Growing from a Firm Foundation
Yellowstone Theological Institute is educating leaders of the future church. As membership in the church evolves, YTI’s varied curricula provide training in classes offered on campus and online, and in one to three-year programs designed to suit individual needs. Students will develop the ability to lead with love and understanding in a variety of settings.
As part of our academic offerings, future leaders can earn diplomas and master’s degrees with affordable programs that include the Master of Arts, Master of Divinity (launching in 2025), and Diploma of Christian Theology. Students who complete a master’s degree program at YTI will be able to take their hands-on learning and apply their education within a specific church, ministry, organization or business setting.
Degree Program Master of Arts
An intense and innovative program, YTI’s Master of Arts has five degree concentration options. This advanced degree can be completed in three years of full-time study, but it can also be pursued at a more leisurely pace for the student who is balancing work and family. YTI’s goal is to provide a quality theological education regardless of your stage of life.
Degree Program Master of Divinity
Launching Fall 2025!
The M.Div. has long been considered the standard preparation for formal ministry in the church. The course of study in YTI’s Master of Divinity will encompass biblical studies, theological studies, spiritual studies, culture and mission, worship arts, and adventure, as well as training in a wide array of essential ministry skills. Master of Divinity classes will be conducted in a seminar style, and students will be able to pursue their studies full-time or part-time..
Diploma Program Diploma of Christian Theology
YTI’s Diploma of Christian Theology provides students with a solid foundation for ministry. The program includes 30 hours of classes that will help students grow and deepen their faith. We offer students a variety of courses, including theological understanding and biblical knowledge. Diploma-focus subjects provide students with more depth in specific areas across their typical 18 months of study on campus or online.
Why Choose YTI
When it comes to your education, there are many schools—each held in high regard—where you can continue on the path to theological education and ministry training. But at YTI, we’re taking a different approach to education by integrating our theological studies with those pursuits that identify us as human beings: adventure and the arts. Our learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom; it takes place in the art gallery, the concert hall and the stage of the theatre, as well as on the mountain, the rivers and the rest of the great outdoors.
Through YTI’s innovative approach, our learning starts in an environment that is based on trust, authenticity and the willingness to engage the greater community in conversations about God. If you’re ready to see beyond religion, denomination or sect and pursue education in a new way, we invite you to consider becoming a student and member of the YTI community where you’ll be taught how to embrace the task of building and leading a community that is ever-changing and evolving.
Class Schedules
View classes below, download a PDF schedule, or register.
- Winter 2025
- Spring 2025
Registration for Winter 2025 is now open! To sign up for classes, go to the Winter Registration page. NOTE: All class schedules are subject to change.
Registration for Spring 2025 is not yet open. NOTE: All class schedules are subject to change.
Continuing Your Education
At YTI, there are various ways to continue your education if a Masters degree is bit more than you need. With opportunities that include a Diploma of Christian Theology, our Local Community Learning Initiatives, or our Gilhousen Lectures, there is something that can meet your thirst for education. Our mission: to open the conversation and learning for all, from the spiritually hungry to the religiously turned off and the traditional churchgoer to the seeker of answers.
Education Diploma Programs
Created to meet students where they are educationally and spiritually, YTI’s diploma programs are designed to provide a foundation for ministry, with elements that include courses in theology, spirituality, art, and adventure.
Accreditation
From the beginning, Yellowstone Theological Institute has been pursuing accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools. This is a rigorous process, which requires that a set of eligibility criteria be met prior to applying for membership. In the Fall 2023 YTI was pleased to have met the initial requirements for application. After a review of YTI’s application, ATS returned an overwhelmingly positive report. The school’s programs are well-crafted for a contextualized and innovative theological education, its faculty and staff are competent to lead the institution, its facilities are more than sufficient to carry out its vision, and its financial business is in order.
The report further specifies that in order fully to meet the standards for accreditation, YTI needs to continue to focus on increasing enrollment in our master of arts program. This is aligned with YTI’s own goals, as it has always been an integral part of the vision of YTI to create and sustain a learning community.
YTI is encouraged by this report and will, at the invitation of ATS, re-apply in the Fall of 2025. Until that time, we will continue to conduct our programs in accordance with the high standards outlined in the publications of ATS.
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