Master of Divinity Program with Concentration (102 hours)

Goals
1. Graduates will understand the Bible’s message in light of its own literary, historical, and theological settings.
2. Graduates will be prepared to articulate the relation between the Bible and the contemporary contexts in which ministry takes place.
3. Graduates will be prepared to utilize the Church’s historical and theological heritage as an important resource i in their personal spiritual development and ministry.
4. Graduates will write and speak using theological language that is clear, well-considered, disciplined, and meaningful for those to whom they minister.
5. Graduates will be prepared to serve the Church with Christian character and integrity in their personal and professional lives.
6. Graduates will be prepared to view their ministries in light of the Church’s mission to worship, follow, bear witness to, and serve Jesus Christ.
7. Graduates will be prepared to communicate the Bible’s message through preaching and evangelism, so as to make clear that its meaning is relevant for today.
8. Graduates will be prepared to lead people in the worship of God and the celebration of the sacraments.
9. Graduates will be prepared to understand and minister to people and communities through pastoral care and c counseling.
10. Graduates will be prepared to lead the local congregation in forging its goals and designing and implementing its forms of ministry.
11. Graduates will be prepared to lead the local congregation in Christian education, with special emphasis on the training of teachers and other lay ministers.
12. Graduates will be prepared to foster a sense of community among those they serve in Christian ministry.

Residency and Graduation Requirements
A student must complete 102 semester hours of course work to qualify for the M.Div. degree with concentration. No more than 51 semester hours (1/2 of the degree) may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 66 hours (2/3 of the degree) may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers. Of these 66 hours that may be taken at extension centers, no more than 51 hours (1/2 of the degree) may be taken at any single extension center. At least 36 semester hours (1/3 of the degree) must be earned in residence (that is, at the Due West campus, by directed study, or through transfer credit taken in residence at another institution). No thesis or dissertation is required for this degree. The program is designed to be completed in three years of full-time study, although students may spread their program over a longer period by studying part-time, not to exceed a maximum of six years.

Relation to Other Degrees
The M.Div. with concentration is not ordinarily combined with another degree. However, students who take the M.Div. with concentration may wish to continue their studies through the Th.M. or D.Min. program.

Curriculum
The M.Div. curriculum seeks to develop in students those competencies required for ministry in contemporary society. The curriculum is aimed at students preparing for pastoral leadership ministries in local churches. However, students who expect to engage in the development of new churches or in missions work may take elective courses to help equip them for these specialized ministries.

The Biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek, occupy an important place in the curriculum, and the faculty is convinced that a functional understanding of these languages is critically important for Biblical interpretation. Accordingly, students in the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration take nine semester hours of each Biblical language.

The 102 semester hours of the M.Div. program with concentration include 81 hours of required courses, of which 33 hours come from the Bible Department, 24 hours come from the Theology/Church History Department, and 24 come from the Ministry Department. The program also includes 9 hours of electives in the student’s area of concentration (Biblical studies, theological studies, or congregational ministries), and 12 hours of denominational requirements and/or free electives. The required courses are as follows:

Bible Department
BI 502 Principles of Exegesis (Mandatory 1st yr.)
OT 501 Old Testament I
OT 502 Old Testament II
NT 601 New Testament I
NT 602 New Testament II
HB 501 Biblical Hebrew I
HB 502 Biblical Hebrew II
HB 601 Biblical Hebrew III (for exegesis credit)
GK 501 Biblical Greek I
GK 502 Biblical Greek II
GK 601 Biblical Greek III (for exegesis credit)

Theology Department
CH 501 Early and Medieval Church History
CH 502 Reformation and Modern Church History
ST 601 Systematic Theology I
ST 602 Systematic Theology II
ST 603 Systematic Theology III
Ethics Elective
Missions/Contextualization Elective
Theology Department Elective OR Denominational History/Doctrine Course

Ministry Department
CE 505 Christian Education
PM 507 Evangelism
WP 601 Worship and Preaching I
PM 604 Christian Leadership and Church Administration
CO 607 Basic Counseling
PM 609 Pastoral Care Ministry
WP 701 Worship and Preaching II
PM 705 Supervised Ministry

All M.Div. students, full-time and part-time, must take BI 502 Principles of Exegesis during their first year of study. Furthermore, all M.Div. students must demonstrate competence in the English Bible during their first year of seminary. The normal way to demonstrate this competence is to pass the Bible Challenge Exam. M.Div. students who choose not to take the Bible Challenge Exam may take BI 501 Bible Survey (or BI 501Z) as an elective course in order to meet the Bible competence requirement. They will receive three hours of elective credit for this course.

