Collegiate Ministry

Students may pursue training in collegiate ministry through two primary avenues:

Master of Arts in Christian Education with a concentration in Collegiate Ministry
Master of Divinity with a concentration in Collegiate Ministry

Students in these programs complete the following courses:

Understanding and Reaching Collegians
Financing and Launching a Collegiate Ministry
The Collegiate Minister
Developing Collegiate Disciple-Makers
Campus Ministry Internship
Collegiate Ministry Field Experience

Study under one of the nation’s premier collegiate ministers

Dr. Max Barnett

Professor of Collegiate Ministry and Edgar F. "Preacher" Hallock Chair of Baptist Student Work
Baptist Student Director, University of Oklahoma, 1967-2004
Consultant for Collegiate Ministry, Colorado, 2004-present
Author of numerous collegiate ministry books and publications

Hands-on experience

The 600+ SBC churches within an hour from Southwestern often turn to the seminary when searching for paid or volunteer collegiate ministry leadership. Dr. Barnett takes the initiative to help churches and Southwestern students connect with each other.

In addition, Dr. Barnett takes an active role in placing students in campus ministry leadership. Some of these positions can be filled while taking classes at Southwestern. Other positions are in other cities or states and are filled while under a supervised internship program. Such supervised internships can last from one semester to two years. Dr. Barnett is highly respected in the field of Collegiate Ministry, and he has a wide network of relationships around the nation. This is valuable to students seeking places to serve.

Placement

Both Dr. Barnett and the seminary’s church minister relations office take an active role in placing students in ministry positions (both local church and campus ministry) after graduation.

Funding

Many students graduate from Southwestern and move immediately into fully-funded campus ministry positions around the nation. Others seek to establish campus ministries on major university campuses that have no such ministry. The Collegiate Ministry curriculum includes careful instruction in how to create funding for a campus ministry where none exists.