Master of Arts in Religion

Stephen T. Franklin, Ph.D., Coordinator

The Program and its Objectives
Admissions Requirements
Graduation Requirements

The rich heritage of academic excellence that defines Olivet Nazarene University is clearly manifested in Olivet's Master of Arts in Religion, the oldest of the six masters programs in the School of Theology and Christian Ministry. It comes to life in the relevant, real-world content of the coursework, in the impeccable credentials and sense of commitment of faculty, and in the impressive achievements of the program's alumni.

The Master of Arts in Religion program is taught by leading scholars in the Nazarene denomination, with some scholars from other traditions as well. They are very active in professional organizations and scholarly research, contributing original work to the academic community. A small student/professor ratio allows for wholesome interaction with both professors and other students.

The M.A. in Religion provides professional knowledge, practical decision-making abilities, and vision to handle a variety of leadership positions for leaders in today's church or for those preparing for leadership in tomorrow's church. This degree will meet the needs of a wide variety of people, from recent college graduates to established professionals. With a minimum number of required courses, the student can mix and match offerings in Bible, theology, and ministry.

This is an ideal option for students who wish to create a personalized degree for specific purposes, such as tent-making ministry or Christian service within another profession. Are you a journalist who wants to write and think as an informed Christian? Then the M.A. in Religion will give you the background in Bible, theology, and ministry you need. Are you a nurse wanting to serve as a Christian in your profession? The M.A. in Religion will provide the depth of understanding you will use as you think and act Christianly in your profession. Perhaps you are a musician, or computer scientist, or a teacher with a sincere desire for a deeper knowledge of the faith so that you work, think, and live more maturely as a Christian. The M.A. in Religion is your degree program.

Please be careful to note that all the courses in the M.A. in Religion are in Bible, theology, and ministry, not in other professions such as journalism, nursing, teaching, or business. Our goal is to give you the Christian understanding to undergird your identity as a Christian working in these areas. The optional M.A. thesis, however, may be the place where you can integrate your theological studies with your professional issues. Or, alternatively, if you choose the thesis route, you could also focus on purely biblical or theological issues. The decision is yours.

Other people have nuanced this degree to meet still other goals. Ministers have taken it to broaden and deepen, in a balanced way, their knowledge of both theology and Bible, with the opportunity to mix in some specialized ministry courses. Others have moved from this degree to further graduate studies. The key to understanding the M.A. in Religion is to grasp its flexibility and how it can fit into your own goals for Christian life.

The Program and its Objectives

The M.A. in Religion program aims to:

1. Assist students in developing advanced skills for exegesis, interpretation, and theological understanding of the Bible.
2. Encourage students to do competent research and writing.
3. Develop in students an appreciation for and understanding of the history and theology of the Christian tradition.
4. Develop in students an appreciation for and understanding of the history and theology of the Wesleyan holiness tradition.
5. Develop in students an understanding of contemporary issues in Biblical studies and theology.
6. Motivate students to become lifelong learners who grow spiritually, think clearly, and serve redemptively.

The strong academic focus of the M.A. program in Religion at ONU provides a solid foundation both for further graduate work and for Christian ministry. Flexibility in required courses allows you to customize your program, including a personalized, general program in biblical studies and theology, a concentration in biblical studies, or a concentration in theology.

The M.A. in Religion requires 30 semester hours to graduate. Students choosing the general program select, in consultation with the adviser or Program Coordinator, the courses taken to fulfill the degree requirements. Normally, however, the courses are to be chosen from the graduate-level courses in Biblical Literature and Theology offered at Olivet. Students may, with the guidance of their adviser, include up to three graduate-level ministry courses (9 semester hours) in their M.A. program. Ministry courses bear the labels CHED, CMIN, or YMIN. A concentration in either biblical studies or theology requires 18 semester hours in the respective area of concentration (and for the biblical studies concentration, one year of a biblical language prior to beginning the program).

Nearly all courses in the M.A. in Religion program are semester-long, and most meet once a week or once every other week on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday evening. This schedule makes the program very accessible to those in active ministry or to those working around job schedules. These courses are typically seminar style, allowing for dynamic discussion and reflection within the course. Students in this program also have the option of taking other graduate-level courses in the School of Theology that meet two or three times a week during the regular class day. However, to keep this program available for people with church, family, and job obligations, many of the key courses are offered in the once-a-week or once-every-other week format.