Denominational Requirements
Please note the following denominational requirements for M.Div. students taking the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration.

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church:
ST 715 The Westminster Standards (may count as a Theology Department elective)
AR 501 Associate Reformed Presbyterian History and Polity

Evangelical Presbyterian Church:
ST 715 The Westminster Standards (may count as a Theology Department elective)
EP 501 Evangelical Presbyterian Church History and Polity

Presbyterian Church in America:
ST 715 The Westminster Standards (may count as a Theology Department elective)
PA 501 Presbyterian Church in America History and Polity

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
PC 501 The Polity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
PC 502 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) History and Confessions (may count as a Theology
Department elective)

United Methodist Church:
UM 501 United Methodist Polity
UM 603 United Methodist History (may count as a Theology Department elective)
UM 605 United Methodist Doctrine (may count as a Theology Department elective)
PM 783 Women’s Studies (required of SC Conference UM students for ORDINATION, not
for COMISSIONING, so students may delay this course until after graduation)
PM 786 Black Studies (required of SC Conference UM students for ORDINATION, not for
COMISSIONING, so students m may delay this course until after graduation)


Students of other denominations should take appropriate denominational history, doctrine, and polity courses if offered. These are listed in the “Denominational Courses” section of the Catalog.

Students should recognize that M.Div. required courses are offered every year on campus, and most are also offered each year at one or another of the extension centers. Greek and Hebrew are offered every year on campus and every other year in Columbia. Denominational requirements are offered only on campus, and most are offered only every other year. Students should pay close attention to the schedules for each year and the projected long-term schedule (posted on the website and the bulletin board in Bowie Hall), to make sure they know when their required courses will be offered.

Part- time students should generally take the first-year required courses (numbers in the 500s) before moving on to second-year required courses (numbers in the 600s) and third-year courses (numbers in the 700s).

A Suggested Schedule for the Master of Divinity Degree Program
(with concentration)

Junior Class (First Year)

Fall Semester 2008
OT 501....................................... Old Testament I...............................................3
CH 501..........................Early and Medieval Church History...........................3
CE 505..................................... Christian Education.............................................3
HB 501............................................ Hebrew I.........................................................3
Credits Earned........................................................................................................12/12

January Term 2009
Elective in the student’s area of concentration...............................................3
Credits Earned..........................................................................................................3/15

Spring Semester 2009
BI 502.....................................Principles of Exegesis.............................................3
OT 502.......................................Old Testament II...............................................3
ST 601....................................Systematic Theology I...........................................3
HB 502...........................................Hebrew II.........................................................3
Credits Earned.........................................................................................................12/27

Summer Term 2009
PM 507...........................................Evangelism........................................................3
Elective.......................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned.........................................................................................................6/33

Middler Class (Second Year)

Fall Semester 2009
NT 601.......................................New Testament I..............................................3
ST 602...................................Systematic Theology II..........................................3
WP 601.................................Worship and Preaching I......................................3
HB 601............................................Hebrew III.......................................................3
GK 501...............................................Greek I.........................................................3
Credits Earned.........................................................................................................15/48

January Term 2010
Elective in the student’s area of concentration.............................................3
Credits Earned.........................................................................................................3/51

Spring Semester 2010
NT 602.......................................New Testament II..............................................3
CH 502.........................Reformation and Modern Church History...............3
ST 603....................................Systematic Theology III.........................................3
GK 502.............................................Greek II...........................................................3
Denominational Requirement or Elective........................................................3
Credits Earned..........................................................................................................15/66

