round dining room table with laptop computer, bible, study books, and a basket of apples

Photo by Roy, Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Welcome to the Course of Study Online Learning Center

About

The Course of Study (COS) is a theological education program prescribed by the Book of Discipline and offered by the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM).

Academic Terms

GBHEM offers three 10-week terms each year. Dates for 2024 are:

  • January 2024 Term: January 8 – March 17, 2024
  • May 2024 Term: May 6 – July 14, 2024
  • August 2024 Term: August 5 – October 13, 2024

Online Learning

All courses in the GBHEM COS/ACOS Online Program are fully online throughout the 10-week term with no travel or in-person meetings required.

Most courses are asynchronous, which means there are no online class meetings.

Weekly due dates are included for each learning activity in the course (discussion forums, assignments, quizzes, etc.). Students log in and work at their own pace within each week to meet the stated deadlines throughout the 10-week term.

A few GBHEM COS/ACOS online courses include Zoom meetings, sometimes as optional, informal office hours and sometimes as required online meetings. When Zoom meetings are required, the dates/times are listed in the course description on the registration site.

Registration

How to register: See the registration site for directions and upcoming courses. Registration periods are:

  • October 1 - November 20 for the January Term
  • March 1 - April 15 for the May Term
  • June 1 - July 20 for the August Term

Questions?

For questions or more information, contact the Course of Study Office at cos@gbhem.org.