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Degree Programs
Master of Divinity Program
Educating and forming candidates for official, ordained ministries of instruction and leadership in the church as pastors, evangelists and teachers is the main purpose of the Master of Divinity degree program. It is designed to prepare ordained leaders who believe and love the Word of God, and who therefore strive to explore, communicate, and defend the depth and breadth of the instruction of the Scriptures for faith and life. Graduates should be able to interpret individual portions of Scripture accurately, to systematize data into a coherent and comprehensive theology in light of the history of the church’s reflection on the Word, and to apply this theology to the church and to individuals through preaching, witness, leadership, and spiritual nurture. The curriculum is designed to prepare graduates to meet the book requirements for ordination as ministers of the Word, particularly in Reformed and other evangelical denominations. Because the Seminary Board and Faculty understand the criteria set down in Scripture as limiting candidacy for official teaching and leadership ministry in the church to qualified males, only men are admitted to the M.Div. program. Women are encouraged to enroll in any of the Master of Arts programs.
The degree is conferred upon the completion of the prescribed program, which requires three years of full-time study or a longer period of part-time study. The courses prescribed should be taken in the sequence indicated below. The Academic Dean is available for counsel concerning the individual needs of the student.
Master of Arts Program
Biblical Studies
Women and men develop understanding and skills in interpreting the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments through the Master of Arts (Biblical Studies) program. Graduates should be able to apply their knowledge of the biblical languages, historical circumstances, and literary and theological interrelationships to exegete Scripture accurately. They should also analyze contemporary trends in biblical interpretation with discernment. This program is not meant to prepare candidates for ordination to the ministry of the Word. Graduates of this program are prepared to pursue graduate research programs in Old or New Testament studies; or, with further practical training, to use their biblical knowledge in such ministries as teaching, missions, counseling, or lay church leadership. The degree is conferred upon the completion of the prescribed program, which requires two years of full-time study or a longer period of part-time study. The courses prescribed for this emphasis should be followed in the sequence indicated. The Academic Dean is available for counsel concerning the individual needs of the student.
Master of Arts Program
Theological Studies
The main purpose of the Master of Arts (Theological Studies) program is to develop the understanding and skills needed to apply biblical truth to the intellectual issues confronting the church and the surrounding culture. Graduates should be able to exegete individual passages of Scripture accurately and understand the major issues in faith and life that the church has confronted throughout its history, the system of truth revealed in the Scriptures, and contemporary intellectual and cultural movements. They should be able to systematize exegetical, historical, and situational data into a consistent and coherent theology, to offer a thoughtful defense of Christian theology, and to explain how this theology applies to an individual’s belief and behavior. It is not the purpose of this program to prepare candidates for ordination to the ministry of the Word. Graduates of this program are prepared to pursue research programs in such disciplines as theology, apologetics, and church history; or, with further practical training, to use their theological knowledge in such ministries as teaching, missions, counseling, or lay church leadership.
The degree is conferred upon the completion of the prescribed program, which requires two years of full-time study or a longer period of part-time study. The courses prescribed for this emphasis should be followed in the sequence indicated. The Academic Dean is available for counsel concerning the individual needs of the students.
Master of Arts Program
Historical Theology
The Master of Arts (Historical Theology) program is designed to enable students to gain an understanding of the historiography of theology, the historical development of the various Christian theological traditions, and the critical skills for evaluating them. Graduates will have read and analyzed representative theologians and texts from throughout the history of Christianity and demonstrated a grasp of the history of biblical exegesis. As a result they should be able to give a coherent account of the history of exegetical and dogmatic theology. They should also demonstrate historical sensitivity in evaluating theology as well as a grasp of the intention behind the various theological formulations in each historical epoch. Graduates will develop an ability to relate the great issues of historical theology to contemporary intellectual and cultural movements. Graduates of this program are prepared to enter research programs in history and theology or, with further practical training, to use their theological knowledge in such ministries as teaching, missions, or lay church leadership. It is not the purpose of this program to prepare candidates for ordination to the ministry of the Word.
The degree is conferred upon completion of the prescribed program, which requires two years of full-time study or a longer period of part-time study. The courses prescribed for this emphasis should be followed in the sequence indicated. The Academic Dean is available for counsel concerning the individual academic needs of the students.
Master of Arts Program
Christian Studies
The purpose of the Master of Arts (Christian Studies) program is to
enable church leaders and other men and women to deepen their
knowledge of God through his self-disclosure in Christ and in the
Scriptures and serve in the advance of his kingdom through his
church. The aims of the program are that graduates will be able to
interpret the Old and New Testaments using resources available in
English, to articulate the system of truth revealed in the
Scriptures, to defend it in response to alternative worldviews, to
address issues presently confronting the church in the light of its
history and heritage, and to apply their understanding of the church
and its ministries to their own roles as members of the church of
Christ. MACS courses are ordinarily offered evenings and Saturdays,
particularly to meet the needs of students whose employment or other
weekday responsibilities prevent them from participating in the
Master of Divinity and Master of Arts programs.
The degree is conferred upon the completion of the prescribed
program, which requires 50 semester hours of study normally
completed over four years of part-time work. The curriculum consists
of a core of 24 semester hours, distributed over four subject areas,
plus 26 semester hours of electives. MACS core courses are not
transferable to WSC’s other degree programs (with the exceptions of
OT520, CH601, ST501, & PT600), but MACS students may take any other
WSC courses as electives to their program as long as the
prerequisites are met.
The MACS program has been discontinued; the last new applicants were
admitted to the MACS program in fall 2006. MACS required courses
will not be offered after spring 2010, and all MACS graduation
requirements, including elective hours, must be completed by spring
2013 in order to receive the degree. |
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