Master of Theology

Aims of the Program

THE MASTER OF THEOLOGY (THM) IS DESIGNED FOR PERSONS ALREADY HOLDING THE MDIV DEGREE OR ITS EQUIVALENT WHO WISH TO DEEPEN THEIR MASTERY OF ONE AREA OR DISCIPLINE OF THEOLOGICAL STUDY THROUGH REFLECTION, RESEARCH, AND WRITING FOR THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH AND THE ACADEMY.

The distinctive element of Columbia’s ThM program is the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors in research of mutual interest. Students pursue a one-year course of full-time study that includes coursework in relevant curricular areas; a seminar in research methods; close work with a faculty mentor; the production of a publishable research thesis project; and, by application to the faculty, the opportunity to serve as a research or teaching assistant.

Once the student has concluded the degree program, the student is expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced research methodology and scholarship in the production of a thesis. • Demonstrate an academic understanding in a focused area of study. • Demonstrate competency in teaching in a specific field of study, in the case of students accepted for teaching assistantships.

These are the student learning outcomes for the Master of Theology degree program.

SUMMER (REGISTERED AS FALL)

Research Methods Seminar (3 credits) (August 16-20, 2021)

FALL TERM

Thesis research (3 credits) Literature review (3 credits) 2 electives (6 credits)

JANUARY TERM

1 elective (3 credits)

SPRING TERM

Components of the Program

Students must earn at least 15 credit hours in coursework, in addition to the 15 credit hours for the ThM thesis preparation (reading and writing) in the area of specialization. ThM students participate in an intensive one-week Research Methods Seminar in the late summer and another intensive, the ThM Colloquium, in the spring with other students in the program. The intensive late summer session focuses on research methods, and the fall focuses on research and the beginning of thesis writing. During the spring semester, students present and discuss work they are doing on their thesis.

Students complete a ThM thesis. The thesis is worth 9 semester hours of credit, 3 credit hours for focused reading and research, 3 credit hours for writing a literature review and 3 credit hours for writing the thesis. The progress of the writing and the provisional and final approval of the thesis are overseen by the student’s advisor and the ThM director in consultation with the Academic Affairs Office.

Thesis writing (3 credits) 2 electives (6 credits) ThM Colloquium (3 credits)

Requirements for the Degree

To be eligible for graduation with the ThM degree, students are required to: • Have on file with the seminary a complete and official transcript of credits showing graduation with the MDiv degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution, a completed health form, and standardized test results; • Satisfactorily complete all the requirements of the degree with a total of 30 credit hours (at the advanced level) within two years of the date of matriculation, 18 of which must be completed at

Columbia (excluding cross-registration courses); • Complete a ThM thesis; • Complete the ThM Research Methods Seminar; • Be in residence for at least two long terms (residency is defined as enrollment as a degree- seeking student and registered for classes); • Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.00; • Demonstrate to the faculty that they have sustained a sound moral and religious character in seminary life and give promise of useful service in the ministry or other church vocations; and • Pay all bills to the seminary and give assurance that all open accounts in the community and elsewhere have been satisfied. Students with education loans must agree to make prompt and regular payments. • Students in the ThM degree program are assessed an administrative extension fee if they do not finish within the academic year in which the student matriculated.

Application Requirements

The application process in entirely online. Applicants can apply by visiting https://ctsnet.edu/apply.

To be considered for admission to the ThM program, an applicant must submit to the admissions office the following materials:

• Online application for admission • $50 nonrefundable application fee • Resume / CV • Statement of Purpose: three – four pages, typed, double-spaced intellectual biography that clearly outlines the applicant’s academic interests and how they have developed. The statement should also include the applicant’s

Admission to the Master of Theology (ThM) Program

Admission to the ThM program requires a Master of Divinity or master’s level equivalent from an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and/or regionally accredited college, university, or theological institution with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Prospective students who have completed a Master of Divinity with high academic standing who are interested in further graduate study are strongly encouraged to apply.

Offers of admission to the ThM program are made on a rolling basis beginning no later than February 15 and ending June 30. The priority deadline for admission to the ThM program is February 15. Applications that are completed by February 15 will receive an admission and financial aid decision by March 15. Applications received after February 15 will be considered for scholarships as funds are available. In order to enroll at the Seminary in the fall semester, applications must be completed by June 15.

Students who are unable to matriculate during the semester for which they were admitted may defer their admissions decision for up to one academic year. Deferral requests must be submitted in writing to admissionsstaff@ctsnet.edu. Incomplete applications and/or admitted students that do not matriculate and do not submit a deferral request will be administratively withdrawn from the admissions process with Columbia retaining application materials for at least one academic year. After one academic year, applicants may be required to submit new application materials to be considered for admission.

primary area(s) of interests and key problems, questions, theories, interlocutors, historical periods, and movements associated with the applicant’s intended research. The statement should also include information about applicant’s academic trajectory and goals. • Plan of Study: one – two pages, typed, double- spaced that identifies their area of concentration and clearly outlines the applicant’s plan for achieving their research goals within the ThM program. The Plan of Study should also include a student’s area of research, courses they plan to take, and faculty with whom they hope to work. • Academic Writing Sample: this should be a recent sample of the applicant’s writing that clearly demonstrates ability to write and critically engage an argument. Recent is defined as having been written in the last 3-5 years. If a recent sample is not available, the applicant may choose to submit an alternative writing assignment for which a prompt can be found online. Students seeking guidance concerning the academic writing sample or alternate writing assignment should email admissionsstaff@ctsnet.edu. • Official Transcript(s): applicants must submit transcripts from all colleges, universities, seminaries, and graduate schools attended by the applicant for at least one course whether or not a degree was granted. Official transcripts should be sent directly from the institution to Columbia

Theological Seminary. If an applicant is currently enrolled in a degree program, the applicant should send an official transcript that includes all work to-date. Such applicants will be admitted provisionally contingent upon receipt of the final transcript post-graduation. • Three Letters of Recommendation: recommendations may be academic, pastoral, or professional. At least two letters of recommendation must be academic.

