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What is Maritime Christian College?
Maritime Christian College (MCC) is an online Christian college founded in 1960 that focuses on training people for ministry and discipleship. Its platform is entirely online, and it describes its mission as educating, equipping and inspiring disciples of Jesus, with small classes, flexible schedules and students from any location. It states its teaching is grounded in the authority of the Bible.
What it offers
MCC's programs are aimed at adults who want practical ministry training rather than a general undergraduate education:
- Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership — an online graduate degree described as 2–3 years at roughly 10 hours per week, for advanced leadership training in disciple-focused ministry.
- How to Study the Bible Online — a one-year certificate covering interpretive methods for understanding scripture, at about 3 hours per week.
- Disciple Maker's Path — a one-year certificate on Jesus' method of building life-changing relationships, also about 3 hours per week.
Who it suits
It is a reasonable fit for church leaders, volunteers, Sunday school teachers or laypeople who want structured biblical and discipleship training without relocating, and who value a low weekly time commitment. It is less suited to someone seeking a residential campus experience, a broad liberal arts degree or accredited professional credentials outside ministry.
How to decide
Start with the certificate route if you mainly want to handle scripture better or lead a small group; consider the master's if you already serve in church leadership and want formal advanced training. Before applying, ask directly about accreditation, transferability of credits and total cost, since those details determine whether a program works for your situation. You can compare MCC with other online options such as Liberty University or The Master's Seminary to see how curriculum, schedule and doctrinal stance differ.
How does the online Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership program work?
The online Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership at Maritime Christian College is a graduate degree delivered entirely online, designed for people already in or preparing for church leadership who want training focused on disciple-making rather than general theology alone. According to the program page, it runs 2–3 years and is estimated at about 10 hours of study per week.
Maritime Christian
What the structure suggests
- Fully online delivery. The college states its platform is completely online, so you are not relocating or commuting; this suits bi-vocational pastors, lay leaders and people in full-time work.
- Cohort-style load. At roughly 10 hours weekly, the pace is heavier than the college's one-year certificates (about 3 hours weekly), so it assumes a genuine weekly rhythm rather than occasional study.
- Leadership emphasis. The title and description point to "advanced leadership training preparing students for disciple focused ministry and leadership in the church" — practical ministry leadership, not a research-track degree.
Who it fits, and the trade-offs
It fits a working church leader or serious volunteer who wants structured, credentialed training without leaving a current role. The trade-off is that a 2–3 year, 10-hour-week commitment is a real second job alongside ministry; if you mainly want to learn to interpret Scripture or build discipling relationships, the shorter certificate routes may be the better first step.
Next step
Request information from the college and ask three concrete questions before applying: the total number of courses and any residency or synchronous sessions, the tuition and whether bursaries like the one a student mentions are available to you, and how credits would transfer if your circumstances change. The site's own testimonials — for example, Nathan Shelton on a bursary reducing financial barriers, and Jamie Bombardier on wanting a whole church council to take a course — are individual student observations, not guarantees; treat them as prompts for questions rather than evidence about your own case.
What is the difference between the How to Study the Bible Online certificate and the Disciple Maker's Path certificate?
Both are one-year online certificate programs at Maritime Christian College, each requiring roughly 3 hours of weekly study, but they aim at different skills: How to Study the Bible Online teaches interpretive method (how to get at the meaning of scripture), while Disciple Maker's Path teaches relational practice (how to build the kind of relationships that help others grow in faith).
Side-by-side
| How to Study the Bible Online | Disciple Maker's Path | |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Handling the biblical text: a step-by-step process for studying the meaning of scripture using proven interpretive methods | Following Jesus' method of building relationships that change lives |
| What you practice | Observation, interpretation and application of a passage | Relational disciple-making, described as simple, practical and transformative |
| Typical outcome | More confidence reading and teaching the Bible accurately | More confidence walking with others toward Christ |
| Time commitment | 1 year, about 3 hours weekly | 1 year, about 3 hours weekly |
| Best fit | People who want a method they can reuse in teaching, preaching or personal study | People who want to invest in individuals, small groups or a congregation's culture |
How to choose
If you have ever finished a passage and been unsure whether your conclusion was sound, the Bible study certificate addresses that gap directly. If you already read scripture reasonably well but freeze when it comes to actually helping someone else follow Jesus, Disciple Maker's Path targets that instead. The two are complementary rather than competing, and a church could reasonably send its teachers through one and its small-group leaders through the other.
