Programs Offered: M.Div., M.A.R. and Certificate in Christian Studies
The Texas Campus is currently authorized to grant the M.Div. degree , the M.A.R. degree, and the Certificate in Christian Studies.
Master of Divinity Program
The M.Div. degree at the Texas Campus follows the pattern of the M.Div. General Ministries Track shown in the Academic Catalog, though the second and third year courses may be scheduled in different semesters than shown in the
M.Div. General Ministries chart.
Requirements for the M.Div. Degree
Beginning the Program
Students entering the program are strongly advised to begin their work with the summer term Greek or Hebrew course unless they previously have completed the equivalent of the work in one of these languages. Students not needing to take one of these languages should begin in the first semester in order to finish their program in the designated time. Students will be permitted to begin their program in winter term or in second semester; however, by starting mid-year, students will usually need to extend the length of time for completion of the degree requirements.
Program Requirements
The following academic requirements apply to both Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Religion programs:
1. Twelve credit hours during a semester, or three credit hours during the winter term, is the minimum program for a full-time student. No student may take more than 20 credit hours during a semester without the permission of the faculty. Not more than five credit hours may be taken during the winter term.
2. Master of Arts in Religion students, and Master of Divinity students who have obtained credit for 24 hours of the curriculum or give evidence of possessing exceptional qualifications, may elect advanced level courses (Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy). These courses carry three hours of elective credit. Such students shall have maintained a general average of 3.20 or its equivalent for the preceding academic year, whether in this institution or elsewhere. Additional prerequisites for admission to particular courses may be laid down by the professor in charge. There will be an additional tuition charge for these courses.
3. No student will be granted a degree who lacks the equivalent of the courses in the original languages of Scripture, or whose cumulative academic average at the completion of the program is lower than 1.80. The degree shall be Thursday, January 26, 2006 4:40 PM completion of their program of study. A student who has completed requirements by the end of the winter term of the year of graduation may receive the degree in absentia.
4. Entering international students with a TOEFL score of between 570 and 640, and any students whom, during the course of studies, faculty members identify as having weak writing skills, are required to pass the course PT 031p or PT 033p English Writing Skills. See the course description for further requirements.
5. International students must be full- time each semester; see the Academic Catalof for the number of semesters allowed to complete the degree program. International students should always allow three years to complete an M.A.R. and four years to complete an M.Div. due to Greek and Hebrew requirements.
6. See academic requirements regarding Registration and Attendance, Withdrawal/ Reinstatement, and Academic Standing in the Academic Catalog.
7. Students who already possess a Westminster M. A. R. degree may receive an M. Div. by completing the following:
a. all of the course requirements for the M. Div. (many of which will have been met in the M. A. R. program);
b. the M. Div. Mentored Ministry requirements;
c. a total of at least 120 semester hours of academic work at the M.A.R./M.Div. level, not including Hebrew and Greek, or a total of at least 140 semester hours of academic work at the M.A.R./M.Div. level, including Hebrew and Greek.
Placement in Greek and Hebrew
Instruction in the Bible presupposes a knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, and students are strongly advised to acquire such knowledge during their college course. However, a student is not required to have previous training in Greek or Hebrew to begin the program. Those who have had Greek or Hebrew before entrance should contact the Registrar about taking the Greek or Hebrew placement exam. A total of at least 92 credit hours plus required Hebrew and Greek courses is required for the Master of Divinity degree.
Preparing for Church Planting and Campus Ministry
The Texas Campus is also the location of the offices of the Southwest Church Planting Network, and seeks to prepare certain of its graduates for church planting and/or campus ministry. In 1998 the Southwest Church Planting Network (PCA) was formed to make expanding the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, a high priority in the Southwest. The Network is a Joint Subcommittee of four Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) Presbyteries - North Texas, South Texas, Houston Metro and Southwest. Together these represent the great Southwest: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Already this pioneering ministry on the frontier of the PCA includes 49 churches representing over 14,000 members. In the providence of God, this area is experiencing the kind of growth that calls for increased efforts in the fields which are ready for harvest. This area includes 4 of the 5 fastest growing cities of over a million in population.
The mission of the Southwest Church Planting Network is to assist the four Presbyteries to strategically plant dynamic churches, true to the scriptures in the southwestern states of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
It is the vision of the Southwest Church Planting Network to plant more than 50 new churches and initiate RUF ministries at all of the major colleges in the Southwest by the year 2020.
For information on domestic church planting in the PCA,
visit Mission to North America
For information on foreign missions and church planting in the PCA,
visit Mission to the World
For information on church planting in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC),
visit the Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension
For information on foreign mission and church planting in the OPC,
visit the Committee on Foreign Missions
Certificate in Christian Studies
A Certificate in Christian Studies program is offered for men and women who desire graduate-level courses from Westminster but do not desire to enter a degree program.
Admission to the certificate program requires the same qualifications as admission for the M.Div. program. Registration, tuition charges, and all academic procedures and prerequisites are also the same.
The Certificate will be earned after the completion of 25 semester hours of M.A., M.A.R., or M.Div. courses. All courses in the Certificate program must be taken under the auspices of Westminster Theological Seminary. Included must be AP 101
Introduction to Apologetics and ST 101 Introduction to Systematic Theology. Greek and Hebrew are not approved for credit toward the Certificate program. As with other degree programs, these languages do not count toward required credit hours. Language work was not the intention of the Certificate program.
Students who earn a Certificate in Christian Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and desire to apply this work toward a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Religion degree must surrender the Certificate prior to graduation.
Financial aid is not available to participants in this program, and in most cases international students cannot be granted visas for participating in this program.
