(General Studies emphasis available at the suburban Philadelphia campus or Texas campus; all other emphases available in suburban Philadelphia only)

A student who holds a baccalaureate degree from an approved institution receives the degree of Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) on the completion of the prescribed program of study. The program requires at least two years of full‑time study (16-18 hours per semester plus winter term) for completion. Note that in order to complete the program in two years, the student must begin with the summer term Greek or Hebrew course and complete the courses in sequence as listed in the sample schedules shown on subsequent pages, and also complete the Summative Evaluation Experience. (Students who cannot carry a full course load as indicated, because of employment or other reasons, usually must extend the length of their Seminary program.)

This program is designed for men and women who desire a theological background and training for various callings other than the gospel ministry or for advanced study in religion or other disciplines.

The M.A.R. is an academic program which may serve either as a terminal degree or as a degree leading to further academic work. In the former case, it is especially appropriate for Christian professionals (such as physicians, attorneys, teachers, administrators, writers, and other laymen) who desire simply to provide for themselves a solid biblical foundation for the work in which they are or will be engaged.

When the M.A.R. is conceived of as a terminal degree, the choice of emphasis will depend upon the individual's aptitudes, interests, and career direction. Individuals who desire thorough and extensive familiarity with the biblical materials themselves should choose the Biblical Studies emphasis. Those whose interests and concerns involve overall theological or historical perspectives would probably be better served with a Theological Studies emphasis. If individuals foresee their future work as likely to involve service in an inner-city context, the Urban Mission emphasis will be particularly appropriate. A General Studies emphasis allows an individual to individualize the program even more and thereby make it directly relevant to his or her own situation.

All of those for whom the M.A.R. is a terminal degree receive thorough grounding in the Scriptures, Reformed theology, church history, and apologetics. All graduates of the program, therefore, possess tools with which to bring the Lordship of Christ to bear directly upon that part of God's world in which they are called to serve. This satisfies one of the purposes of the program.

Another purpose of the M.A.R. is as a stepping stone for further academic work. An individual taking the M.A.R. in Biblical Studies is particularly well prepared for doctoral work in that field (either at Westminster or elsewhere) and the same would be true for an individual taking the M.A.R. in Theological Studies. Those who complete the M.A.R. with an Urban Mission emphasis will have a good foundation for further academic work in sociology, anthropology, and related disciplines and, with additional seminary‑level course work, will be eligible to enter Westminster's D.Min. in Urban Mission.

Admission to the Program

All of the policies and procedures described on pages 35-46 under General Requirements for Admission to Programs are the same for the M.A.R. program except for paragraph two in the section on Transfer Credit (page 45). M.A.R. students must take at least 24 credit hours of study (normally the final 24 hours) at Westminster. The Greek, Hebrew, English Bible Survey, and Advanced Theological Writing courses may not be included in these 24 credit hours.

Requirements for the Degree

See the following sections: Beginning the Program, Program Requirements, and Placement in Greek and Hebrew.
The students choose one of the following emphases: Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, Urban Mission, or General Studies. A student desiring to proceed to the Ph.D. in Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation should choose the M.A.R.-Biblical Studies, and a student desiring to proceed to the Ph.D. in Historical and Theological Studies should choose the M.A.R.-Theological Studies.
A total of at least 55 credit hours, including the Summative Evaluation Experience, plus required Hebrew (OT 011-2-3) and Greek (NT 010-1-3) courses is required for the M.A.R. degree. Courses are to be selected from the three categories below. Additional requirements are noted in the section, "Major Courses, Electives, or Other Requirements."

Core Courses - Total of 23 credit hours plus Elements of Hebrew and Greek.
All students must take the same core courses. These are:

OT 211	Old Testament History and Theology I	3 hrs
NT 111	New Testament Introduction	3 hrs
NT 123	Hermeneutics	4 hrs
CH 321	The Modern Age	4 hrs	23 hrs
ST 101	Introduction to Systematic Theology	2 hrs
ST 313	Doctrine of Salvation II	4 hrs
AP 101	Introduction to Apologetics	3 hrs
(Hebrew track, see requirements)
(Greek track, see requirements)

Courses shown in parentheses represent language requirements of 19 hours. These are needed by students without knowledge of Hebrew or Greek and are not counted in the required hours for graduation but are counted in the grade point average. Those who have had Hebrew or Greek before entrance will need to take a placement test for advanced standing or exemption.

