Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

Mission and Role

The mission of the Master of Divinity program at Talbot School of Theology is to equip servant leaders for making disciples worldwide by developing in them an accurate knowledge of the Word of God, the skills necessary to communicate the Gospel effectively, and character worthy of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ for the leading of the church.

Goals

The Master of Divinity program aims to produce students who:

  1. Understand the Word of God and exegete it accurately.
  2. Communicate accurately the Word of God including the modes of preaching, teaching, counseling, evangelism and writing.
  3. Behave Christianly.
  4. Are committed to lead people into worldwide ministry.
  5. Comprehend the doctrines of our faith community and their development.
  6. Value and acquire the skills needed to lead the diverse Christian community and equip others to lead in ministry.

Outcomes

As a result of the Master of Divinity program, the student will:

  1. Behave Christianly by valuing and pursuing Christian character. Master of Divinity students will learn an accurate knowledge of self in light of the knowledge of God and will apply course material to their lives.
  2. Demonstrate and be committed to an accurate exposition of the Word of God. Master of Divinity students will learn pertinent background information for Bible books, the evangelical principles of literary interpretation of the Word of God, and exegetical skills for the exposition of biblical texts from the original languages.
  3. Comprehend historical theology. Master of Divinity students will be cognizant of and value the historical development of doctrine and the significance of this history for the contemporary situation.
  4. Comprehend the doctrines typically categorized in systematic theology and assess, prefer, and trust the doctrinal statement of Talbot School of Theology. Master of Divinity students will learn and recall the essential doctrines of our faith community, write theological papers using the inductive method of theological study, critique theological writing, and apply abstract theological concepts to concrete situations.
  5. Value and prefer expository preaching. Master of Divinity students will learn to apply the biblical author's intended purpose of a Bible passage in a manner relevant to the lives of their hearers.
  6. Write a graduate level research paper that is well organized, well supported, uses appropriate sources, and adheres to appropriate form and style guidelines.
  7. Counsel pastorally. Master of Divinity students will learn basic relationship skills, counseling skills, ethical guidelines in pastoral counseling, and develop a plan for referring some counselees.

Objectives

The Master of Divinity curriculum at Talbot School of Theology is designed to foster the purposes for which the seminary was established—preparation for the propagation of the faith. This purpose entails an accurate knowledge of the Word of God—the source of faith and the effective means of its communication. The course of study is therefore designed around these two basic foci.

Believing firmly that God in love and grace has provided an answer for the needs of the world in Jesus Christ, and that this Jesus is the Christ of the Scriptures, Talbot School of Theology emphasizes a knowledge of the content of the Word of God. So that the Word may be known and expounded accurately and authoritatively, matters of biblical background, including the languages of the Old and New Testaments, are studied. Sound principles of literary interpretation are also explored as a basis for the interpretation of the Scriptures. On the basis of such interpretation there comes systematic study so as to organize various parts of the Word into theological categories.

Since the faith of today does not stand alone but is rooted in past centuries during which God has preserved and instructed His people, cognizance of this heritage is taken in a study of the history of the Church and its doctrine. Previous interaction between faith and the world provides a basis for understanding modern times.

It is the seminary's aim that this knowledge of the faith first grip the life of the student and then motivate the student to share it with the world. In accord with this latter aim instruction is given in vital areas of ministry and communication. From the preparation and delivery of sermons to individual involvement in counseling, the curriculum is designed to provide instruction that will facilitate propagation of the faith in the various fields of God's call. Opportunity is also given for the development of ministry skills as principles are applied in the context of ministry in the Church.

With recognition that the Great Commission commands the Church to go into the world to minister to all peoples, the cross-currents of modern thought are considered relevant to the preparation of God's minister. Throughout the course of instruction, interaction is provided with various perspectives for the purpose of inculcating their contributions and understanding their divergences. All the while they are measured by the pattern of the Word.

