M.A. in Christian Ministry & Leadership

• Goals
• Outcomes
• Objectives
• Admission Requirements
• Graduation Requirements
• Emphases Requirements
• Curriculum

Goals

1. Be aware of the issues in the students' own personalities that will hinder their ability to minister and have begun working on these issues.
2. Be effective and empathic listeners.
3. Be skilled in the understanding and program development of pastoral ministry in church and parachurch contexts.
4. Have the commitment, ability, and developing resources to lead redemptive church ministries to communities in society and culture.

Outcomes

As a result of this program, the student will:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of their own personal growth issues that will hinder their ability to minister.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to employ empathic listening skills in leadership and counseling contexts.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to employ ministry skills in program development of pastoral ministry in a church or parachurch environment.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to employ ministry skills in leadership such as preaching, administration, teaching, counseling, and worship leadership.
5. Demonstrate a commitment to and ability to develop redemptive church ministries to their communities in society and culture, being relevant to current sociopolitical issues and ethical problems.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to employ leadership capabilities to deal with the growing complexity and challenges that leaders face daily as they guide people toward shared goals.

Objectives

The Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and Leadership with emphases in Pastoral Care and Counseling and Women's Ministries is designed as a professional program for specialized ministry. It has been developed for those whose calling to Christian service is to positions of leadership for which the Master of Divinity or other professional degrees are not normally required. It is structured to provide:

1. An understanding of Scriptures for students anticipating Christian ministries that would include pastoral or lay counsel, parachurch organization counseling, women's ministries, specialized "tent-making" occupations in other cultures, lay leaders in the local church and others.
2. A biblical background for those who are preparing for counseling in secular fields.
3. A program of study for missionaries who have only a brief furlough time in which to pursue formal study of the Scriptures and would like to emphasize pastoral counseling or women's ministries.
4. Sustainable skills in specific ministries further developing your abilities and spiritual gifts and strengthening your areas of weakness.

Woman’s Ministries

The Master of Arts Women's Ministries emphasis is designed to equip you for a specific ministry to women in a local church context. It is set up to develop strengths in both Bible / theology and counseling / teaching. The program emphasizes preparation, enrichment, equipping and renewing ministries in such classes as Counseling Ministry, Group Counseling, Women and Men in Ministry, Sex Roles in Society, and Psychology of Women.

A major focus is on actual practice in women's ministries in local churches. Our purpose is to provide local churches with specialists in the field of Women's Ministries who have built their counseling, administrative and teaching skills upon a solid biblical and theological base. The program will prepare you for such professional positions as director of women's ministries or associate pastor of Christian education, while providing special emphasis in the area of women's concerns.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must possess a Bachelor of Arts degree or its academic equivalent from an accredited college with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

All applicants must submit a written statement outlining their vocational objectives and how the degree might relate to those objectives.

Graduation Requirements

1. Satisfactorily complete 64-66 semester units as outlined in the curriculum charts below.
2. Submit an acceptable thesis, chosen in consultation with the major advisor, or at the option of the major advisor and in lieu of the thesis, complete four additional units of electives. Students who write a thesis will have a total requirement of 64 units and those who take two additional units in lieu of a thesis will have a total requirement of 66 units.
3. At least 24 units must be taken at this seminary.
4. Obtain a 3.0 average with no grade below a "C-" in all courses to be credited toward graduation.
5. Complete the entire program in no more than five years.

Students are placed on academic probation if their grade point average for any semester falls below 3.0 and will remain on probation as long as the single semester or cumulative grade point average remains below 3.0. Probation students are granted one semester in which to bring their academic work up to the required level (3.0) for continuance in the seminary. A student cannot graduate while on probation.

Emphases Requirements

Program Structure

The academic programs leading to the degree Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and Leadership with emphases in Pastoral Care and Counseling or Women's Ministries are comprised of 64-66 units structured in common to include:

1. Biblical and theological foundations
2. Academic specialization in one of four disciplines requiring biblical language studies or general studies in which biblical languages are not required
3. Additional elective courses determined by the student in consultation with the advisor.

Advanced Standing

Applicants who have taken undergraduate courses in biblical or theological studies may request advanced standing based on collegiate work. See Admissions Requirements for details.

Curriculum

First Year

Second Year

* Up to 6 graduate elective units may be taken in other schools in Biola University with advisor's approval.

** Consult the Talbot student handbook for preliminary steps that must be completed prior to enrolling in the thesis course.

Emphases

• Pastoral Care & Counseling Emphasis
• Women's Ministry Emphasis

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Print-friendly version (PDF) of program information and curriculum chart.

Emphases

• Pastoral Care & Counseling Emphasis
• Women's Ministry Emphasis