Departmental Courses

Total credit for courses needed from the below will vary, depending on the hours in the courses chosen; however, these choices are governed by the choice of a major.
All students must take one course in each department from the following:

Old Testament

OT 113	Old Testament Introduction	3 hrs
OT 223	Old Testament History and Theology II	3 hrs
OT 311	Prophetical Books	3 hrs
OT 323	Poetry and Wisdom	2 hrs

New Testament

NT 211	The Gospels	4 hrs
NT 223	Acts and the Pauline Epistles	4 hrs

Church History

CH 211	The Ancient Church	2 hrs
CH 223	The Medieval Church	2 hrs
CH 311	The Reformation	3 hrs

Systematic Theology and Apologetics

ST 113	Doctrine of God	2 hrs
ST 211	Doctrine of Man	2 hrs
ST 223	Doctrine of Salvation I	3 hrs
ST 323	Christian Ethics	4 hrs
AP 213	Principles in Christian Apologetics	3 hrs
PT 211	Doctrine of the Church (required for M.A.R. Urban Mission emphasis)	2 hrs

Major Courses, Electives, or Other Requirements

M.A.R. students take the remainder of their required hours in major courses or electives, and fulfill additional requirements, as follows:
1. A student choosing the Biblical Studies emphasis needs all M.Div. OT and NT courses as listed in the sample schedules on the following pages.
2. A student choosing the Theological Studies emphasis needs all M.Div. CH, ST, and AP courses as listed in the sample schedules on the following pages.
3. A student choosing the Urban Mission emphasis needs a total of 22 hours in Missions and Practical Theology courses (see page 66). Students selecting this emphasis ordinarily will be expected to live in an urban environment while studying in this program and to worship and serve in an urban church or in a congregation representing an ethnic background different from their own. Entering students should consult with the Practical Theology Department at the Seminary or with the staff of the Center for Urban Theological Studies in establishing urban residence and in finding a church.
4. A student choosing a General Studies emphasis may complete the remaining hours of the program by choosing any courses offered in the M.A.R. or M.Div. programs, except where limitations are noted in the course descriptions. Under an arrangement with the Jerusalem University College (JUC), students choosing the General Studies emphasis may complete some of their program requirements at JUC. See page 43 for further details.

The M.A.R. Summative Evaluation Experience

To provide students in the various M.A.R. programs with an opportunity to review and draw into a comprehensive unity the material of the different courses in the curriculum, there will be a concluding exercise that allows for a summative evaluation of the students' total program. For all programs, this will involve an "open book" take-home examination to be completed within 24 hours in the spring semester of a student's final year. Students finishing their course work by the end of December or January prior to May graduation will take the exam in the fall semester.

The examination will involve three questions. For the M.A.R. Biblical there will be one in Old Testament, one in New Testament, and one in hermeneutics. For the M.A.R. Theological there will be one in systematic theology, one in apologetics, and one in church history. For the M.A.R. General there will be a choice of any three from the six topics above. For the M.A.R. Urban Mission there will be one from gospel communication, one from contextualization and urban anthropology, and one from mission to the city. The examination must be typed (double-spaced) and each question answered separately in two to four pages. The examinations will be distributed on the Thursday of the sixth full week of the spring semester and are to be returned by the end of the next day (4:30 p.m. on Friday of the sixth full week of classes).

This summative examination will count for one semester hour of credit (taking the place of one hour of elective credit in the current curriculum). It will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. If a student should receive a Fail, a petition for a retake examination within a three-week period may be considered. The questions of the summative examination aim at giving students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can apply the knowledge acquired in the M.A.R. programs. Research will not be necessary for answering these questions. Rather, the questions will be designed to allow the student to draw upon the course work here. Given that it is an "open book" examination, students may make use of any research materials that they see fit.

Sample Schedules

The following sample schedules place the courses in proper order, according to the term offered and the prerequisites needed. Students should consult with the Registrar before altering these sample schedules.