Th.M. Program Admission Requirements
Admission
Requirements
A prospective Master of Theology student must hold either a three-year Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree or, in some instances, an academic Master of Arts (M.A.) degree. The specific requirements for each are the following:
The
Master of Divinity Degree (M.Div.)
A prospective Master of Theology student may hold a three-year Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree or a comparable graduate theological degree from a graduate-level institution accredited regionally and/or by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is required. In addition, the successful applicant must be able to demonstrate an ability to work in any language considered necessary for the chosen field of study. Proficiency in English composition is also required. This latter requirement shall be determined by submitting, along with the application, a research paper written during previous studies which reflects grammatical and compositional competency.
The M.Div. degree should include at least the equivalent of the following academic courses:
- Biblical studies 10 hours
- Hermeneutics 2 hours
- Church History 4 hours
- Greek (through exegesis) 10 hours
- Hebrew (through exegesis) 8 hours
- Systematic
Theology 12 hours
[For Western Seminary M.Div. students: In addition to the normal core requirements, students are required to take NTS 510 and OTS 510.]
The
Master of Arts degree (M.A.)
A prospective Master of Theology student may hold an academic Master of Arts (M.A.) degree or a comparable graduate theological degree. Such a degree must provide equivalent theological background with evidence of aptitude for advanced theological study from a graduate-level institution accredited regionally and/or by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).
The academic M.A. degree should be at least 60 semester credit hours and should include the equivalent of the following academic courses:
- Biblical studies 10 hours
- Hermeneutics 2 hours
- Church History 4 hours
- Greek (through exegesis) 10 hours
- Hebrew (through exegesis) 8 hours
- Systematic Theology 12 hours
[For Western Seminary M.A.E.T students: In addition to the normal core requirements, students are required to take NTS 510, OTS 510, CHS 505 or CHS 506 and a CHS elective.]
A student seeking entrance into the Th.M. program with an academic M.A. degree must also demonstrate competency in the areas of communication, interpersonal relationships, intercultural awareness, and practical ministry. In accordance with this, the Th.M. director will work with the prospective student to give him/her opportunity to demonstrate competency in these areas. Although this is not an exhaustive listing and is not intended to be a checklist, some of the areas that will be investigated include:
- Significant ministry experience
- Pastoral/ministerial/communication preparation
- Intercultural awareness
- Demonstrated ability to develop significant interpersonal relationships
- Teaching/counseling/leading experience indicating competency in communication
Should the Th.M. director consider the prospective student to be deficient in these areas and yet sense potential for growth, provisional acceptance into the program will be granted and further preparation assigned. Thus, the student will be admitted with a pre-Th.M. status. In some cases, a course or courses may be taken to remove the deficiency. In other cases, a practicum could be devised which would provide supervision and accountability so as to gain the necessary competency. In either case, these prerequisites must be completed before full acceptance into the program is granted.
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is required. In addition, the successful applicant must be able to demonstrate an ability to work in any language considered necessary for the chosen field of study. Proficiency in English composition is also required. This latter requirement shall be determined by submitting, along with the application, a research paper written during previous studies which reflects grammatical and compositional competency.
