Purpose

As part of its overall mission to educate persons for service in the Christian Church, Erskine Seminary offers the Master of Arts in Theological Studies (M.A.T.S.) degree. The purpose of this degree is to prepare scholars who have an in-depth knowledge of a given field in Biblical, historical, or theological studies and who can integrate the various fields into a coherent whole, to the end that God may be glorified. The M.A.T.S. may serve as a terminal degree, or as preparation for further graduate study in Biblical, historical, or theological disciplines. The M.A.T.S. degree includes four tracks (Old Testament, New Testament, theology, and Church history), each of which serves to prepare students for doctoral-level academic studies and, eventually, a teaching career. It is not aimed at professional leadership in the Church and is not intended for persons preparing for pastoral leadership in local 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 be conversant with important scholarly literature in their field.
5. Graduates will possess a reading knowledge of the ancient languages needed for scholarly research in their field (Hebrew and Greek, or Greek and Latin).
6. Graduates will be prepared to engage in research and serious critical thinking in their field.
7. Graduates will write and speak using theological language that is clear, well-considered, disciplined, and meaningful for those to whom they minister.
8. Graduates will be able to organize ideas and material so as to write well at a scholarly level.
9. Graduates will be prepared to serve the Church with Christian character and integrity in their personal and professional lives.
10. Graduates will be prepared to view their academic work and their ministries in light of the Church’s mission to worship, follow, bear witness to, and serve Jesus Christ.
11. Graduates will be able to communicate the Bible’s message through teaching, so as to make clear that its meaning is relevant for today.
12. Graduates will be prepared to foster a sense of community among those they serve in Christian ministry.

Residency and Graduation Requirements

To qualify for the M.A.T.S. degree in one of the four tracks (Old Testament, New Testament, theology, or Church history), a student must complete 66 semester hours of course work, including three semesters each of two ancient languages. Students in the Old or New Testament tracks take Hebrew and Greek. Students in the Church history track take Greek and Latin. Students in the theology track should take Hebrew and Greek if they intend to focus on systematic theology, or Greek and Latin if they intend to focus on historical theology. No more than 33 semester hours may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 33 hours may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers. At least 33 semester hours must be earned at Erskine Seminary’s Due West campus. No thesis or dissertation is required for this degree. 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.

Relation to Other Degrees

Students whose ministry goals warrant doing so may combine the M.A.T.S. with another of Erskine Seminary’s master’s degrees. Students who combine the M.A.T.S.. with a 60-hour degree must complete 93 hours of total course work and must take all courses required for both degrees. Students who combine the M.A.T.S. with the M.Div. must complete 123 hours of total course work, including all courses required for both degrees. The M.A.T.S. may not be combined with the M.A.P.M. Students who combine degrees will ordinarily be conferred both degrees at the same time, after the requirements for both have been met.

Curriculum

The M.A.T.S. includes extensive study of the foundational disciplines of Old Testament, New Testament, theology, and Church history. It also offers electives which the student uses to focus on his/her chosen area of concentration.

All M.A.T.S. students are expected to take and pass the Bible Challenge Exam during their first year of study. Students who do not pass the challenge exam must take the Bible Survey course in addition to the required 66 hours.

In addition to the course work required for the degree, each student completes a summative evaluation in consultation with the M.A.T.S. program director. This evaluation may take the form of an integrative paper demonstrating critical analysis of a timely issue in the field of Biblical, theological, or historical studies. In lieu of the paper, the students may elect to take a comprehensive written or oral examination.
Erskine Seminary considers a person to be a full-time student for academic purposes if he/she takes at least 12 hours of classes each semester (fall and spring) AND at least 30 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 Theological Studies Degree
(Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, or Church History)

Junior Class First Year

Senior Class Second Year