TouchPoint Low-Residency Format

The Master of Divinity Degree Program at Meadville Lombard Theological School has been developed with the understanding that not everyone who seeks to answer their call to ministry is able to do so by relocating to a new city. Students enrolled in our TouchPoint distance learning format complete the degree program through a blend of face-to-face classroom, electronic classroom and teleconference experiences where they interact with each other and the faculty.

How does TouchPoint work?

TouchPoint students take academic classes in Chicago in the intensive format (weekend and week-long classes offered in January, March, and July). Students may also take up to three courses at a seminary near their home.

At the center of our educational model are three required Signature Courses, semester-long, mult-unit courses where students do practical work in community and congregational settings near their home and communicate weekly with their classmates and faculty via telephone and email.

When enrolled in a Signature Course, students are required to come to Chicago for the following events:

• September Convocation for each of the three Signature Courses (dates available on our Academic Calendar)
• The January Learning Convocation during the first week of January (dates available on our Academic Calendar)

Some required courses will only be offered in the intensive format during January, so students will also need to plan to take academic classes during January. We offer several courses over three full weeks, as well as half-unit weekend courses.

Students who plan to complete the degree program in three years should also plan on taking academic courses in Chicago during July, when another range of intensive, week-long courses are offered. We have also begun offering Spring intensives to assist our full-time TouchPoint students progress through the degree program.

Points of Contact for TouchPoint Students

Students in our TouchPoint format are in weekly contact with their classmates when enrolled in a Signature Course.  In addition to these weekly phone conversations, students interact with faculty, Teaching Pastors, staff and each other in a number of ways throughout their degree program:

• Virtual Orientations (via conference call or other electronic media)
• Fall Orientation
• Community Studies Sites
• Weekly Interactions
• Faculty Jaminar
• Triad Meetings
• Monthly Class Sessions
• Whole Class
• Small Group
• January Learning Convocation
• Intensive Courses
• January
• Spring
• Summer
• Teaching Pastors
• Faculty Advisors
• Director of Contextual Ministry

For more information about the TouchPoint format, please contact Justine Urbikas, Assistant Director for Recruitment and Communications. You can also reach her by telephone at 312.212.0673.