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Master of Divinity (M.Div.) with Concentration (102 hours)

Erskine Seminary offers two versions of the M.Div. degree. Both of these provide foundational preparation in Bible, theology, and ministry. In addition, the M.Div. with concentration (102 hours) involves substantial study of the Biblical languages (Greek and Hebrew) and requires the student to choose one area (Biblical studies, theological studies, or congregational ministries) in which to concentrate his/her elective courses. (The 90-hour M.Div. includes a much briefer introduction to the Biblical languages.)

Erskine Seminary ordinarily requires Associate Reformed Presbyterian students preparing for ordained ministry to take the 102-hour M.Div. with concentration. The Seminary strongly recommends this version of the M.Div. for students preparing for ordination in other Presbyterian denominations, as well as for all students who have the ability and the desire to study the Biblical languages in some depth.

Purpose of the M.Div. Degree Program
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, 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.

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.Div. Degree Program
Graduates will be prepared to:

1. Lead people in the worship of God and the celebration of the sacraments. (Knowing/Doing)

2. Assist people in their Christian spiritual formation by the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. (Being/Doing)

3. Provide leadership to local congregations as they carry out ministries of pastoral care, counseling, evangelism, missions, and Christian education. (Doing)

Residency and Graduation Requirements
You must complete 102 semester hours of coursework 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 or online. Of these 66 hours that may be taken at extension centers, no more than 50 hours (less than 50% of the degree) may be taken at any single extension center. At least 34 semester hours (1/3 of the degree) must be earned in residence at the Due West or Columbia campus (summer 2010 and after), 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 you may spread your 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 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 (33 hours):
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 (24 hours):
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 (24 hours):
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. 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 competence requirement.

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 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.

You should recognize that M.Div. required courses are offered every year on campus and are also offered either every year or every other year in Columbia. Denominational requirements are normally offered only every other year. You 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 you know when your 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 with Concentration
Junior Class (First Year)

Fall Semester
OT 501.....................Old Testament I.......................................................................3
HB 501.....................Hebrew ....................................................................................3
CH 501.....................Early and Medieval Church History.........................................3
CE 505.....................Christian Education...................................................................3
PM 609.....................Pastoral Care Ministry..............................................................3
Credits Earned....................................................................................................15/15

January Term
Elective in the student’s area of concentration.........................................................3
Credits Earned......................................................................................................3/18

Spring Semester
BI 502.....................Principles of Exegesis..................................................................3
OT 502.....................Old Testament II......................................................................3
HB 502.....................Hebrew II..................................................................................3
ST 601.....................Systematic Theology I................................................................3
Credits Earned....................................................................................................12/30

Summer Term
PM 507.....................Evangelism.................................................................................3
Elective.......................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned......................................................................................................6/36

Middler Class (Second Year)

Fall Semester
NT 601.....................New Testament I.....................................................................3
HB 601.....................Hebrew III.................................................................................3
GK 501.....................Greek I.....................................................................................3
ST 602.....................Systematic Theology II...............................................................3
Credits Earned....................................................................................................12/48

Spring Semester
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
PM 705.....................Supervised Ministry..................................................................3
Elective in the student’s area of concentration.........................................................3
Credits Earned......................................................................................................3/72

Senior Class (Third Year)

Fall Semester
GK 601.....................Greek III...................................................................................3
Ethics Elective............................................................................................................3
Missions Elective........................................................................................................3
WP 601.....................Worship and Preaching I.........................................................3
Denominational Requirement or Elective................................................................3
Credits Earned....................................................................................................15/87

January Term
Theology Department Elective.................................................................................3
Credits Earned......................................................................................................3/90

Spring Semester 2012
WP 701.....................Worship and Preaching II........................................................3
PM 604.....................Christian Leadership and Church Administration....................3
CO 607.....................Basic Counseling......................................................................3
Denominational Requirement or elective................................................................3
Credits Earned..................................................................................................12/102

Total...........................................................................................102 Semester Hours

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Master of Divinity Program (M.Div.) (90 hours)

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

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.Div. Degree Program
Graduates will be prepared to:

1. Lead people in the worship of God and the celebration of the sacraments. (Knowing/Doing)

2. Assist people in their Christian spiritual formation by the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. (Being/Doing)

3. Provide leadership to local congregations as they carry out ministries of pastoral care, counseling, evangelism, missions, and Christian education. (Doing)

Residency and Graduation Requirements
You must complete 90 semester hours of coursework 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 or online. Of these 60 hours that may be taken at extension centers, no more than 44 hours (less than 50% 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 at the Due West or Columbia campus (summer 2010 and after), 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 you may spread your 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.

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. 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 (24 hours):
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

You 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), you must have successfully completed both BI 502 and either BI 503 or six hours of the relevant Biblical language. You are also strongly encouraged to complete your OT and NT survey courses prior to taking your 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 your 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. But if they do take the 90-hour M.Div., they must take the following courses:

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

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)

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.

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

Fall Semester
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......................................................................................................2/12

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

Spring Semester
BI 502..................................................Principles of Exegesis.....................................3
OT 502....................................................Old Testament II.......................................3
CH 502...................................Reformation and Modern Church History................3
ST 601.................................................Systematic Theology I....................................3
Credits Earned....................................................................................................12/27

Summer Term
PM 507........................................................Evangelism.............................................3
Credits Earned......................................................................................................3/30

Middle Class (Second Year)

Fall Semester
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....................................................................................................12/42

Spring Semester
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....................................................................................................12/57

Summer Term
PM 705................................................Supervised Ministry…....................................3
Elective.......................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned......................................................................................................6/63

Senior Class (Third Year)

Fall Semester
OT or NT Exegesis Elective.....................................................................................3
Ethics Elective............................................................................................................3
Missions Elective.......................................................................................................3
Elective......................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned....................................................................................................12/75

January Term
Elective......................................................................................................................3
Credits Earned......................................................................................................3/78

Spring Semester
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