Requirements for the M.Div. and M.A.R. Degrees

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 M.Div. and M.A.R. 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. M.A.R. and M.Div. students who have obtained credit for 24 hours of the curriculum or give evidence of possessing exceptional qualifications, may elect advanced level courses (Th.M. and Ph.D.). 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 required 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 granted only to persons enrolled at Westminster at the time of the 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, non-native English speakers, 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 Advanced Theological Writing. See the course description on page 116 for further requirements.
5. International students must be full-time each semester; see page 36 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 (pages 35-39 of the 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 M.Div. degree.
Any matriculating student who wishes to place in Greek instruction other than in one of the elementary classes (Greek “a” or “aa”) must take the regular placement test at the start of his or her program.
The available language courses are shown below. The student should follow a single track from the beginning, unless the student is granted advanced placement based on the results of the Greek or Hebrew placement exam. The language curriculum and schedule are designed for the student to follow standard schedules as listed on the M.Div. and M.A.R. pages. Any deviation from a suggested schedule may result in a course conflict which may delay the student’s progress in a degree program.

Available Greek Tracks:

	Greek a	Greek aa (same content as Greek a)	Greek b (Review)	Greek c (Rapid review)
Summer term	NT 010 (4 hours)	none	none	none
Fall semester	NT 011 (3 hours)	NT 021 (4 hours)	NT 031 (3 hours)	NT 041 (2 hours)
Winter term	none	NT 022 (2 hours)	none	none
Spring semester	NT 013 (3 hours)	NT 023 (4 hours)	NT 033 (3 hours)	none

Available Hebrew Tracks:

	Hebrew a	Hebrew aa
Summer term	none	OT 030 A OT 030 B (3 hours each)
Fall semester	OT 011 (3 hours)	OT 031 C (3 hours)
Winter term	OT 012 (3 hours)	none
Spring semester	OT 013 (3 hours)	none