Master of Theology (School of Theology)
School of Theology
Master of Theology Degree
The most advanced theological degree at the master’s level.
This degree enhances ministerial practice, preparation for doctoral studies, and further mastery of a specialized discipline.
Degree Highlights
- 24 hours
- Available fully online
- Thesis and non-thesis tracks available
The most advanced theological degree at the master’s level, the Master of Theology (ThM) allows students to gain a high level of competency in one major area of study after completion of the Master of Divinity. The Th.M. enhances ministerial practice, preparation for doctoral studies, and further mastery of a specialized discipline.
Entrance Requirements
Prerequisites
The student must have completed a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent from an accredited seminary or divinity school with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The ThM assumes exegetical competence in Greek and Hebrew. A student who has not developed exegetical competence in Greek and Hebrew may complete prerequisite language courses before beginning work toward the degree. One year of Greek and one year of Hebrew must be completed with a minimum grade of B-.
International applicants must complete one of the following English proficiency exams: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 5-6 (old scoring equivalent: 95-114/120), or DET (Duolingo English Test) with a minimum score of 120 on the internet-based test, or IELTS (International English Language Test System) with a minimum score of 7.0 on the internet-based test.
Application Deadlines
All application materials must be submitted by:
Fall: July 15
Spring: December 15
Summer: April 15
International students must meet earlier deadlines as set by the Office of International Student Services.
Degree Requirements
Summative Exam Track
Students pursuing the summative exam track must pass a summative exam in their chosen major. The summative exam will be registered in the final semester (THMTH 5001).
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| RSTCH 5551 | Introduction to Doctoral Research | 1 |
| RSTCH 5611-5621 | Scholarly Research and Writing I-II | 2 |
| Major Area Courses | 16 | |
| Graduate Elective or Doctoral Seminar | 4 | |
| THMTH 5001 | Summative Exam | 1 |
| Total Degree Hours | 24 |
Project Track
Students pursuing the project rack must complete four field bibliography courses. The field bibliography courses consist of guided reading in the student’s academic field, resulting in a lengthy annotated bibliography. The student will submit the written work to their supervisor. As the student finishes the course sequence, the supervisor will examine the student’s mastery of the assigned reading from the four courses.
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| RSTCH 5551 | Introduction to Doctoral Research | 1 |
| RSTCH 5611-5621 | Scholarly Research and Writing I-II | 2 |
| Major Area Courses | 16 | |
| RSTCH 5711-5741 | Field Bibliography I-IV | 4 |
| RSTCH 5751 | Field Bibliography Defense | 1 |
| Total Degree Hours | 24 |
Thesis Track
The ThM thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to design a viable research project, pursue the research with relative independence, and write with clarity and force. An acceptable thesis should go beyond the description of data and include critical evaluation and interpretive judgment. The thesis must address a topic in the student’s major. The thesis supervisor is assigned in consultation with the program supervisor and the Associate Dean of the School of Theology.
The Graduate Research Seminar must be taken prior to Thesis Writing. Guidelines for thesis submission may be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean of the School of Theology. The student should work closely with the thesis supervisor throughout all stages of thesis work.
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| RSTCH 5551 | Introduction to Doctoral Research | 1 |
| RSTCH 5611-5621 | Scholarly Research and Writing I-II | 2 |
| Major Area Courses | 16 | |
| THMTH 5011 | ThM Thesis Defense | 1 |
| THMTH 5004 | ThM Thesis | 4 |
| Total Degree Hours | 24 |
1Students may take courses related to but outside of their specific concentration. For example, a Theological Studies major may take a course in Pauline Theology offered by the Biblical Studies Division, and a New Testament major may take a course in Christology offered by the Theological Studies Division. Additionally, Old Testament and New Testament majors may choose to focus part of their concentration hours on Biblical Backgrounds. Faculty supervisors approve course selections each semester.
2One PhD research seminar (4 hours) is allowable by permission from the professor of record for all concentrations except Old and New Testament. The Old Testament concentration requires a minimum of two Hebrew/Aramaic texts courses (2 hours) and the New Testament concentration requires a minimum of two Greek texts courses (2 hours). Old Testament majors may complete Greek texts courses and New Testament majors may complete Hebrew/Aramaic texts courses, but only a total of four hours applies to the ThM program. The research seminar option for all other concentrations should be taken from the middle to the end of the curriculum. All students must complete 24-25 hours for the degree.
Majors
- Biblical Studies
- Theological Studies
- Ethics and Philosophy
- Pastoral Ministry
- Preaching
Time Limitations
All requirements, including the thesis, must be completed within three years of entrance into the program.
Transfer Credit
Up to six hours may be transferred into the ThM from an accredited MDiv Transferred courses must be in the major selected for the ThM. A ThM graduate who pursues a PhD in the School of Theology may apply one PhD research seminar and a ThM thesis, if applicable, to the PhD degree.
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