Your church or ministry is already sending people to Southern for training. The question is what happens while they are in the middle of it.
Online courses can be faithful and rigorous, but they can also become isolated. Students log in, complete assignments, and keep moving, often without the kind of discussion, encouragement, and accountability that happens naturally in the life of the church.
Ministry-based Online Course Cohorts exist to change that. Southern comes alongside your church or ministry so students can pursue their degree while staying connected to your leaders and your people.
What are Ministry-based Online Course Cohorts?
A Ministry-based Online Course Cohort is a group of students enrolled in the same Southern online course who also learn together as a cohort, either in person or virtually.
The course remains a standard Southern online course. Southern faculty maintain responsibility for teaching oversight, outcomes, assessment, and grading. Your church or ministry provides the cohort environment that brings discussion, encouragement, and ministry application into the training process.
How it works
Your ministry leader serves as the cohort leader and helps students process what they are learning in the context of the local church
In many cases, cohort engagement can replace certain online assignments with live discussion and shared learning. A common example is replacing discussion forums with a guided group discussion led by your ministry leader, either in person or virtually. Depending on the course, there may be other assignments that can be completed together as a cohort. Any adjustments are confirmed in advance so students meet the academic requirements and the course outcomes remain clear.
Who this is for
This option is designed for churches with multiple members taking online courses at Southern, and for ministry networks where students are spread across different locations but want to learn together.
It is also for church and ministry leaders who want to stay meaningfully involved in the equipping of their people while those students pursue a Southern degree.
Why cohorts matter
Cohorts strengthen students by adding community, discussion, and accountability while they are doing the work.
They also strengthen churches and ministry networks by keeping leaders connected to the training process, not just the finished degree.
I’m interested…
Fill out this form and our Director of Church and Alumni Engagement will reach out to you about next steps.