Master of Arts in Religious Education

Master of Arts in Religious Education
Goals and Objectives | Prerequisites for Entry | Course Requirements M.A. (R.E.) General Studies Course Requirements M.A. (R.E.) Church Ministry | Course Requirements M.A. (R.E.) Curriculum

Normally a minimum of two years is required for the completion of the course leading to this degree. A candidate must complete a total of 48 hours, of which 24 hours must be taken in residence. The M.A. (R.E.) is divided into three tracks: a general track, Church Ministries, and Curriculum. The Church Ministries track is for those students anticipating ministry in local congregations, while the Curriculum track is for those students intending either to supervise or to write and produce Christian curricular materials at various levels. Students who are considering college teaching in fields other than Christian education should take the Master of Divinity course.
Goals and Objectives
In addition to the overall mission and objectives of the Seminary, the master’s degree program in religious education is intended to provide resources for and a climate in which students may:

  • Appropriate an understanding of the Word of God, the heritage of the faith, the doctrines of the church, and the fellowship of believers sufficient to enable them to keep a personal commitment to God and the church for a redemptive and nurturing ministry.
  • Develop a philosophy of Christian ministry; learn to understand the complexities of and exhibit a capacity and desire for growth in the context of ministry; and demonstrate a spirit of openness, cooperativeness, and caring in ministry.
  • Cultivate competencies necessary for
  • the skillful performance of age-level ministries;
  • educating laity for outreach and nurturing ministries;
  • facilitating harmonious working relations with staff and congregation;
  • functioning competently, professionally, and responsibly in the light of both sound theological understanding and educational theory; and
  • teaching leaders and teachers to provide direction for and modeling of the education program of the church or agency being served.

Prerequisites for entry into the M.A. (R.E.) program
The Master of Arts in Religious Education program is built upon the student’s background in Christian education or secular education. All students entering the program will have had at least nine hours in either Christian education or education. If any of these have not been taken at the undergraduate level they must be taken at the graduate level in the student’s first semester, but will not count toward the degree. The pre-Seminary prerequisites apply with the exception of the New Testament Greek requirement and with the addition of Introduction to Theology or the equivalent.
Course Requirements M.A. (R.E.) General Course
SUMMARY OF UNITS
I. Basic Courses (9)

  • Methods of Research (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • Foundations of Christian Education (3)

II. Major Field of Concentration (15)

  • Religious Education regulated electives: any five courses in Christian Education (15)

III. Required Cognates (15)

  • Old Testament Introduction (3)
  • New Testament Introduction (3)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (3)
  • Doctrine of Holiness (3)
  • Denominational History or Missions (3)

IV. Thesis (6)

  • Thesis Seminar (3)
  • Thesis Writing (3)

V. Other Requirements (3)

  • Character Formation (1)
  • Supervised Ministry (2)

Total 48
COURSE SEQUENCE

First Year

  • Methods of Research (3)
  • Old Testament Introduction (3)
  • Foundations of CE (3)
  • Denom. History or Missions (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • N.T. Introduction (3)
  • CE Elective (3)
  • Doctrine of Holiness (3)
  • Character Formation (1)

Second Year

  • Thesis Seminar (3)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (3)
  • CE Elective (3)
  • CE Elective 3
  • Thesis Writing (3)
  • CE Elective (3)
  • CE Elective (3)
  • Supervised Ministry (2)


Course Requirements M.A. (R.E.) Church Ministries
SUMMARY OF UNITS
I. Basic Courses (9)

  • Methods of Research (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • Foundations of Christian Education (3)

II. Major Field of Concentration

  • (Church Ministries)(15)
  • Introduction to Christian Communication (3)
  • Values and Moral Development (3)
  • Life Span Development (3)
  • Regulated electives (6) from among: CE of Children; CE of Youth; CE of Adults

III. Required Cognates (15)

  • Old Testament Introduction (3)
  • New Testament Introduction (3)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (3)
  • Doctrine of Holiness (3)
  • Denominational History or Missions (3)

IV. Thesis (6)

  • Thesis Seminar (3)
  • Thesis Writing (3)

V. Other Requirements (3)

  • Supervised Ministry (2)
  • Christian Worship (1)

Total 48
COURSE SEQUENCE
First Year

  • Methods of Research (3)
  • Old Testament Introduction (3)
  • Foundations of CE (3)
  • Intro. to Christian Comm. (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • New Testament Intro. (3)
  • Values Development (3)
  • Doctrine of Holiness (3)
  • Christian Worship (1)

Second Year

  • Thesis Seminar (3)
  • Denom. History or Missions (3)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (3)
  • CE Regulated Elective (3)
  • Thesis Seminar (3)
  • Denom. History or Missions (3)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (3)
  • CE Regulated Elective (3)

Course Requirements M.A. (R.E.) Curriculum
SUMMARY OF UNITS
I. Basic Courses (9)

  • Methods of Research (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • Foundations of Christian Education (3)

II. Major Field of Concentration (Curriculum)(15)

  • Curriculum Theory and Design (3)
  • Curriculum Development in CE (3)
  • Printed Media or Literature Development (3)
  • Religious education regulated electives: any two courses in Christian Education (6)

III. Required Cognates (15)

  • Old Testament Introduction (3)
  • New Testament Introduction (3)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (3)
  • Doctrine of Holiness (3)
  • Denominational History or Missions (3)

IV. Thesis (6)

  • Thesis Seminar (3)
  • Thesis Writing (3)

V. Other Requirements (3)

  • Supervised Ministry (2)
  • Character Formation (1)

Total 48

COURSE SEQUENCE
First Year

  • Methods of Research (3)
  • Old Testament Introduction (3)
  • Foundations of CE (3)
  • Denom. History or Missions (3)
  • Printed Media or Lit. Development (3)
  • Statistics (3)
  • New Testament Intro. (3)
  • Doctrine of Holiness (3)
  • Character Formation (1)
  • Printed Media or Lit. Development (3)

Second Year

  • Thesis Seminar (3)
  • Biblical Hermeneutics (3)
  • Curriculum Theory & Design (3)
  • CE Elective (3)
  • Thesis Writing (3)
  • CE Elective (3)
  • Curriculum Development (3)
  • Supervised Ministry (2)