Summer Term 2010
PM 705......................................Supervised Ministry...........................................3
Elective in the student’s area of concentration............................................3
Credits Earned........................................................................................................6/72

Senior Class (Third Year)

Fall Semester 2010
GK 601.............................................Greek III.....................................................3
Ethics Elective.......................................................................................................3
PM 609..................................Pastoral Care Ministry.......................................3
Denominational Requirement or elective...................................................3
Credits Earned.....................................................................................................12/84

January Term 2011
Theology Department Elective.......................................................................3
Credits Earned.....................................................................................................3/87

Spring Semester 2011
WP 701................................Worship and Preaching II.................................3
PM 604................Christian Leadership and Church Administration.......3
CO 607.......................................Basic Counseling...........................................3
Missions Elective..................................................................................................3
Denominational Requirement or Elective..................................................3
Credits Earned....................................................................................................15/102
Total.......................................................................................................................102 Semester Hours

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Master of Divinity Program (90 hours)

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Purpose
As part of its overall mission to educate persons for service in the Christian Church, Erskine Seminary offers the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. This is the professional degree designed to prepare students for ordained ministry by providing a well-rounded theological education. Its purpose is to educate ministers who can formulate a theory of ministry, design and implement forms of ministry appropriate to particular circumstances, and integrate the various disciplines and skills of ministry so as to share God’s love with all people, all to the end that God may be glorified. The ability to minister effectively requires that one understand persons both as individuals and as members of social structures. The practice of ministry also requires maturity, a meaningful personal faith, and a deep sense of commitment. Erskine Theological Seminary’s M.Div. program seeks to produce graduates with these characteristics.

Goals
1. Graduates will understand the Bible’s message in light of its own literary, historical, and theological settings.
2. Graduates will be prepared to articulate the relation between the Bible and the contemporary contexts in which ministry takes place.
3. Graduates will be prepared to utilize the Church’s historical and theological heritage as an important resource i in their personal spiritual development and ministry.
4. Graduates will write and speak using theological language that is clear, well-considered, disciplined, and meaningful for those to whom they minister.
5. Graduates will be prepared to serve the Church with Christian character and integrity in their personal and professional lives.
6. Graduates will be prepared to view their ministries in light of the Church’s mission to worship, follow, bear witness to, and serve Jesus Christ.
7. Graduates will be prepared to communicate the Bible’s message through preaching and evangelism, so as to make clear that its meaning is relevant for today.
8. Graduates will be prepared to lead people in the worship of God and the celebration of the sacraments.
9. Graduates will be prepared to understand and minister to people and communities through pastoral care and c counseling.
10. Graduates will be prepared to lead the local congregation in forging its goals and designing and implementing its forms of ministry.
11. Graduates will be prepared to lead the local congregation in Christian education, with special emphasis on the training of teachers and other lay ministers.
12. Graduates will be prepared to foster a sense of community among those they serve in Christian ministry.

Residency and Graduation Requirements
A student must complete 90 semester hours of course work to qualify for the M.Div. degree. No more than 45 semester hours (1/2 of the degree) may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 60 hours (2/3 of the degree) may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers. Of these 60 hours that may be taken at extension centers, no more than 45 hours (1/2 of the degree) may be taken at any single extension center. At least 30 semester hours (1/3 of the degree) must be earned in residence (that is, at the Due West campus, by directed study, or through transfer credit taken in residence at
another institution). The program is designed to be completed in three years of full-time study, although students may spread their program over a longer period by studying part- time, not to exceed a maximum of six years.

Relation to Other Degrees
Students whose ministry goals warrant doing so may combine the M.Div. with another of Erskine Seminary’s master’s degrees. Students who do this must complete the 90 hours required for the M.Div., plus half of the hours required for the other degree (thus, M.Div. and M.A.E.M., M.A.C.M., or M.C.M. would mean taking 120 hours, M.Div. and M.A.T.S. would mean taking 123 hours), and they must take all courses required for both degrees. In such cases, both degrees will ordinarily be conferred at the same time, after the requirements for both have been met. An M.Div. degree is the prerequisite for admission into the Doctor of Ministry program at Erskine Seminary.

