Bible and Theology, MA

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College	Ministry
Academic Award	Master of Arts
Credits Required	36 semester credits
Faculty Lead	Bill Oliverio
CIP Code	39.0699

Degree Requirements

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The Master of Arts in Bible and Theology (MABT) is a 36-credit degree designed to enable students to articulate the message of the Bible in faithfulness to the entire scope of God’s unfolding story. This is done so that students might live out the way of Jesus in contemporary culture and to promote truly meaningful engagement with the Bible in Christian communities and ministries. 

Program Highlights

The MABT immerses graduate students in an integrated approach to theological graduate education that draws from theology, biblical studies, history, and the pastoral arts, thus enabling the student to engage in theological and spiritual reflection within a vibrant, Christian community.

For a full-time student, this program can take as little as two years and is offered in both an on-ground and online modality. The program has courses scheduled across three annual terms (Fall, Spring, and Summer). In the on-ground modality, the program delivery includes courses meeting for single four-day intensives and as a set of three Friday/Saturday weekend intensives. In some situations, on-ground students may elect to complete some of their courses via an online delivery model. This flexible delivery format is designed to accommodate the diverse needs of our graduate students.

Admissions

Admission into the Master of Arts in Bible and Theology requires the completion of a Bachelor of Arts or Science (or an equivalent degree) from a regionally accredited college or university. Allowances may be made for degrees accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). Students also complete the application and acceptance process for the College of Ministry Graduate School. The College of Ministry has rolling application dates. The application must be completed no later than two weeks prior to the start of the semester.

Students whose academic histories reflect a GPA below 2.7 may be accepted to the program on a probational basis for their first six credits of graduate study. These applicants will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account their personal and academic strengths and the specific academic program to which they are applying. Once the conditions have been met, they will be fully accepted to the program.

Students who are accepted probationally will be subject to the following: (1) They must meet all other stated admissions qualifications (2) They must maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA in each of their courses during their first six credit hours in the program (3) If requested to do so, they may be required to interview during the admissions process and/or take additional or supplemental coursework. Students may also choose to take the GRE to supplement their application.

The Northwest University College of Ministry gives admissions preference to professing Christians whose doctrinal and lifestyle beliefs are in harmony with those of the University.

Credit Transfer

MAML and MABT students may transfer up to 18 credit hours of eligible graduate level coursework (subject to Program Director’s approval) from an accredited institution towards their degree requirements.

Academic Progress

Students may be placed on probation if their GPA falls below 2.7. If the student’s GPA has been below 2.7 for two or more terms, he or she is placed on academic suspension (disqualification). Students must earn at least a 2.7 overall grade point average to graduate.

Program Outcomes

In addition to achieving the general goals of the University and the College of Ministry, completing the Master of Arts in Bible and Theology results in the following learning outcomes:

Graduates will be able to:

1. Analyze Scripture using appropriate hermeneutical principles.
2. Determine the implications of key theological concepts.
3. Examine vital issues in contemporary Christian life in light of the biblical metanarrative.
4. Formulate canonically appropriate theological claims from scriptural texts.
5. Evaluate a practical approach to spiritual formation.