The Southwestern M.Div. prepares students for the broadest range of Christian ministries, especially in local churches. Students receive training in classical theological disciplines such as Old Testament, New Testament, church history and historical theology, systematic theology, ethics, and philosophy, as well as applied disciplines such as pastoral ministry, preaching, evangelism, and missions. In addition, students may use elective hours to pursue concentrations in any school at Southwestern in accordance with their ministry goals and academic interests. The M.Div. is the only approved first master's degree for a student preparing for a pastoral or preaching ministry, as well as any other ministry largely comprised of biblical teaching.
The student must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
| Course Title | Course Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Biblical Studies |
||
| Biblical Hermeneutics | BIBST 3203 | 3 |
| Basic Old Testament I | OLDTS 3313 | 3 |
| Basic Old Testament II | OLDTS 3323 | 3 |
| Basic New Testament I | NEWTS 3313 | 3 |
| Basic New Testament II | NEWTS 3323 | 3 |
| Elementary Greek I (prerequisite)1 | GREEK 3313 | (3) |
| Elementary Greek II (prerequisite)1 | GREEK 3323 | (3) |
| New Testament Greek I | GREEK 4313 | 3 |
| New Testament Greek II | GREEK 4323 | 3 |
| Elementary Hebrew I | HEBRW 4313 | 3 |
| Elementary Hebrew II | HEBRW 4323 | 3 |
| Hebrew Exegetical Method | HEBRW 5003 | 3 |
Theological Studies |
||
| History of Christianity I | CHAHT 3103 | 3 |
| History of Christianity II | CHAHT 3113 | 3 |
| Baptist Heritage | BPTST 3203 | 3 |
| Systematic Theology I | SYSTH 3003 | 3 |
| Systematic Theology II | SYSTH 3013 | 3 |
Ethics and Philosophical Studies |
||
| The Christian Home | ETHIC 4303 | 3 |
| Basic Christian Ethics or | ETHIC 4313 or | 3 |
The Bible & Moral Issues or |
ETHIC 4323 or | |
Development of Christian Character and Decision Making |
ETHIC 4333 | |
| Philosophy of Religion or |
PHILO 4313 or | 3 |
Christian Apologetics |
PHILO 4373 | |
Evangelism and Missions Studies |
||
| Contemporary Evangelism | EVANG 3303 | 3 |
| Personal Evangelism Practicum2 | EVANG 3000 | 0 |
| Introduction to Missiology | MISSN 3363 | 3 |
| Missions Practicum2 | MISSN 3100 | 0 |
Preaching and Pastoral Studies |
||
| Foundations for Christian Ministry I or | PASMN 3313 or | 3 |
| Women's Ministries in the Local Church3 | WOMST 4003 | |
| Christian Ministry Practicum2 | PASMN 3000 | 0 |
| Introduction to Expository Preaching or | PRCHG 3313 or | 3 |
| Expository Communication of Biblical Truth4 | WOMST 4043 | |
| Advanced Expository Preaching5 | PRCHG 3323 | 3 |
| Preaching Practicum2 | PRCHG 3000 | 0 |
Additional Requirements |
||
| Spiritual Formation I | SPFTH 3101 | 1 |
| Spiritual Formation II | SPFTH 3111 | 1 |
| Applied Ministry - Disciple-making in the Local Church | APLMN 4011 | 1 |
| Applied Ministry - Mentoring | APLMN 4021 | 1 |
| The Ministry of Education | EDMIN 3003 | 3 |
Concentration and Free Electives5,6,7 |
||
| Concentration and Free Electives | 15 | |
Total |
91 | |
1Elementary Greek I and II (GREEK 3313 and 3323, 3 hours each; or GREEK3356, 6 hours) are prerequisite for the degree. Students whose transcripts verify completion of comparable courses with a C- or better may bypass Elementary Greek I and II.
2Students will be enrolled in these practicums automatically when registering for the parent course above them in the degree plan.
3Female students take WOMST 4003 Women's Ministries in the Local Church.
4Female students take WOMST 4043 Expository Communication of Biblical Truth.
5Female students take a free elective in lieu of Advanced Expository Preaching.
6Students seeking a concentration take specific courses in lieu of elective hours. Some concentrations require more than 15 hours. See concentrations for details.
7Students may take up to 6 hours of MODLG courses for elective credit.
In addition to the official degree plan above, the School of Theology produces a recommended sequence of courses and a degree checklist for students. Students may also access program evaluations online through WebAdvisor.