Additional Requirements

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS | TOEFL REQUIREMENT

English Language Learners (ELL) and persons whose first language is not English are required to submit recent test scores, ordinarily taken within the last two years, from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In most cases, students accepted to Columbia’s first-level master’s degree programs submit a TOEFL score of 84 or higher on the internet-based TOEFL (iBT, iBT Home Edition, or Paper-delivered) with a minimum score of 21 in each of the skill sections. TOEFL scores should be submitted by TOEFL directly to Columbia (Institutional Code: 5118). All test fees are the responsibility of the applicant.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS | I-20S AND FINANCIAL CERTIFICATION

All international students are required to complete Columbia’s financial certification process upon admission and prior to applying for a visa. The process will ensure the student has adequate financial resources to cover tuition, fees, travel, and living expenses for the duration of their study in the United States. The I-20 will not be issued until the financial certification process has been completed. For fall enrollment, the certification process must take place by May 30 for those living abroad, and no later than June 30 for those currently in the United States who are transferring from another institution.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS | HEALTH INSURANCE REQUIREMENT

International students will automatically be billed for health insurance unless they can meet the insurance requirements outlined by the seminary with an alternative provider.

TRANSFER STUDENTS | LETTER OF GOOD STANDING

Students transferring from another seminary or graduate school are required to submit a letter of good standing that certifies the student will leave their current school in good standing with the institution – academic, financial, and otherwise.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK

After admission and prior to enrollment, all admitted students must complete a background check that will be conducted via a Columbia-approved third-party. All admissions decisions are contingent upon the successful completion of the criminal background check.

TITLE IX TRAINING BY EVERFI

All admitted students are required to complete an online Title IX training provided by Columbia prior to matriculation. The training will familiarize students with matters related to Title IX, sexual misconduct, and reporting.

ADMISSIONS DEPOSIT

A nonrefundable admissions deposit of $250 is required of all students enrolling at Columbia Theological Seminary. The deposit is due within thirty (30) days of a student’s admission decision and no later than July 30, in order to confirm the student’s place in the program. In planning the student’s program with her/his adviser or the ThM program director, a student may request the transfer of limited credit for work done prior to entry or at another institution while enrolled in the ThM program at Columbia. Ordinarily, the number of hours of transfer credit will be limited to three semester hours, or the equivalent of one elective course at Columbia. The work must have been done at a comparable graduate level within the last five years. A grade of B or better must have been earned for the course. The student must be able to show that the work is relevant to the ThM program and that the coursework was not credited toward a degree which was received. Final approval regarding transfer of credit resides with the Office of Academic Affairs.

GRE TEST SCORES

The Columbia Admissions Office welcomes the submission of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) test scores. However, this is not required to be considered for admission.

Doctor of Ministry

Aims of the Program

THE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY DEGREE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR PERSONS NOW ENGAGED IN MINISTRY, WHO HAVE COMPLETED BASIC THEOLOGICAL STUDIES (THE MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE OR ITS EQUIVALENT) AND AT LEAST THREE YEARS OF FULL-TIME SERVICE IN THE PRACTICE OF MINISTRY AFTER THEIR MDIV STUDIES.

Persons from other countries may be eligible to apply.

The program provides a course of graduate study for ministers of the people of God in the Church of Jesus Christ. It requires disciplined reflection upon, and further specialization within, ministry. The program focuses on the critical engagement between the biblical, historical, theological, and pastoral disciplines of ministry. By helping students integrate ministerial theory and practice with basic faith commitments, the program strengthens ministers to exercise a critical kind of teaching role in the church and to increase their competency and faithfulness in practice.

Because the program seeks to help students strengthen a holistic ministry in community, the program is largely generalist in character, involving questions of personal ministerial identity and of the nature of the Church and its mission in a postmodern world. A doctoral project requires students to focus this integrated concentration in a particular context.

Following the completion of the degree program, students are expected to: • Demonstrate advanced capacity to analyze ministry contexts and bring to bear one or more of the following disciplines and practices in relation to ministry: biblical, historical, theological, pastoral. • Demonstrate advanced capacity to analyze pastoral situations theologically and demonstrate mature leadership in addressing them. • Demonstrate competence in methods of pastoral research. • Demonstrate advanced understanding of both local and global contexts and develop effective ways of engaging in the student’s particular cultural context of ministry.

These are the student learning outcomes for the Doctor of Ministry degree program.

Concentrations

Students pursue the DMin degree in one of two concentrations:

CHURCH AND MINISTRY: Equipping leaders for the ministry and mission of the local congregation

Focusing on ministry with the local congregation, this DMin concentration for Church and Ministry offers students the opportunity to become more effective leaders for God’s people. The program’s collegial approach, with shared readings and critical reflection, encourages students to examine the settings and practices of their own ministries. Each student’s selection of electives and the direction of their research allow them to focus on an area of their own choosing, such as biblical studies, worship, preaching, pastoral care, or community ministry.