Curriculum
The M.Div. curriculum seeks to develop in students those competencies required for ministry in contemporary society. The curriculum is aimed at students preparing for pastoral leadership ministries in local churches. However, students who expect to engage in the development of new churches or in missions work may take elective courses to help equip them for these specialized ministries. The Biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek, occupy an important place in the curriculum, and the faculty is convinced that a functional understanding of these languages is critically important for Biblical interpretation. Students in the 90-hour M.Div. ordinarily take a three-hour course BI 503 Introduction to the Biblical Languages. However, if a 90-hour M.Div. student takes at least six semester hours each of Greek and Hebrew, that student will be considered exempt from BI 503. Ordinarily, however, students who intend to study the Biblical languages in some depth do so by taking the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration, which involves nine semester hours of each language. The 90 semester hours of the M.Div. program include 72 hours of required courses and 18 hours set aside for language courses, denominational requirements, and/or elective courses. Of the required courses, 24 hours come from each department: Bible, Theology/Church History, and Ministry. These required courses are as follows:

Bible Department
BI 502 Principles of Exegesis (Mandatory 1st yr.)
BI 503 Introduction to the Biblical Languages
OT 501 Old Testament I
OT 502 Old Testament II
NT 601 New Testament I
NT 602 New Testament II
OT Exegesis Elective
NT Exegesis Elective

Theology Department
CH 501 Early and Medieval Church History
CH 502 Reformation and Modern Church History
ST 601 Systematic Theology I
ST 602 Systematic Theology II
ST 603 Systematic Theology III
Ethics Elective
Missions/Contextualization Elective
Theology Department Elective OR Denominational History/Doctrine Course

Ministry Department
CE 505 Christian Education
PM 507 Evangelism
WP 601 Worship and Preaching I
PM 604 Christian Leadership and Church Administration
CO 607 Basic Counseling
PM 609 Pastoral Care Ministry
WP 701 Worship and Preaching II
PM 705 Supervised Ministry

All M.Div. students, full-time and part-time, must take BI 502 Principles of Exegesis during their first year of study. Furthermore, all M.Div. students must demonstrate competence in the English Bible during their first year of seminary. The normal way to demonstrate this competence is to pass the Bible Challenge Exam. M.Div. students who choose not to take
the Bible Challenge Exam may take BI 501 Bible Survey (or BI 501Z) as an elective course in order to meet the Bible requirement. They will receive three hours of elective credit for this course.

Students should also recognize that prior to taking a Bible elective that will count “for exegesis credit” (that is, as an OT or NT exegesis course), they must have successfully completed both BI 502 and either BI 503 or six hours of the relevant Biblical language. Students are also strongly encouraged to complete their OT and NT survey courses prior to taking their exegesis electives.

Denominational Requirements
Please note the following language and denominational requirements for M.Div. students. All of these must come from the 18 hours of the “electives” section of the student’s academic worksheet, unless otherwise indicated below.

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church:
ARP students pursuing ordination may NOT normally take this version of the M.Div. degree. They must normally take the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration.

Evangelical Presbyterian Church:
It is recommended that E.P.C. students pursuing ordination take the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration. But if they do take the 90-hour M.Div., they must take the following four language courses:

HB 501 Biblical Hebrew I
HB 502 Biblical Hebrew II
GK 501 Biblical Greek I
GK 502 Biblical Greek II
It is also recommended that E.P.C. students take the following two courses:
ST 715 The Westminster Standards (may count as a Theology Department elective)
EP 501 E.P.C. History and Polity

Presbyterian Church in America:
It is recommended that P.C.A. students pursuing ordination take the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration. But if they do take the 90-hour M.Div., they must take the following four language courses:

