Master of Arts (Theology)
Purpose
The Master of Arts (Theology) is a graduate level degree offering advanced work in the classical theological disciplines. Since the degree does not include courses outside of the classical theological disciplines, those called to local church ministry should pursue the Master of Divinity.
Prerequisites
The student must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The student’s undergraduate degree must include courses in the following subject areas:
| Course Title | Hours |
|---|---|
| Biblical Hermeneutics | 3 |
| Survey of the Old Testament | 3-6* |
| Survey of the New Testament | 3-6* |
| Greek or Hebrew (three semesters of one language) | 9 |
| Survey of Systematic Theology | 6-9* |
| Survey of Church History | 3-6* |
| Philosophy of Religion | 3 |
| Total | 33 or more |
*Undergraduate survey courses must cover the entire subject (for example, all of the Old Testament) in at least six hours as noted above. Prerequisites courses must be completed with a B- or better.
Admitted students who have not satisfied the prerequisites must do so at the beginning of the program.
New applicants to the seminary should indicate the desire to pursue the M.A.Th. on application materials. Current Southwestern students should fill out a Degree Change Form available in the Registrar’s Office and include an explanation of the reasons for pursuing the M.A.Th.
Degree Requirements
The 50-hour degree includes courses in Spiritual Formation, Biblical Languages, Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, and Ethics and Philosophical Studies. Students use elective hours to pursue a concentration and/or complete and optional thesis. For concentration requirements, please see the M.Div. concentrations in the Southwestern Catalog.
In addition to the two hours of Spiritual Formation, only advanced courses from Biblical Languages, Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, and Ethics and Philosophical Studies apply toward the degree.
Biblical Studies
| Course Title | Course Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biblical Languages I | HEBRW/GREEK language not studied for prerequisite |
9 |
|
Biblical Languages II |
HEBRW/GREEK same language studied for prerequisite |
3 |
| Biblical Hermeneutics or Biblical Theology |
BIBST 3203 or BIBST/BIBTH |
3 |
| Biblical Studies Electives | 6 |
Theological Studies
| Course Title | Course Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist Heritage | BPTST 3203 | 3 |
| Systematic Theology I | SYSTH 3053 | 3 |
| Theological Studies Electives | 6 |
Ethics and Philosophical Studies
| Course Title | Course Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics and Philosophical Studies Elective | ETHIC/PHILO | 3 |
Additional Requirements
| Course Title | Course Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual Formation | SPFRM 3022 | 2 |
Free Electives/Concentration
| Course Title | Course Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Free Electives/concentration hours 1 | 12 | |
| Total Degree Hours | 50 |
1 Concentrations in New Testament, Old Testament, Theological Studies, Ethics, Philosophical Studies, and Ministry to Women are available on the Fort Worth campus. Six hours of electives may also be used for modern language study.
Non-Thesis Track
Students in the non-thesis track must select a concentration from the list above and pass a comprehensive exam in the area of the concentration. The comprehensive exam will be registered in the final semester (MATHE 5000).
Thesis
Students may complete a thesis as part of the elective requirements for this degree. Students who plan to pursue Ph.D. work should complete a thesis. The thesis track includes the Graduate Research Seminar (2 hours), Thesis Research (1 hour), and Thesis Writing (3 hours). The remaining 6 hours of electives must be taken from one of the concentration areas.
Bonn Extension Center
In 2005 Southwestern Seminary established an extension center in Bonn, Germany. This extension site is housed on the beautiful campus of The Bibelseminar, Bonn. Students in Bonn complete the thesis track of the Master of Arts (Theology) and a concentration in Pastoral Ministry or Missions. Southwestern faculty travel to Bonn to teach courses on a rotating schedule from October to June. In addition to traveling faculty, Southwestern also employs residential faculty in Bonn. Courses at the Bonn extension center are taught in German or in English with German translation. Application for admission to the Bonn extension center is initiated through the Southwestern Office in Bonn.
For information on the M.A.Th. offered in Germany contact Dr. Friedhelm Jung:
by mail at: Bibelseminar Bonn, Haus Wittgenstein
Ehrental 2-4, 53332 Bornheim-Roisdorf
by email at fjung@bsb-online.de
or by phone at +49 (0) 2222.701200
Additional Information
For additional information about the Master of Arts (Theology), contact the registrar's office at registrar@swbts.edu