Veritas Baptist College

veritas baptist college

Degree Programs Available at Veritas Baptist College

Veritas Baptist College appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Theology Degree Programs Online.

Veritas Baptist College offers online degree and certificate programs for students at three different levels. Students can earn an associate degree in either ministry or Christian education. The ministry program includes concentrations in Bible, Christian ministries, church business, youth ministries and pastoral studies. Students in the Christian education program can choose from concentrations in early childhood education or elementary education. Both programs include 12 credits of religion courses such as Old Testament Survey and Old Testament Survey and general education courses, including English Composition and Fundamentals of Speech. Students in the education program can apply for their state teaching licenses once they graduate, while graduates of the ministry program can do missionary work or work for the church.

Both the ministry and the Christian education programs are available for students at the bachelor’s level too. The Christian education program includes concentrations in elementary education and secondary education, which allows students to choose between working with high school students or younger kids. Education majors must take 25 credits of classes from within their majors and concentrations, including Human Growth and Development and Methods and Practices. There is also a classroom practicum, which lets students earn two credits for work they do in a classroom. Veritas Baptist College also offers a Bible certificate program that takes one year to finish.

Four graduate degree programs are available online from the college too. There is a Master of Christian Education designed for teachers and a Master of Divinity for pastors and ministers. Students can also earn a Master of Ministry or a Master of Biblical Studies from the college. Ministry majors can choose from multiple concentrations that include church ministries and pastoral studies. There is also a Christian counseling concentration that helps students become counselors in their churches. All of the college’s graduate programs feature eight-week online classes.

About Veritas Baptist College

Veritas Baptist College is a private college affiliated with the Baptist Church that offers online certificate and degree programs. Three pastors working in Fredericksburg and surrounding areas in Virginia came together in the 1980s to form a new college. They wanted to create a school that offered continuing education programs for pastors and other religious workers. It opened in 1984 as the Berean Baptist Institute, which offered a theology diploma that took three years to complete. Classes met three nights a week to allow students to keep their full-time jobs. The institute would become a full college in 1990 and add a bachelor’s degree program to its catalog. This would eventually lead to the addition of associate and graduate degree programs.

Also called VBC, the college launched a pilot program that included teleconferencing for students. The success of that program led to the college establishing online programs that took the place of its traditional programs. All the degree and certificate options now available are online. This gives students the chance to do professional and volunteer work while in college. Many of the students enrolled in VBC also do missionary work through their churches.

Veritas Baptist College Accreditation Details

VBC has the authorization necessary to operate online. It also gained approval from Indiana to offer online degree programs to students in the Hoosier State. Though VBC does not have regional accreditation, it belongs to the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TACCS). This shows students that the college offers a safe space for them to talk about their emotions and beliefs without feeling judged.

Veritas Baptist College Application Requirements

VBS is unique because it believes that every student deserves the right to the same academic opportunities as their peers. All prospective students must click on the apply button on the college’s website, which will direct them to the application. They need to enter a full name that includes a middle name, email address and home or cell phone number. The application will then ask which level they want to study: undergraduate, graduate or dual enrollment in high school. Once they select a level, the application will add more boxes that they need to complete. Once they enter a home address, the application will switch to a new page that asks for more information.

It only takes a few minutes to complete the application, but it asks questions that other applications do not. Students will need to enter their occupations or job titles and the name of the churches that they attend. As VBS is a religious institution, it does not accept students who do not attend church. Students will also need to write out any crimes they committed or any legal issues that might appear on a background check and explain how they help or work in their churches. The VBS application asks for a photo and for students to give it the authorization to do a background check. There is also a code of conduct that students will need to sign and date to show that they agree to follow those rules. A $40 application fee is due when students reach the end of the application too.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The cost of attending VBS as a full-time undergraduate is $3,130 per semester. This allows students to take up to 16 credits and includes their registration and technology fees. Part-time undergrads will pay $125 in fees each semester and $240 per credit hour for their courses. Graduate students taking up to eight credit hours are part-time students who pay $270 per credit hour and $80 in fees each semester. Full-time graduate students pay $2,700 per semester for tuition and fees.

As students fill out the VBS application, they will need to check a box to show that they served in the military and qualify for veterans’ benefits. Students who want to apply for traditional forms of financial aid will need to complete an interview with the Virtual Financial Aid Office (VFAO) and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is a separate scholarship application that allows students to apply for scholarships up through the first of August. Those who cannot afford the cost of their textbooks can also apply for a book voucher, which gives them free money they can use for those books. Grants and loans are both available to students in the degree programs offered at Veritas Baptist College.