Global Ministries University

       MASTER OF THEOLOGY DEGREE PROGRAM 

The Master of Theology Degree Completion Program features an interdisciplinary understanding of theology in the 21st century. This degree program provides students the opportunity to explore graduate level study with faculty drawn from the traditional disciplines of philosophy, spirituality, theology, sacred scripture and historical theology, as well as other disciplines such as feminist studies, ethics, and science, from the perspective of various world religions.

The Master of Theology Degree Completion Program is affiliated with the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California and the Ian Ramsey Center of Oxford University, Oxford, England. Global Ministries University was the recipient of a CTNS grant in 2001 for the development of a course of study featuring the History of Science from the perspective of Christianity and Islam.

Eligibility
All students who are accepted into this program must have already earned a bachelor's degree.

Credits Required
The Master of Theology degree requires 36 credits.

Prior Learning and Life Experience Allowance

Prior Learning Allowance
A maximum of 18 credits for prior learning experience.

Prior Life Experience Allowance
A maximum of 9 credits may be awarded for life experience.

A combined total of up to 18 of the required 36 credits may be awarded for prior learning and life experience.
 

Credit Earned Through Global Ministries University
Students must earn 18 credits through Global Ministries University.

Program Overview

Master of Theology Degree Completion Program Core Requirements

TH799 Master of Theology Thesis (6 credits) or Two Additional Courses
In lieu of a supervised internship, students will be required to demonstrate extensive research skills and will design a research project leading to a Master's Thesis.  This project will be interdisciplinary and focus on a core theme.  The following are some of the qualifying disciplines, however, this list is not exhaustive: 

o Contemporary Christianity
o Feminist Studies
o World Religions
o Religion and Science
o Theology and Global Ecumenism
o Theology and Human Development

Custom-Designed Degree Program
It is possible to custom-design this degree program.  Under the direction of the Dean of the Master of Theology Degree Program, students are able to select curriculum that would best meet their academic goals.  

A course of study for five qualifying disciplines is shown below, however, these are only examples of a possible direction.  The choice of courses is not limited to those listed and the number of courses needed to earn degree are not included, rather a sample of courses for each concentration is suggested. 


MASTER OF THEOLOGY DEGREE IN PASTORAL MINISTRY
Students will incorporate the disciplines of Scripture, Historical Theology, Spirituality into a foundation for ministry. Students will develop a research plan for a Master's level research study and work with a mentor to develop a research and writing plan.  It is also possible to waive the thesis by taking two additional courses.
 
Possible course of study for Pastoral Ministry theme:
TH612 Introduction to the Old Testament
TH650 Introduction to the Gospels
TH695 Modern Church History
IPE619 Contemporary Congregational Life
TH520 Ethical Concerns in Ministry
IPA684 Preaching Tutorial
TH550 Religious Services
TH551 Wedding Ceremonies and Rites of Passages

Possible course of study for Feminist Pastoral Ministry theme:
TH610 Feminist Introduction to Hebrew Scriptures
TH650 Introduction to New Testament
TH642 Visionary Women in the Christian Tradition
TH535 Feminist Ethics and Moral Theology
IPA701 Feminist Liturgies
TH565 Feminist Sacramental Theology
IPA686 Feminist Homiletics and Preaching
IPA688 Spiritual Direction

 

MASTER OF THEOLOGY DEGREE IN FEMINIST STUDIES
Students will relate the disciplines of Scripture, Historical Theology, Spirituality, and Ethics with contemporary issues in Feminism. These could include issues such as women's equality, ecofeminism, women's ordination, women's reproductive issues, international women's rights, and gender issues within marriage, family life and employment. Students will develop a research plan for a Master's level research study related to one of these issues and work with a mentor to develop a research and writing plan. It is also possible to waive the thesis by taking two additional courses.

Possible course of study for Feminist Studies theme:
TH610 Feminist Introduction to Hebrew Scriptures
TH650 Introduction to the New Testament
TH644 Women of the Bible
TH544 Celtic Women in the Christian Tradition
TH508 Feminist Theology
TH535 Feminist Ethics and Moral Theology
TH572 Feminist Liberation Theologies
TH642 Visionary Women in the Christian Tradition


MASTER OF THEOLOGY DEGREE IN GLOBAL SPIRITUALITY
This program invites students to explore and reflect on some of the ancient paths to spiritual growth and integrate these paths with contemporary experiences of the Sacred.  The paths students will explore include those from the spiritual traditions of the East and the West.  They will include sacred spiritualities such as the Goddess theme, Monastic, Native American, Latino, Ignatian, Celtic, African, Zen, Taoist, and mystic traditions of Judaism (Kabala), Christianity (Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross) and Islam (Sufism).

Students will compare and contrast these spiritual traditions in the light of contemporary questions and social issues provoked by the globalization of culture and interaction of formerly disparate spiritual traditions. The goal of this program is to encourage students to develop their own spiritual map drawing from the diverse spiritual traditions that are the heritage of the human family. They will dialogue with ancient wisdom traditions and contemplative approaches to life that have the potential to empower and transform mind, body and spirit in a global, 21st century society.  Student may write a thesis or take two additional courses.

Possible course of study for Global Spirituality theme:
TH901 World Religions and Ethical Systems
TH577 Religious Traditions of the World
TH512 Theology of Interfaith Dialogue
TH506 Christian and Muslim Perspectives on Science and Religion
TH575 Mysticism in the Christian Tradition and Beyond
TH580 Creation Spirituality
TH578 African Theology
TH540 Spirituality for the 21st Century
TH510 Introduction to Ecumenical Theology
TH515 Comparative Religion

Other possible themes might be:

RELIGION AND SCIENCE
Students will relate either the History of Science or a particular scientific discipline with the core teachings of a theological discipline such as Sacred Scripture, Historical Theology, Ecological Theology or Moral Theology. 

Students will be encouraged to bring the disciplines of theology to bear on contemporary scientific and moral issues such as stem cell research, biomedical ethics, theories of human origins as well as the evolving universe, and the many ethical issues forming around the environment and ecological Systems.

THEOLOGY AND GLOBAL ECUMENISM
Students will be able to envision theology of the 21st century within the growing religious and ethical diversity present in the many and diverse belief systems found throughout the globe and often within most of the international urban centers of the world.

Global Ecumenism involves a new understanding of theology within a pluralistic religious world in which theology must speak to more than one religious tradition and be capable of dialogue with many other religious systems. Students can choose this track for research into another religious tradition other than Christianity and develop paradigms for interaction between Christianity and at least one other world religious tradition.

THEOLOGY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Students will compare and contrast theology with current studies in Humanistic Psychology, Anthropology, Medicine, and Psychiatry to determine how theology can relate to the evolving understanding of the human person within the disciplines mentioned above. Research projects should focus on the relationship of contemporary theology with at least one of the disciplines dealing with human growth and development.  Research projects should show how theology and other secular disciplines can learn from each other and also how they can complement each other for a fuller understanding of the human person.