Purpose

As part of its overall mission to educate persons for service in the Christian Church, Erskine Seminary offers the Master of Arts in Practical Ministry (M.A.P.M.) degree. The purpose of this degree is to educate persons for specialized leadership in the ministry of the Church, to the end that God may be glorified. The M.A.P.M. degree equips persons for competent leadership roles in the local congregation or some other setting and also serves to prepare lay persons for the hands-on practice of ministry. The program is particularly well suited for persons desiring to serve the Church through parish or diaconal ministries, youth ministry, lay Bible teaching, missions, or evangelism. The M.A.P.M. is not a substitute for the professional degree, Master of Divinity, which is the usual requirement for persons preparing for ordained pastoral leadership in congregations.

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 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 so as to make clear that its meaning is relevant for today.
8. Graduates will be prepared to foster a sense of community among those they serve in Christian ministry.
9. Graduates will demonstrate ministry skills specific to their areas of service.
10. Graduates will be prepared to evaluate effectiveness in ministry and to implement appropriate changes.

Residency and Graduation Requirements

A student must complete 48 semester hours of course work to qualify for the M.A.P.M. degree. No more than 24 semester hours may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 24 hours may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers. At least 24 semester hours must be earned at Erskine Seminary’s Due West campus. No thesis or dissertation is required for this degree, although there is a requirement for hands-on supervision of practical ministry and a ministry project as part of the requirements for Supervised Field Experience. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time study, although students may spread their program over a longer period by studying part-time, not to exceed four years maximum.

Relation to Other Degrees

Normally, students who pursue the M.A.P.M. will not combine this degree with any other program. However, students who have previously completed a degree at Erskine and desire to pursue further education in the area of practical ministry may earn the M.A.P.M. by completing an additional 24 hours. Thus, M.Div. followed by M.A.P.M. would mean taking 114 hours total. M.A.C.E., M.A.C.M., or M.C.M. followed by M.A.P.M. would mean taking 84 hours total.

Some foundational courses for the M.A.P.M. are shared courses provided by our M.Div. curriculum or courses used in conjunction with other two-year programs. In return, the M.A.P.M. provides a few electives in areas such as Youth Ministry and Missions/Evangelism that also enrich the M.Div. curriculum and provide students a greater range of options for elective courses.

Curriculum

The 48 semester hours required for the M.A.P.M. degree include 15 hours in Bible, nine hours in theology, and nine hours in ministry. In addition to the 33 hours of required foundational courses, students will select 15 hours of electives to concentrate in some area of practical ministry (Bible Teaching, Local Church Ministry, Diaconal Ministry, Evangelism and Missions, or Youth Ministry). United Methodist students will satisfy their diaconal requirements in these 15 hours of electives.

All entering M.A.P.M. Students are required to take BI 101 Bible Survey before the end of their first year of study. (Students may take the Bible Survey Challenge Exam and, if successful, be eligible for another 3-hour course in Bible in lieu of BI 101.) In addition, students must take PM 101 Introduction to Theological Education during their first year of study.

The M.A.P.M. degree must normally be completed within four years from the time the student enrolls in the program. Students should note that most elective courses are offered only every other year. Thus, careful attention should be given to the selection and sequence of courses due to the biennial scheduling of these courses. All general seminary requirements for graduation must be met, including completion of the Professional Assessment program. Additionally, the student must complete successfully the Supervised Field Ministry requirement with a ministry/field assignment that is consistent with the focus of the student’s ministry electives.

Erskine Seminary considers a M.A.P.M. student to be full-time if he/she takes at least 9 hours of classes each semester (fall and spring) AND at least 24 hours in an academic year (fall semester, January term, spring semester, summer term). The schedule below is a suggestion for students who are studying full-time. Students should pay close attention to the scheduling template and schedules for each year (posted on the web site and the bulletin board in Bowie Hall), to make sure they know when their required courses will be offered.

A Suggested Schedule for the Master of Arts in Practical Ministry Degree

Junior Class First Year

Senior Class Second Year