Objectives

The Master of Arts degree is structured to meet the following goals:

• to equip participants to serve as ordained deacons, lay deacons, or lay ministers in the local church
• to enable participants to meet the certification requirements as ordained deacons, lay deacons or lay ministers
• to provide a curriculum that combines the traditional core courses of the seminary with practice in the mission and ministries of the church, and that allows a limited specialization in an area of vocational interest.

General Requirements and Length of Program

Students must successfully complete 60 hours of course work in the regular curriculum, including one year of a Practice in Mission and Ministry (PMM) placement, a cross-cultural immersion experience, and participation in a Covenant Discipleship group.

The M.A. program may be completed in a minimum of two years of full-time study and must be completed within six years from the date of admission. Completion of the M.A. in conjunction with the M.Div degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours and completion of all requirements for both degree programs.

Required Courses

Theological Foundation Requirements (20 hours)

• Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (4 hours) BI-101 and -102 or BI-105
• Introduction to the New Testament (4 hours) BI-171 and -172 or BI-175
• The Church in History (6 hours) CH-101 and -102
• Systematic Theology (6 hours) ST-305 and -306

Formation and Practice Requirements (20 hours)

• History and Mission of Diaconal and Lay Ministries (2 hours) CF-295
• Introduction to Corporate Worship (3 hours) PW-101
• Teaching and Learning Through Liturgy (3 hours) CF-138
• Christian Ethics (3 hours) ES-302, or -303, or -308, or -318
• Covenant Discipleship (3 hours) MM-101 and -102
• Practice in Ministry and Mission
• Master of Arts Colloquy (4 hours) MM-301 and -302
• Cross-Cultural Immersion (2 hours) CM-350

Elective Courses

Twenty hours of the M.A. degree are elective credits and may be selected according to vocational interests. The student may choose to emphasize courses in a particular field, for example, in urban ministry, religion and art, teaching ministry, evangelism, or pastoral care and counseling. We will make every effort to support the student's vocational goals.

Contextual Education: Ministry in an Interconnected World

M.A. students fulfill contextual education requirements in these three ways:

• Covenant Discipleship (CD) Groups: Peer-led groups meet weekly throughout the year to focus on basic disciplines of the Christian life. (MM-101 and -102, 3 hours)
• PMM Placement: One year of practical experience in an approved teaching congregation or other setting, working with Learning Partners to develop goals and an evaluation plan. Faculty will lead bi-weekly two-hour colloquies each semester on ministry and mission in the local congregation. (MM-301 and -302, 4 hours)
• Immersion: Cross-cultural experience, in the United States or abroad, for a minimum of two weeks (consecutive or the equivalent). Requirements include a reflection paper, a day-long orientation event, and a day-long debriefing at the close (MM-350, 2 hours)

M.A. students may choose to participate in the Urban Ministry or Youth Ministry Programs. Students should declare their intent to participate in these programs prior to completing 30 credit hours.

Requirements for participation in the Urban Ministry Program:

• CM-230 Introduction to Urban Ministry I
• CM-231 Introduction to Urban Ministry II
• a PMM placement in an urban setting
• 6 credit hours from a designated list of urban ministry courses

Requirements for participation in the Youth Ministry Program:

• CM-240 Youth Ministry: Foundations
• a PMM placement with significant opportunities for youth ministry
• 9 credit hours from a designated list of youth ministry courses

Denominational Requirements

To be ordained as a deacon in the United Methodist Church, a student must take the three additional courses listed below. These are church requirements for ordination and not a seminary requirement for the master's degree. They can be taken as electives, or at some time apart from the degree work.

• History and Doctrine in Methodist Traditions (4 hours) ST-452
• Polity of the United Methodist Church (2 hours) CM-251
• Evangelism (2 or 3 hours) CM-270 or other courses as offered