HB 501 Biblical Hebrew I
HB 502 Biblical Hebrew II
GK 501 Biblical Greek I
GK 502 Biblical Greek II
It is also recommended that P.C.A. students take the following two courses:
ST 715 The Westminster Standards (may count as a Theology Department elective)
PA 501 P.C.A. History and Polity

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
It is recommended that P.C. (U.S.A.) students pursuing ordination take the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration. But if they do take the 90-hour M.Div., they must take the following six courses:

HB 501 Biblical Hebrew I
HB 502 Biblical Hebrew II
GK 501 Biblical Greek I
GK 502 Biblical Greek II
PC 501 The Polity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
PC 502 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) History and Confessions (may count as a Theology Department elective)

United Methodist Church
UM 501 United Methodist Polity
UM 603 United Methodist History (may count as a Theology Department elective)
UM 605 United Methodist Doctrine (may count as a Theology Department elective)
PM 783 Women’s Studies (required of SC Conference UM students for ORDINATION, not for COMISSIONING, so students may delay this course until after graduation)
PM 786 Black Studies (required of SC Conference UM students for ORDINATION, not for COMISSIONING, so students may delay this course until after graduation)

Students of other denominations should take appropriate denominational history, doctrine, and polity courses if offered. These are listed in the “Denominational Courses” section of the Catalog. Students should recognize that M.Div. required courses are offered every year on campus, and most are also offered each year at one or another of the extension centers. Greek and Hebrew are offered every year on campus and every other year in Columbia. Denominational requirements are offered only on campus, and most are offered only every other year. Students should pay close attention to the schedules for
each year and the projected long-term schedule (posted on the website and the bulletin board in Bowie Hall), to make sure they know when their required courses will be offered. Part-time students should generally take the first-year required courses (numbers in the 500s) before moving on to second-year required courses (numbers in the 600s) and third-year
courses (numbers in the 700s).

A Suggested Schedule for the Master of Divinity Degree Program
Junior Class (First Year)

Fall Semester 2008
BI 503..........................Introduction to the Biblical Languages..............................3
OT 501.........................................Old Testament I.....................................................3
CH 501...........................Early and Medieval Church History................................3
CE 505.......................................Christian Education..................................................3
Credits Earned................................................................................................................12/12

January Term 2009
Elective..............................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned................................................................................................................3/15

Spring Semester 2009
OT 502........................................Old Testament II.....................................................3
CH 502.......................Reformation and Modern Church History.......................3
ST 601.....................................Systematic Theology I.................................................3
Missions Elective..............................................................................................................3
Credits Earned.................................................................................................................12/27

Summer Term 2009
BI 502......................................Principles of Exegesis...................................................3
PM 507............................................Evangelism...............................................................3
Credits Earned.................................................................................................................6/33

Middler Class (Second Year)

Fall Semester 2009
NT 601........................................New Testament I.....................................................3
ST 602.....................................Systematic Theology II................................................3
WP 601..................................Worship and Preaching I.............................................3
PM 609....................................Pastoral Care Ministry................................................3
Credits Earned................................................................................................................12/45

January Term 2010
Elective..............................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned................................................................................................................3/48

Spring Semester 2010
NT 602.......................................New Testament II....................................................3
ST 603...................................Systematic Theology III................................................3
PM 604..................Christian Leadership and Church Administration................3
CO 607.......................................Basic Counseling.......................................................3
Credits Earned................................................................................................................12/60

Summer Term 2010
Elective...............................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned.................................................................................................................3/63
Senior Class (Third Year)

Fall Semester 2010
OT or NT Exegesis Elective.........................................................................................3
Ethics Elective....................................................................................................................3
PM 705.....................................Supervised Ministry......................................................3
Elective................................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned..................................................................................................................12/75

January Term 2011
Theology Department Elective....................................................................................3
Credits Earned..................................................................................................................3/78

Spring Semester 2011
OT or NT Exegesis Elective..........................................................................................3
Theology Department Elective....................................................................................3
WP 701.................................Worship and Preaching II..............................................3
Elective.................................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned..................................................................................................................12/90
Total.....................................................................................................................................90 Semester Hours