How does the SES External Studies Program work?

Once someone is accepted as an external student they will be sent an acceptance package which includes access to necessary external studies materials. Courses are then ordered online from the SES website or through the mail (course order pages are only available to logged-in students). Once the order clears, course material (lecture recordings, notes, course syllabus, etc.) access information is e-mailed back to the student. When course assignments and exams are completed the student sends them to SES where they are graded. At some point the student must fulfill the residence requirements for their degree program (see below). This process continues until all courses are completed and the student attends the SES graduation ceremony.

How similar is external studies to the residency experience?

It is as close as one can get without being here. SES external students experience the same classes that are taught in residency. SES does not substitute the classroom experience for "chat rooms" or mere reading supplements. The course comes with access to online audio lectures, but if the student wishes, video DVD's of the course may be purchased as well.

What is the difference between an external studies degree and a resident degree?

Nothing. The degrees and course transcripts are the same for both formats.

Is the external studies degree accredited?

Yes. All of the SES / SEBC degree programs are fully accredited.

Can degrees be completed entirely through external studies?

No. SES does not offer "mail order" degrees - we actually want to meet the people we graduate! Every degree program has its own resident requirements. Although any course taken in residence can be counted, external students usually prefer the one week modular courses that are offered during many semester "Reading Weeks" or during Winter (January) and Summer (May-June) sessions. A given module runs for one week, Monday through Saturday (M-F 6:00-10:30 and 8:00-4:30 that Saturday). Assignments for the courses are due a few months later. If required for the degree, Senior Seminar and Thesis Defense are taken in residence during the "Reading Week" of the Spring semester that the student plans to graduate. There are also certain classes offered only as resident courses and some of them require registration the semester prior to taking them in order to complete prerequisite work for the module itself. These are listed on the External Courses page

Can external students achieve full time status?

Because external students work on their own schedule there is generally no advantage to being enrolled in more than one course at a time. However, in order to maintain full time (Seminary: 9 hrs., Bible College: 12 hrs.) or some part time status students may choose to enroll in multiple courses at the same time. SES strongly recommends that students enrolled in 9 credit hours or more per semester should not work more than 20 hours per week, and those working 40 hours or more per week should not take more than 6 credit hours per semester (mid-semester and Winter modules are counted as semester courses in the calculation of these numbers). It is also important to understand that course time restrictions remain the same and extensions are not granted due to coursework "overload."

How do external students register for external courses?

Courses are ordered by logging onto the website (see External Course Orders) and paying with a credit card, or by printing the order form and mailing it in with a check

How do external students register for resident courses (semester or module length)?

When a student of any status takes a course on campus that student is considered a resident student for that course. Resident  procedures, fees, due dates, etc. will apply to that course (see Course Registration).

Are the assignments and exams the same for external studies as for resident courses?

Generally speaking, yes. Professors may make assignment changes to courses after the lectures were recorded in order to accommodate non-resident work (e.g., an oral report may be substituted for another assignment), or to simply update previous recordings (as it would be a waste of time and materials to re-record a course every time assignments get updated, changes are only recorded on the syllabus). The external course syllabus overrides anything contrary said in class.

How are exams taken?

Students must request the services of someone to serve as proctor for their exams. The proctor orders the exam and provides the space and time for the student to take the exam, then returns it to the school (see Proctor Guidelines).

What is the preferred order of courses?

Because external studies does not follow the resident schedule, virtually any course can be taken in any order. Unless a pre-requisite is listed (e.g., see SM401 below), students may take courses in any order, but here are some useful guidelines:

• SM401 is a degree prerequisite (as of the 2007-2008 catalog) so if you have not had that, take it first.
• Watch for courses with prerequisites and plan ahead for those.
• Choose core classes until you know your major.
• Follow course order in areas like Systematic Theology, Bible Survey, or History.
• Try to meet your resident course requirements as soon as possible to avoid schedule conflicts down the road.
• Watch the Six Year Schedule for required modular course availability and plan accordingly.
• More difficult subjects may be better taken in residence for more interaction, but if you are only taking modules in residence then the reverse might be true since external courses give you more time for completion.

When are course assignments due?

For most courses there is a four month time limit. The information sheet that comes with the course will list the exact date. Note that the course is not complete until attendance / reading reports (if required) are returned as well.

How are assignments / exams submitted?

There are two ways to send in assignments.

(1) E-MAIL (electronic files): The Course Information Sheet will include the exact e-mail instructions. E-mail must be sent by the course due date. Assignments must be done in Microsoft Word (.doc files). Exams will be provided electronically to exam proctors who may either print them out to be taken by hand or saved to a Microsoft Word file for e-mailing. Exam proctors have their own submission guidelines.

(2) REGULAR MAIL (hard copies): The Course Information Sheet will include the exact mail instructions. Regular mail must be postmarked by the course due date. Students should include a self-addressed stamped envelope for assignment return. Whichever submission form is used, it is important to keep back up copies in case of loss - exam proctors are given the same instructions.

Can course time limits be extended?

This is completely between the student and the professor. In the event of an emergency a course extension can be requested (the form can be downloaded here). All extensions are 60 days and must be re-requested if one runs out of time again. It is recommended that the student keep working in the meantime in case the request is not granted (it's better to get a lower grade than an "F"). Keep in mind that course extensions do not extend the degree time clock (taking all four months for every course would make a two year degree take eight years to complete - and this without any extensions or breaks between courses).

When are course grades sent out?

Course grades are mailed out by the Registrar as soon as the professor turns them in (depending on the time of year, the nature of the assignments, extensions, and other issues this can take from a few weeks to a few months). Professors may grade and return assignments individually if needed, or they may wait until everything has been turned in. Note that it is against school policy to give grades out over the phone or via e-mail. Students may order their next course before their grades are in from a previous course.

Can external students contact professors?

Yes. External students have the same opportunities for communication that resident students do. Both resident and external students may phone, e-mail, or even write to their professors.

Can external students use the library?

Yes. Southern Evangelical Seminary will provide library services to External Studies students to the best of its ability. Students may consult the librarian concerning study and research needs, and every effort will be made to help them acquire the information they need to meet the requirements of SES courses. Students may phone, fax, or email title requests. Instructions for searching the SES library online are under Library. Students may keep books for three weeks from the time they receive them. A return mailing label will be included in the shipment, students pay return postage only. If students request books that the SES library does not own, then the student should be able to go to their local library and receive the needed texts through inter-library loan. When students request journal articles SES will provide free photocopies (within reason) of articles we own in compliance with copyright laws.

Can courses be audited (taken without credit) externally?

Yes. External degree students may "audit" courses - but they will receive no academic credit for doing so and they may not order DVD's for such courses.