GBHEM COS/ACOS Registration

 

The Course of Study (COS) is a theological education program prescribed by the United Methodist Book of Discipline and offered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM). At this Course of Study Online Learning Center, you can complete many of the Course of Study courses online.

 

Course Dates in 2023

January 2023 Term: January 9 – March 19, 2023

May 2023 Term: May 8 - July 16, 2023

August 2023 Term: August 7 - October 15, 2023

 

How to Register

  1. Select a term from the menu on the left. The courses offered in that term will be listed. Students may only enroll in one course per term.

    • Registration for the January Term: October 1 - November 20

    • Registration for the May Term: March 1 - April 15

    • Registration for the August Term: June 1 - July 20

  2. When the list of courses offered in that term display, look through the list until you find the course you want. Be sure you have met any prerequisites and are available on any required online meeting dates.

  3. Click on course name to read more or click on the "Pre-register now" button for the course you want.

    • If this is the first time you have registered using this system, you will be asked to create an account.

    • If you have previously registered using this system, log in with your username and password.

  4. Fill in the form and submit it.

    You will need your PID #. If you don't have a PID #, please email cos@gbhem.org to request one.

  5. After you submit the registration form, you will receive an email confirmation that you have started the registration process. Your district superintendent and conference registrar will automatically receive email notes requesting their approval for you to take the course.

    • Failure to provide an accurate name and email address for these people will delay your registration. Providing a false email address will result in receiving no credit for the course.

    • If you discover you need to change the name or email address for your district superintendent or conference registrar, DO NOT register again. Simply email the new information to cos@gbhem.org so your registration can be updated and the email requesting approval can be re-sent to the correct person.

  6. After all the necessary approvals are received, you will receive an email note with a link to log in and pay for the course. Note: You are not registered until you have completed this process and paid for the course.

  7. After payment has been received and processed you will receive an email note with a link to the course for which you registered. You will be able to log into the Course of Study Moodle site, click on your course name, and read the syllabus overview and textbooks list. The full course will open on the first day of the term.

    Note: The registration fee for an online class is nonrefundable and nontransferable toward any other class.

 

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisites: COS 121 and COS 122 are prerequisites for enrollment in any other Course of Study courses.

Multiple enrollments are not allowed. Students may only enroll in one (1) online course through GBHEM each term. If you are seeking a second online course in the same term, please contact your extension or regional school.

If you have a pre-registration form active and you submit a new pre-registration form, it is subject to cancellation. If you need to change information on your current pre-registration form, please email the changes to the COS office at cos@gbhem.org.

Advanced COS: Courses listed as ACOS are Advanced COS courses and cannot be taken until you have finished Course of Study (COS) courses unless (1) you are taking ACOS courses as a supplement to a seminary degree or (2) you are transferring to the United Methodist Church from another denomination. ACOS courses cannot be applied to your COS requirements.

 

Costs

  • COS courses are $350/course.

  • Advanced COS courses are $400/course.

  • Book costs are not included in these course fees.

 

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 learning activities generally include reading, videos, assignments, discussion forums, and quizzes. Students log in at times that work for them 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 and times are included in the course description on the registration site.

GBHEM is using the Moodle learning management system. You log into Moodle via a web browser. There is no software to download unless you want to use the optional mobile app on your mobile device.

Be sure you meet the Minimum Requirements for Online Learning Using Moodle before you register.

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

 

Register for a Regional or Extension School

In order to take courses offered by the residential regional or extension schools, you must first register with the dean or program director of that specific COS program. For contact information for the residential schools, visit the Regional, Extension, & Online Course of Study Schools page.