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Building a Spiritual Foundation

YTI’s Diploma of Christian Theology arms students with a thorough 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.

Earn Your Diploma at YTI

The programs at Yellowstone Theological Institute are accessible to students from a variety of educational backgrounds as they explore their faith through hands-on classroom learning, community involvement and mentorship in ministry.

In many cases, the diploma program, with tuition at $250 per class, is an additional way that students can supplement an already-existing degree.

Diploma Program

Diploma Program

At YTI, our Diploma program is for students who want to expand their learning, enrich their educational specialty or enhance their ministry. Students who graduate with their Diploma from YTI serve in churches around the world or use what they have learned in business or in their daily lives.

21 Hours of Foundations
9 Hours of Electives

Requirements

YTI’s Diploma program includes 30 hours of classes, including the 21-hour Foundations Sequence and 9 hours of electives. Meant to be flexible, it provides a solid grounding for life and ministry with the opportunity for special focus on particular areas of interest. Classes are delivered in person in Bozeman, with online attendance available for most classes as well. Typically, the diploma program can be completed in 18 months.

Dozens of Challenging Classes

YTI has an extensive course catalog for its Diploma program. Offerings include courses in Biblical Studies, Spiritual Formation, Visionary Leadership, Theology and Culture, Adventure, and the Arts, providing a solid foundation in essential areas of biblical and theological knowledge.

 

Diploma Curriculum

Format

  • Most courses are offered in-person in Bozeman, Mont., with a selection offered in Bellingham, Wash. Most may be also be attended online via live video.
  • Classes generally meet for 10 weeks, 3 hours per week, in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
  • Each academic year consists of three terms: fall, winter, and spring.
  • Remote students must attend one in-person meeting in Bozeman each year.
  • Some courses are offered only as residential courses; see course descriptions for details.

    Foundations Sequence

    (21 hours total)

    Each relevant Foundations course is the prerequisite for 6000 or 7000 level courses in that subject area.

    • BIB 5601Biblical Foundations

      The Bible is holy scripture for the Christian and the theological guide for the church. Biblical Foundations is designed to give the student a fundamental understanding of the background, context, and overview of the biblical narrative, as well as basic interpretive skills in order to prepare the student for further study in particular areas of biblical and theological study. BIB 5601 is a prerequisite to all other Biblical studies courses. (6 credit hours)

    • THEO 5301Theological Foundations

      Theological Foundations is designed to give the student a fundamental understanding of the principles, nature, and purpose of Christian theology, and to prepare the student for further study in particular areas of theology. (3 credit hours)

    • SPR 5301Spiritual Foundations

      SPR 5301 is an introduction to spiritual formation and discipleship. It is meant to give the student a basis to begin to reflect on their own spiritual journey and formation as well as consider what practices and actions might further their journey toward being formed into the image of Christ. (3 credit hours)

    • CUL 5301Foundations for Culture and Mission

      This foundations course examines the nature of the church and its interaction with the world. The vocation of the church will be discussed, especially the mission of the church (missio ecclesia) in light of the mission of God (missio Dei), and the concepts of worldview and cultural hermeneutics will be introduced as means to help understand the culture in which we are immersed as well as the specific individuals around us. Throughout the course, the emphasis will be on how the church as the people of God can effectively engage and bring the life of Christ to bear on its community. (3 credit hours)

    • COM 5301Communication and Pastoral Foundations

      This course is designed to give students a fundamental understanding of the theological and biblical foundations of homiletics and pastoral ministry and prepare them for further study in practical theology. This course cross-lists as MIN 5301. (3 credit hours)

    • LED 5301Leadership Foundations

      LED 5301 explores a shared form of leadership, one that combines the servant leadership paradigm modeled in the New Testament with a contemporary approach that considers the various ways in which leaders communicate appropriately with their teams. (3 credit hours)

    Electives

    Select any 3 courses from any section (9 hours).

“Change the way you see
things and the things
you see will change.

-Dr. Wayne Dyer

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