Theology Degree Hybrid Program: Q&A with Perkins’ Dr. Dallas Gingles

Dallas Gingles is the Director of the Houston-Galveston Extension Program and a Perkins Fellow in Systematic Theology. He is a first-generation college student from a very small town deep in East Texas, where he was homeschooled.

Dr. Gingles earned a Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) from Perkins and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from SMU. He met his wife on their first day at Perkins, so it’s fair to say Perkins holds a special place in his heart. Dr. Gingles grew up Pentecostal but his family are now Episcopalian, and they spend as much time as possible involved in the life of their parish and diocese.

At Perkins, Dr. Gingles spends a lot of his time handling administrative tasks, meeting with institutional partners, and talking with students. “I spend roughly the same amount of time teaching courses on theology, ethics, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and bioethics. On an everyday level, though, I “attempt to accomplish” keeping up with emails! Between those emails I prepare lectures, grade assignments, and keep up with my research agenda.”

Get To Know The Program: What is the Perkins Hybrid Program?

The Perkins hybrid program blends the best of traditional classroom education and online education. Most of our courses meet for intensive, face-to-face classes that total 20 hours of required in-person education. These classes meet either for 10 hours at the beginning and end of the term or for 20 hours in the middle of the term.

Perkins hybrid students earn a full Perkins | SMU degree taught by Perkins faculty. This means that the education students receive trains them for ministry while being academically rigorous. Students from this program have won awards for the academic work they’ve done and have gone on to become bishops. This means that students in the program should expect to work hard, but also that our professors–and Perkins faculty and staff as a whole–are dedicated to helping them flourish in that work.

We guarantee that students can earn a Master of Divinity in three years and a Master of Arts in Ministry in two years if they follow the pattern of courses we offer. This means that students take nine hours in both the fall and spring semesters and nine hours in the summer.

What is Unique About Perkins and The Hybrid Program That Is Difficult to Find Elsewhere?

The Hybrid Program is more than 25 years old. In 2017, Perkins began looking at ways to update the program, and based on significant student feedback, we began the redesigned model in 2018. Most other hybrid programs similar to Perkins have been started in the past year or two. Unlike those, Perkins has been dedicated to the Hybrid Program for more than a quarter of a century and we’ve developed our hybrid model to respond directly to the needs of our students.

“We have a deep commitment to providing a full Perkins education. Many, if not most, extension and hybrid programs use a large number of adjunct faculty. Our program is taught by the same faculty who teach on the Dallas campus, and we provide all of the same support programs that Dallas students receive to the Houston-Galveston students.”

One unique feature of the Hybrid Program is Perkins’ strong and vibrant partnership with Houston Methodist Hospital. A large number of classes and gatherings are hosted in HMH, which allows us to teach and learn with world class medical practitioners. This provides interdisciplinary opportunities for students and opens up vocational options for them.

Dr. Gingles says more than anything, the best attribute of the hybrid program are the students:

“Houston-Galveston students are incredible and impressive. Most of them have full-time vocations–a large majority in full-time ministry. They work hard in those jobs while working just as hard as students. They come from multiple denominations and have wildly different backgrounds and perspectives. They use those differences to challenge and learn from each other. They support one another, especially when work or family life is difficult, and cheer one another on when there are successes to celebrate. Graduate schools can be cutthroat, competitive environments. But these students are in it together, and it shows. I can’t say enough about how much I respect the Houston-Galveston students.”

What Does a Typical Hybrid Student’s Schedule Look Like?

At Perkins, we value the strong academic tradition we have as a university-based seminary. One myth is that hybrid/online education is easier or less intense. This is not the case, as it requires more organization and diligence on the part of the student, because there aren’t scheduled weekly classes to help keep you accountable to the course schedule.

Students can expect to do pre-class reading and assignments before the first face-to-face session so this class time can focus on conversation about what students have already read and engaged in. Once classes shift online, students can usually establish a fairly straightforward study schedule; putting their reading, discussions, lectures, etc., into a weekly sequence.

Will Students Still Feel Immersed in the Program While Learning Remotely?

Students will and do feel fully-immersed in the hybrid program even while they are learning remotely. Our students in the program talk about developing lifelong friendships. They meet during face-to-face sessions, form close relationships, begin study groups on various media platforms and even end up sharing rental houses when they come back for the next face-to-face classes.

“These face-to-face sessions help students and professors get to know each other, work together on traditional classroom assignments, and generate deep friendships. The rest of the coursework is done online in order to create the maximum amount of flexibility for students. But, because our students know and trust each other from the time they spend in the classroom together, they have a real community of learning that helps them work together during the online portion of the classes.”

Some Benefits and takeaways from the hybrid program are:

• An excellent university-based education
• Receiving instruction from regular Perkins faculty members with very few adjunct professors
• A long tradition of excellence in the hybrid program, where most other hybrid programs are brand new
• Students have the opportunity to form relationships with professors and other peers
• Online education allows for maximum flexibility while face-to-face sessions help build relationships and connections
• Accelerated gradation (three-year for the M.Div.; two-year for the M.A.M.)
• Unique institutional offering taking place at Houston Methodist Hospital

Answer Your Call to Ministry Through The Perkins Hybrid Program

Our hybrid program has been around for a quarter of a century, and by staying up-to-date with our hybrid students’ recommendations and requests, we truly believe it is unlike any other M.Div. or M.A.M. accelerated hybrid program out there!

“When I arrived here as a student in 2007, I was welcomed and given the space and tools I needed to explore the Christian tradition and my own questions. Perkins has never stopped being that welcoming and challenging place. It remains a home for me and my family, and one of the main reasons I work here is to help make it that kind of home for others–especially the Houston-Galveston students,” said Dr. Gingles.

We hope that you’ll fulfill your call to ministry, either on-campus or in our hybrid program, with us, and allow yourself to experience Perkins just as Dr. Gingles has and continues to provide the same experience for our students.

Do you have any questions about Perkins or our hybrid program?

Want to learn more about the hybrid program? Check out our new guide, Explore Perkins’ Flexible Hybrid Program: A Program That Meets Students Where They Are.