OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM

The ThM is intended for students who wish to deepen their knowledge in a particular area of study in order to enhance their ministry or prepare for new vocational directions and challenges. It is intended both for international students who desire to further their education through the experience of studying abroad and for domestic students who wish to gain greater expertise in a particular area of ministry or study. The program is designed as an intensive one-year course of study, although some students may find it advantageous to extend their program into a second year. ThM students focus on one of many possible courses of study, such as Bible, preaching and worship, pastoral care, theology, history, ethics, World Christianity, or Black Church Studies.

Through their study for a Master of Theology degree, students will gain:

• Advanced knowledge in a particular area of theological study (e.g., Christian texts, traditions, theologies, ethics, ministerial practice) in the context of a multiethnic, intercultural, ecumenical and religiously diverse world;

• Proficiency in the analysis of a particular area of religious and theological knowledge or practice;

• Advanced skills in critical and imaginative thinking, responsible interpretation, and effective communication; and

• The ability to produce a substantial, summative research project that reflects knowledge of and serious engagement with the present state of scholarship on a particular topic, supported by appropriate use of primary and secondary sources.