Calvary Chapel Golden Springs Bible College awards the title of Associate of Theology to students who complete the 64-credit Associates Degree Program. To receive this Associates Degree, a minimum of 64 credits must be completed with a passing grade (C- or above). Students can complete the program in as little as two years or at the individual pace of each student.
Students who have earned a high school diploma, California Proficiency Exam (CPE) or GED are eligible for the Associate of Theology program upon submitting complete high school transcript, CPE, or GED. Homeschooled students who desire to pursue an Associate of Theology degree must submit high school transcripts. Students who have completed secondary education outside of the United States and desire to pursue an Associate of Theology degree must submit an evaluation of foreign credentials from an evaluating agency. The following are the Course Requirements for this 64-credit program:
Core Requirements: A minimum of 41 credits must be completed by the following required courses:
Old Testament and New Testament Survey Courses: A minimum 12 credits must be completed with the Old Testament and New Testament Survey courses. These four 3 credit courses consist of a verse-by-verse study through the entire Bible taught by Pastor Chuck Smith.
Service Courses: A minimum of 4 credits must be completed through Practical Christian Ministry courses. Each course is worth 1 credit. In each course, students are required to serve at their local fellowship for a minimum number of hours each week. Students must enroll in this course during 4 different semesters prior to graduation.
Required Bible Courses: A minimum of 15 credits must be completed with required Bible courses. These include Genesis or Pentateuch (3 credits), a Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) or Life of Christ (3 credits), Acts (3 credits), Romans (3 credits), and Revelation (3 credits).
Theology Courses: A minimum of 6 credits must be completed with a required Biblical Doctrines course (3 credits) and an Inductive Bible Study course (3 credits).
Foundations Course: A minimum of 2 credits must be completed with any of the following courses. This could be an Attributes of God (2 credits), Apologetics (2 credits), a Cults-Comparative Religions (3 credits), Ethics (2 credits), or Evangelism (2 credits) course.
Ministry Course: A minimum of 2 credits must be completed with a required Ministry course. This could be a Philosophy of Ministry (2 credits), Missions (2 credits), Counseling (2 credits), Pastoral Ministry (2 credits), Youth Ministry (2 credits), Children’s Ministry (2 credits), Preaching (2 credits), or Worship (2 credits) course.
Elective Courses: A minimum of 23 credits must be completed by taking Elective Courses:
Bible Electives: A minimum of 10 credits must be completed with Bible electives. Any class that is taught verse-by-verse through a specific book of the Bible will count toward this requirement. This does not, however, include the Old Testament and New Testament Survey courses, which are a separate requirement.
Other Electives: The remaining 13 credits required for graduation may be completed by any of the other courses offered at CCGS Bible College. If the requirement for Bible Electives has been fulfilled, Bible classes can also be used for Other Electives as well.
Student Learning Outcomes for the Associate of Theology degree are the following:
– The student will exhibit general knowledge of the Bible, theology, and the core of Christian Ministry by properly interpreting, applying, and communicating the Scriptures in ways that support the local church community.
– The student will demonstrate servant-leadership skills in areas of the local church and parachurch ministries by directly serving under pastoral leaders through hands-on practicums.