The regular ERSU Program is a combination of intensive courses, homework assignments, and service in the church. We want to train students for ministry, while at the same time serving in ministry. The student’s ongoing practical ministry in the local churches should be integrated with their home assignments: what is learned at the Seminary should be practiced in the home congregation.
In order to achieve our goals we offer 8-9 weeks per year of concentrated studies in Kiev. Apart from this, we want to stay in touch with our students on a regular base through tutorials. In this way the students meet with professors and other students at least once a month.
The academic year is divided into 3 semesters and 5 sessions.
Semester 1
session 1 – 2nd and 3rd week of September
session 2 – last week of October (and sometimes the first week of November)
Semester 2
session 3 – 2nd and 3rd week of January
session 4 – 3rd week of March
Semester 3
session 5 – last week of May and 1st week of June
This means, that in the 1st and 2nd semester students take 3 courses per semester, in the 3rd semester they take 2 courses. Thus a student takes 8 courses per academic year.
2.1. Lectures
During the Seminary sessions there are intensive lectures. The lecturers are qualified Seminary professors from the USA, The Netherlands and other countries. Part of the lectures are taught by the local academic staff.
At most of the sessions separate courses are taught for Junior and Senior students:
* during the 2 week sessions, 2 courses are taught for each group.
* during a 1 week session, the Junior and Senior students each have only 1 course.
2.2. Christian Fellowship
As many of our students live at great distance from one another, Seminary sessions are also a place for Christian fellowship and prayer, mutual encouragement and exchange of experience.
3. Home work assignments
Students receive home work assignments by the end of each session. All materials (books, photocopies, CD’s) are provided by the Seminary. ERSU asks an average 20 hours of study per week from the students, apart from their ministry in the congregation. This is demanding, but we believe that students learn not only through listening to lectures, but also through reading and writing research papers and using the lecture materials in their practical service in the congregation.
In order to enter the following semester, all assignments of the previous semester must be completed. See our semester chart in PDF. When a student is not in the position to finish his work for a semester, the mentor together with the Academic Dean will decide if a student can attend the following semester. See our grading policy.