Student comments on the site reflect this split: Nikki Lewis and Jamie Bombardier describe Disciple Maker's Path in terms of responding to Jesus' command to tell others and implementing what they learned, with Bombardier wanting an entire church council to take it. Nathan Shelton, writing about the Master of Arts, mentions a bursary removing financial barriers. Those are their own observations; the practical takeaway is that the disciple-making track seems designed for group or congregational participation, which is worth keeping in mind if you would rather not study alone.
Next step: request information from Maritime Christian and ask two questions before enrolling — whether either certificate can be applied toward the Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership, and whether a bursary or payment plan is available, since Shelton's comment suggests financial aid exists at the institution even though the certificate pages do not state costs.
Are there scholarships or bursaries available for Maritime Christian College students?
Yes. Maritime Christian College (MCC) references a bursary in its own student testimonials, so financial assistance tied to study there is part of the picture. The clearest evidence is a Master of Arts student, Nathan Shelton, who says a bursary “helped me by knocking down the financial barriers of a masters program.” That is a student's observation, not a published award list. Treat it as a signal that bursary support exists, not as proof of a specific amount, deadline or eligibility rule.
What the page actually supports
- MCC describes itself as an online college founded in 1960, with programs including a Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership and certificate programs such as How to Study the Bible Online and the Disciple Maker's Path.
- The testimonial from Nathan Shelton is the only direct financial-aid reference in the supplied page evidence.
- No tuition figures, scholarship names, application deadlines or award amounts appear in the page evidence, so those details should come from the college directly.
How to think about it
If you are considering MCC, separate two questions: whether you qualify for admission, and whether you can afford it. The testimonial suggests aid can reduce cost for at least some students, but it does not tell you whether awards are need-based, merit-based, restricted to graduate study or reserved for particular church connections. A prospective certificate student and a prospective master's student may face different answers.
Practical next step
Ask MCC's admissions or financial aid office directly, and ask specifically:
- What bursaries or scholarships exist for my program?
- Are awards based on need, academic merit, ministry involvement or church affiliation?
- What is the application deadline relative to the program start date?
- Can aid be combined with other support?
- What documentation is required?
You can start with the college's own site: Maritime Christian College. If you want to compare how other Christian colleges handle aid, look at their official financial aid pages rather than third-party summaries.
What do current students say about their experience at Maritime Christian College?
Maritime Christian College's own page highlights three student testimonials, and they cluster around two themes: personal spiritual impact and practical ministry application.
What the featured students say
- Nikki Lewis (Disciple Makers Path) describes the course as "an amazing reminder of what Jesus did for me" and says it renewed her sense of Jesus' command to share that love with others.
- Nathan Shelton (Master of Arts) credits a bursary with reducing the financial barrier to a master's program, making it possible to take a course that "further my ministry."
- Jamie Bombardier (Disciple Makers Path) says she has already begun implementing what she learned and wants her entire church council to take the course so they can "grow and learn together."
The page also carries a partial fourth comment from a student who chose MCC because they were confident the instructors, content, and coursework would make them "a better" disciple maker.
How to read these
These are short, promotional quotes chosen by the college, not a systematic survey, so treat them as illustrations of the kinds of outcomes students report rather than a balanced picture. Notably, the comments skew toward formation and confidence rather than academic rigor or career placement, which matches the college's stated emphasis on equipping students for disciple-making ministry.
If you are weighing a program, one practical step is to ask admissions for contact with a recent graduate in your specific track — the Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership and the one-year certificate programs have very different time commitments (roughly 10 hours weekly versus 3), so the experience will differ accordingly.
How can I request more information or apply to Maritime Christian College?
Maritime Christian College asks you to begin with its "Request Information" option rather than a public application form. That is the practical first step: you tell the college which program interests you, and they follow up with admission details and next steps.
Programs you can ask about
- Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership — an online graduate degree described as 2–3 years, about 10 hours weekly, aimed at advanced leadership training for disciple-focused ministry.
- How to Study the Bible Online — a one-year certificate program, about 3 hours weekly, focused on interpretive methods for understanding scripture.
- Disciple Maker's Path — a one-year certificate program, about 3 hours weekly, centered on Jesus' method of building life-changing relationships.
How to approach the request
- Go to Maritime Christian and use the "Request Information" link.
- State your intended program and whether you want the graduate degree or a certificate.
- Mention your situation — layperson, church leader, or someone considering formal ministry — so the reply can address the right requirements.
- Ask specifically about admission prerequisites, start dates, tuition, and any bursary or financial aid. A student testimonial on the site mentions a bursary reducing the financial barrier of a master's course, so aid is worth asking about directly.
A useful next step
If you are unsure which program fits, ask for information on two: the certificate that matches your current experience and the degree you might pursue later. The certificates are shorter and lighter weekly commitments, which makes them a reasonable way to test the online format before committing to the graduate program.
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