Talbot School of Theology's Master of Divinity program focuses on the entire person and is meant to contribute to personal spiritual formation as well as cognitive awareness and the development of ministry skills. The curriculum is structured to develop sustainable habits that can be continued in life and ministry after graduation. The various components of the curriculum are designed to complement one another and to reinforce basic principles to which students have been exposed in other parts of their seminary program. A goal of the Master of Divinity program is to equip students to think biblically and to respond appropriately to the variety of challenges of life and ministry.

Emphases Requirements

Each Master of Divinity student is to select an emphasis and satisfactorily complete its requirements. Students should indicate their choice of emphasis at the beginning of their program. Changes of emphasis may be authorized under certain circumstances prior to the completion of 48 units, but are discouraged after that point.

Students without a working knowledge of Greek must take TTNT 501 and 502 (Beginning Greek) which are not for credit unless taken in place of elective units.

Electives in the Curriculum

Electives are open to the student's choice (check prerequisites) regardless of emphasis, but that choice may be governed by the following guidelines:

  1. If writing a thesis, the student's advisor may require up to four units of electives in an area of study in preparation for the thesis.
  2. Students who do not write a thesis are required to take two additional elective units for a program total of 98 units.

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.

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must hold the Bachelor of Arts degree, or its academic equivalent, with a 2.6 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average. Those not meeting this latter requirement, if accepted, will be placed on probation. Graduates from approved unaccredited colleges, if accepted, will be granted provisional acceptance, though exceptions may be made when the grade point average is 3.0 or higher. Graduates from approved unaccredited colleges may be required to take additional liberal arts course work (not applicable toward the graduate degree) if their undergraduate program did not include these courses. Students who have not had Greek but wish to take it in seminary may take Beginning Greek at Talbot and receive elective credit applicable toward the graduation requirement.

Note: The Spiritual Formation emphasis requires three supplemental essays and one additional letter of reference. More info

Graduation Requirements

  1. Satisfactorily complete 96-98 semester units. See (4) below.
  2. Take the courses prescribed in the Master of Divinity curriculum.
  3. Complete the requirements in one of the emphases.
  4. Submit an acceptable thesis (four units) chosen in consultation with the major advisor or, at the option of the major advisor and in lieu of the thesis, complete six units of electives. Students who write theses will have a total requirement of 96 units, and those who take six units of electives in lieu of a thesis will have a total requirement of 98 units. Five unbound copies of the thesis are to be submitted to the librarian.
  5. At least 24 units must be taken in this seminary by transfer students. Students are placed on academic probation if their grade point average for any semester falls below 2.5 and will remain on probation as long as the single semester of cumulative grade point average remains below 2.5. Students on probation are granted one semester in which to bring their academic work up to the required level (2.5) for continuance in the seminary. A student cannot graduate while on probation.
  6. The standard rate of progress through the program (12 units per semester) will allow the program to be completed in four years.

Curriculum

Two biblical languages are required: Greek and Hebrew. Either may be taken first.

Greek

TTNT 503, TTNT 604 and TTNT 605 required beyond beginning Greek. A qualifying examination is available to all interested students. Those who pass the examination may enroll directly in TTNT 503; others must take TTNT 501 and TTNT 502 (two units each) as prerequisites to TTNT 503.

Hebrew

TTOT 603, TTOT 604 and TTOT 705 are required. A qualifying examination is available to interested students. Those who pass the examination may take TTOT 604 plus 3-4 units of Hebrew electives instead of TTOT 603.

Additional Notes

Thesis Course Sequence

If a student elects to write a thesis, the course "Thesis First Draft" will be taken at the completion of 64 units and "Thesis Final Draft" at the completion of 80 units. Neither is applicable toward graduation unless both have been completed. Some preliminary steps must be completed by the end of the semester prior to taking "Thesis First Draft." See the Talbot School of Theology graduate student handbook for details.

Christian Ministry and Leadership Alternative

For students anticipating a career teaching in higher education, the courses TTPT 791 and TTPT 792 may be replaced by TTCE 791 and TTCE 792. A written petition is necessary, approved by the faculty advisor and filed with the Office of the Registrar.

Bible Exposition Alternative

For one of the four required Bible Exposition courses (excluding TTBE 517 or TTBE 726) the student may substitute three units of Greek or Hebrew exegesis electives.