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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. Students may choose their electives so as to concentrate in one of the following areas: Bible, Theology/Church History, Evangelism, Church Planting, Missions, Christian Education, Church Administration, Counseling, Diaconal Ministry, Outdoor Leadership Ministries, or Youth Ministry. 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.

Institutional Goals for Erskine Theological Seminary
The following general institutional goals apply to all degree programs offered by Erskine Seminary and reflect intended outcomes for all Seminary graduates.

Knowledge of Religious Heritage (Knowing)
1. Graduates will articulate the Bible’s message in light of its own literary, historical, and theological setting.
2. Graduates will utilize the Church’s historical and theological heritage as an important resource in their personal spiritual development and ministry.
3. Graduates will communicate the Bible’s message so as to make clear that its meaning is relevant for today.

Understanding of the Cultural Context (Knowing)
4. Graduates will articulate the relation between the Bible and the contemporary contexts in which ministry takes place.

Capacity for Ministerial and Public Leadership (Doing)
5. Graduates will write and speak using theological language that is clear, well considered, disciplined, and meaningful for those to whom they minister.
6. Graduates will view their ministries in light of the Church’s mission to worship, follow, bear witness to, and serve Jesus Christ.

Growth in Spiritual Depth (Being)
7. Graduates will serve the Church with Christian character and integrity in their personal and professional lives.

Goals of the M.A.P.M. Program
Graduates will be prepared to:

1. Demonstrate ministry skills specific to their areas of service. (Doing/Knowing)

2. Evaluate effectiveness in ministry programs of the local church. (Knowing/Being)

3. Implement appropriate changes in ministry from the evaluation process. (Doing)

Residency and Graduation Requirements
You must complete 48 semester hours of coursework to qualify for the M.A.P.M. degree. No more than 24 semester hours (1/2 of the degree) may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 23 hours (less than 50% of the degree) may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers or online. At least 24 semester hours must be earned in residence (that is, at the Due West or Columbia campus) (summer 2010 or after), by directed study, or through transfer credit taken in residence at another institution). 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 Ministry. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time study, although you may spread your 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, if you have previously completed a degree at Erskine and desire to pursue further education in the area of practical ministry, you 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.E.M., 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 12 hours in Bible, 9 hours in theology, and 9 hours in ministry. In addition to the 30 hours of required foundational courses, students may choose 18 hours of electives, either to broaden their education or to concentrate in one of the following specific areas: Bible, Theology/Church History, Evangelism, Church Planting, Missions, Christian Education, Church Administration, Counseling, Diaconal Ministry, Outdoor Leadership Ministries, or Youth Ministry. The required courses are as follows:

Bible Department (12 hours):
OT 501 Old Testament I
OT 502 Old Testament II
NT 601 New Testament I
NT 602 New Testament II

Theology Department (9 hours):
CH 551 Survey of Church History
ST 551 Survey of Systematic Theology
Ethics Elective

Ministry Department (9 hours):
CE 551 Spiritual Formation (OR HT 560 Reformed Spirituality, listed just above)
PM 705 Supervised Ministry
ONE of the following:
CE 505 Christian Education WP 551 Christian Worship
WP 601 Worship/Preaching I

All M.A.P.M. students, full-time and part-time, 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. If you choose not to take the Bible Challenge Exam, you must take BI 501 Bible Survey (or BI 501Z) as an elective course in order to meet the Bible requirement.

The M.A.P.M. degree must normally be completed within four years from the time you enroll in the program. You should note that most elective courses are offered only every other year, or less often. Thus, you should give careful attention to the selection and sequence of courses. All general seminary requirements for graduation must be met, including completion of the Professional Assessment program. Additionally, you must complete successfully the Supervised Field Ministry requirement with a ministry/field assignment that is consistent with the focus of your ministry electives.

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

Junior Class First Year

Senior Class Second Year