Olivet's graduate-level ministry courses, labeled as YMIN or CMIN, are offered in a variety of traditional and non-traditional formats, including semester, half-semester, and modular formats. Modular courses meet for one concentrated week of study, normally at Olivet's campus, normally from Monday through Friday.

Modular courses require appropriate non-campus study before that week and additional off-campus study after that week. To complete the work done before and after the module, the student must have computer access to the internet. Assigned work following the session must be completed and submitted to the instructor for grading 30 days following the completion of the class session. Students with extenuating circumstances may request an extension - not to exceed four weeks - from the instructor.

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Admission Requirements

Olivet Nazarene University carefully assesses applicants for the M.A. in Religion program on the basis of evidence provided in all application materials. Therefore, while a personal interview is not required, application materials submitted must be prepared thoroughly, thoughtfully, and professionally for full consideration. Applications will be processed upon receipt of all required materials.

To be admitted into Olivet Nazarene University's Master of Arts degree in Religion program, an applicant must meet these prerequisites:

1. Submit a completed Olivet Nazarene University application form.
2. Submit an official transcript* of the student's undergraduate college work and of any graduate work being used to support the application for admission. *Note that an official transcript is a transcript with the registrar's seal from the institution granting credit, sent directly to Olivet Nazarene University, School of Theology & Christian Ministry, Attn: Graduate Program Specialist, One University Avenue Box 6048, Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345. You may use this form to request official transcripts from other institutions.
3. Submit a $25 application fee.
4. Submit three recommendations that evidence the ability to succeed as a graduate student in Olivet's Master of Arts in Religion program. One should be from a person able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's academic ability and one from a pastor or other person who can speak to the applicant's Christian and moral life, testifying that it is consistent with attendance at a Christian university. The third may be another academic reference, or it may be from a work or ministry supervisor. if the person making the pastoral reference is not also a supervisor, then a reference from a supervisor is especially appropriate. Click here to access the recommendation form.
5. Possess a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale).
6. At least 15 semester hours in upper-division undergraduate courses in theology, Bible, Christian ministry, Christian education, and/or philosophy. Students whose undergraduate preparation in religion is deficient may apply for conditional admission, if they satisfy the other requirements. Rules and deadlines for making up the deficiency will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
7. Demonstrate the ability and discipline necessary to pursue rigorous graduate-level studies.

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Graduation Requirements

1. Successful completion of the approved curriculum (see below) for the Master of Arts in Religion, with a minimum of 30 graduate semester hours of coursework. A course may be repeated once if it carries a different subtitle.
2. As part of the M.A. in Religion curriculum, all students must take and pass THEO 606, Introduction to Theological Research.
3. Students wishing to concentrate in biblical studies or in theology should take at least 18 hours of courses in the biblical studies area (BLIT) or in the theology area (THEO). Students wishing a biblical studies concentration should take a year of a biblical language, preferably before entering the M.A. program in Religion. The study of the first year of a biblical language is not part of the 30 hours needed to graduate with a M.A. in Religion.
4. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.
5. Fulfill all general graduation requirements of the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

Master of Arts: Religion. The Curriculum

The professional and pedagogical sequence of courses includes 30 credit hours. Students are expected to choose courses, as available, from the appropriate lists. Courses may be repeated once if they bear a distinct subtitle. In addition, as part of their M.A. in Religion program, students may also include, with the permission of the advisor, up to three graduate-level ministry courses (9 hours) under the CHED, CMIN, and YMIN headings. All courses carry three hours of credit.

Program requirements include:

BLIT 632 - Cultural/Historical Influences and Biblical Interpretation
THEO 606 - Introduction to Theological Research
THEO 693 - Contemporary Issues in Systematic Theology
Two additional BLIT electives
Two additional THEO electives
Three additional free electives, one of which may be a master's thesis

Follow these links to view course descriptions of biblical studies, Christian education, Christian ministry, theology, and youth ministry courses.

Time Limits

A student is allowed four years from beginning the first graduate course to complete the entire program for the M.A. in Religion. Coursework beyond four years is evaluated by the Program Coordinator for the M.A. in Religion, the Director of Graduate Studies, or the Dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry. Students granted permission for more than four years may be expected to meet current program requirements, and that may mean retaking one or more courses.

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