Week on Campus
The Immersive Experience
Even with our state-of-the-art online classrooms, we believe that in-person connection is essential for theological education.
Our students from both near and far visit campus twice a year for Fall Immersion and Summer Intensives—wrapping academic study, worship, community meals, and relational engagement with faculty and classmates into an immersive educational experience.
Experience
Accelerated Study
Intensive courses pack a semester’s worth of transformational classroom engagement into five days.
Worship & Prayer
Experience the presence of God in community
Community Meals
Connect around meals provided by the seminary community.
Chicago Intercultural Experiences
Encounter religions and traditions, peoples and cuisines in the intercultural tapestry of Chicago’s urban neighborhoods.
Faculty & Staff Connection
Meet your faculty advisor or support team for academic help or spiritual encouragement.
Training and Support
Connect with our writing coaches, librarian research faculty, or training on steps to ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Being a remote student, it was just something about being on campus—like being able to see it. This is a culture. There’s life here and vibrancy… and a beautiful campus too… just being online does not do it justice
—Brandon Jackson, M.A. Christian Formation (Ignite Cohort 6)
FAQ
When are campus immersion / intensive weeks?
Our Fall Immersion is usually scheduled for the second week of September (the week following Labor Day week). It is currently a 3 day schedule for M.A. students, and a 4-day experience for MDiv students.
(Our distance cohorts—Ignite and Equip—have their own schedule and location for Fall Immersion)
Our Summer Intensives session is usually scheduled for the first week of June. This is a 5-day or 6-day experience depending on your course selection.
Where are these located?
Main campus students, whether local, commuter, or distance, attend in-person at our beautiful urban campus in Chicago.
Denominational cohort students through the Evangelical Covenant Church—Ignite and Equip—attend their own locations and immersion programs for Fall Immersion and Chicago campus for Summer Intensives.
What is unique to the Fall Immersion experience?
Our Fall Immersion introduces the academic year, and for students in their first year, it’s designed to orient them for success, relationally and academically. We cover topics that set a foundation for future seminary courses, and create spaces to meet fellow cohort students and faculty for the first time.
For subsequent years Fall Immersion builds on the vocational journey, connecting students on the ordination track with key milestones and denominational resources.
What is different about the Summer Intensives experience?
Summer session focuses on accelerated academic training to condense the classroom engagement of a full semester-long course to the space of one week. Summer intensives are often electives, and multiple courses are offered on a rotating basis each year. The varied offerings also provide an opportunity to meet students across cohorts.
Do online students participate in campus intensives?
Yes. While our master degree programs have a significant online component that can fit life or ministry across the country, all our degree-seeking students are required to complete in-person sessions during their program. We believe that in-person connection is critical for pastoral formation. Learn all about planning your program.