 credits, all while keeping core elements such as biblical languages intact.

For more information about these flexible programs, visit Talbot's online degree page.