The Advanced Track is a flexible degree program that encourages students to take elective courses in the various educational ministries and theological disciplines, thereby bypassing many of the introductory courses in the basic M.A.C.E. curriculum. The Advanced Track requires a minimum number of 55 hours.
The student must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a Christian Education major or minor, with an overall minimum GPA of 3.0.
The student's Christian Education major must include the following courses completed with a grade of B or above: Six hours of Biblical Studies (courses such as New Testament, Old Testament) and six hours of Christian Education Studies (courses such as Church Administration, age group studies, or life span development).
An application to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary must be on file with the Admissions Office before applying to the EM School for acceptance into the Advanced Track program. Formal acceptance to the program is contingent upon acceptance to Southwestern. Following acceptance into the Advanced Track program a request for change of degree form should be filed in the Registrar's Office.
The student must complete an Advanced Track application, provide two letters of recommendation from college Christian Education or religion professors, and provide a research paper or project that demonstrates the ability to prepare a high quality research project in the field of Christian Education or religion.
Any student desiring to change degrees should fill out a Change of Degree Request form and submit it to the Associate Dean for Masters' Programs. Forms are available in the Registrar's office, the EM School Dean's Office or the office of the Associate Dean for Masters' Programs.
At the beginning of course work for the Advanced Track, each student will receive a customized degree plan based upon undergraduate courses completed. If a student has satisfactorily completed a course corresponding to a required course in the Advanced Track, the student may substitute other hours in the same division to meet the requirement. Advanced Track students will meet with the Associate Dean for Masters' Programs in the School of Educational Ministries to discuss course schedules for each semester.
The following courses are required for the Advanced Track:
| Course Title | Course Number |
Hours |
|---|---|---|
|
20 |
|
| Spiritual Formation 1 | SPFEM 3101 | 1 |
| Spiritual Formation 2 | SPFEM 3111 | 1 |
| Contemporary Evangelism | EVANG 3303 | 3 |
| Personal Evangelism Practicum1 | EVANG 3000 | 0 |
| Biblical Hermeneutics | BIBST 3203 | 3 |
| Systematic Theology2 | SYSTH 3003 | 3 |
| Systematic Theology 2 | SYSTH 3013 | 3 |
| New Testament Elective2 | NEWTS | 3 |
| Old Testament Elective2 | OLDTS | 3 |
School of Educational Ministries Core3 |
20 |
|
| The Ministry of Education | EDMIN 3003 | 3 |
| Biblical Perspectives on Human Growth and Development | HUMGR 3013 | 3 |
| Relationships in Ministry | PSYCH 3003 | 3 |
| Principles of Teaching | FOUND 4303 | 3 |
| Administrative Leadership for Ministry | ADMIN 3313 | 3 |
| FOUND or ADMIN elective or concentration elective | FOUND or ADMIN | 3 |
| Field Experience | Any 2 hours | 2 |
EM Electives or Concentration4 |
12 |
|
| Free Elective in any school | 3 | |
| Total | 55 |
1EVANG 3000 is taken in conjunction with Contemporary Evangelism.
2Students who have not completed New Testament or Old Testament survey courses must take the 6 hours of Old Testament and 6 hours of New Testament required in the regular M.A.C.E. degree plan.
3Requirements may be waived if satisfactorily completed during undergraduate work. Elective courses will be substituted.
4See Concentrations for list of required courses
Masters level courses from an eligible institution may transfer into the Advanced M.A.C.E. program. The courses must be comparable to the Southwestern courses for which transfer credit is requested, and be completed with a grade of "B" or better. No more than half of the degree may be earned by transfer of credits, and no more than half of a completed degree may be used towards a new degree.
For additional information about the M.A.C.E. Advanced Track, contact Dr. Margaret Lawson, Associate Dean for Masters' Degree Programs by mail at:
Southwestern Baptist Theological SeminaryBy e-mail at: mlawson@swbts.edu or by phone at (817) 923-1921 ext. 3720