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M.A. in Christian Studies

What is a Master of Arts in Christian Studies?

Are you looking for maximum flexibility in a seminary degree? The M.A. in Christian Studies offers the same core of biblical and theological studies that you find in our other programs, but with the greatest number of open elective hours of any major we offer! This degree offers students a range of choices in Old and New Testament studies, church history, systematic theology and philosophy of religion as well as courses in leadership and evangelism. Choose courses from these disciplines to get broad exposure or to shape your program for a particular interest or calling. In your capstone experience, you will build on your coursework with either a major ministry research project or a thesis. Though it does not meet typical ordination requirements or lead to doctoral studies, the M.A. in Christian Studies provides excellent preparation for many forms and contexts of ministry and is a great option for leaders already serving in ministry.

At Denver Seminary, this degree falls under the Division of Christian Ministry. For more about the division, watch a video from the Division of Christian Ministry.

The M.A. with a major in Christian Studies is excellent preparation for goals such as:

Enrichment of preaching, teaching, and other forms of ministry
Campus Ministry
Ministry in many parachurch organizations
And in some cases when a thesis track is approved, doctoral study leading to advanced research and teaching

Structure

In addition to the MA core (30 hours), the Master of Arts in Christian Studies involves a great deal of flexibility in picking from the following courses:

Master of Arts in Christian Studies	Course #	Sem Hrs.
M.A. Core		30
Academic Resources and Research	GS 589	1
General Theological Courses (CH, MJ, NT, OT, AE, TH)		10
Select eight hours of leadership courses from the following departments: CO, EM, HOM, IM, LD, OL, PME, CF, YFM (must include one two-hour evangelism course)		8
Globalization in Theological Education	IM 611	2
Christian Studies Project Proposal & Project¹	CS 791, CS 794	4
Open electives		7
Total hours for degree:		62

¹ In exceptional cases, a student may submit an application to substitute a thesis for the project.

To see a suggested sequence of courses, you can view the catalog here.

Faculty Highlight

DrWenig Dr. Scott A. Wenig is Haddon W. Robinson Chair of Biblical Preaching and Professor of Applied Theology. He has over 30 years of experience in direct ministry, primarily serving on pastoral staffs. He has contributed to numerous publications including The Dictionary of Christianity in America, Leadership Journal and Preaching Today, and is the author of Straightening the Altars, a study of the English Reformation.