Master of Theology

Rationale

This degree is a two to three-year program of study for students who wish to pursue academic study beyond the Master of Divinity or Master of Religious Education degree without necessarily having any specific type of ministry in mind. This degree includes one academic year of residence study and a research thesis. The student selects a major and two minor fields of concentration.

Admission Requirements

Students who enroll as candidates for the Master of Theology degree must have earned a B.A. degree or its equivalent in scope and a M.Div. Degree or its equivalent in scope and content. Applicants must have achieved a minimum grade average of 3.0 (B) on a scale of 4.0 in their M.Div. studies. They must have engaged in vocational Christian service for at least two years (other than Seminary Field Education), preferably after their M.Div. studies, and should have definite plans for engaging in vocational Christian work after the completion of their graduate studies.

Thesis

In their major fields, student shall present four copies of a thesis of between 75 and 125 pages not including bibliography and appendices. The subject and prospectus of the thesis are to be formulated in consultation with the student’s Supervisory Professor and submitted for approval by the Faculty and the Associate Dean of the Area Learning Center. If the prospectus is written in a language other than English, the Area Learning Center will forward an English synopsis to the Dean. The thesis shall be recommended for approval or rejection by the Supervisory Professor and the Second Reader, and approved by the Area Learning Center. A copy of the thesis abstract will be forwarded to the Dean. One copy of the approved thesis will be filed at the Administrative Office, one in the Area Learning Center library, one in the student’s home seminary library, and one will be returned to the student.

The thesis shall be in standard thesis form and of acceptable academic quality. Turabian’s: A Manual for Writers of Term papers, Theses, and Dissertations (latest edition) is our standard guide for English form and style. Students are encouraged to publish their works with appropriate acknowledgement given to ABGTS. The thesis should be submitted at least 120 days before graduation.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Theology course work includes the following basic requirements :
Credits
Major Seminars 12
Minor Seminars 6
Research and Design Seminar 4
Prospectus & Thesis 6
Total 28

Candidates will select a major field and two minor fields of study. Upon the approval of the student’s Supervisory Professor, students may combine one of their minor fields with either their major or other minor field. In Biblical Studies, the ALC determines requirements in Hebrew and Greek for entrance into the program.

Defense

After completing the required course work, the student will prepare and defend a prospectus that describes the proposed research topic. This prospectus will be at least 20 pages in length (excluding bibliography). The student, accompanied by his/her supervisor, will defend the prospectus before the faculty. In the event that the supervisor may not be present, the student has the option to request a circulated prospectus defense. In this case, the Associate Dean will request the faculty members to evaluate the prospectus privately. If there are problems, the Associate Dean will meet the faculty and supervisor to determine a course of action. Upon approval of the prospectus by the faculty, Associate Dean, and the Dean, the student may proceed with research and writing for the thesis.