Learn to Leverage Technology and Media for Ministry
The M.A./MC program trains ministers who want to integrate a sound biblical and theological education with training in the media arts. The program, which assumes the student has some training or experience in the arts, enhances the ministries of worship leaders, writers, and other media practitioners.
| Area of Study | |
|---|---|
| Biblical Exposition | 22 |
| Theological Studies | 20 |
| Theology of Art and Creativity | 13 |
| Media and Communiction Electives | 12 |
| 67 |
Program Goals
By the time of graduation the student will show evidence that he or she is able to:
- Communicate biblical and theological knowledge to a contemporary audience.
- Articulate an understanding of the role of art in Christian thought and communication.
- Demonstrate specialization in writing, presentation, and/or worship arts.
- Demonstrate the integration of media arts into effective Christian communication.
- Construct and present a media presentation using effective production principles.
Hear What Our Graduates Are Saying
"When the Lord called me into ministry, I felt sure that it meant the pastorate. Even though I grew up engaged in the visual arts and pursued a writing degree in college, I assumed the Lord expected me to abandon these things in order to help pastor a church. But through my time at DTS, the Lord made clear that His plan for me incorporated, not abandoned, the ways He wired me to serve - and that includes writing and the visual arts. As I pursued the MAMC degree at DTS, my excitement for serving Him in this way grew. By His grace, I now serve in a communications role at a missions organization, writing and designing pieces that share with our missionaries and our supporters various ways in which God is at work in our midst. The MAMC degree enriched my call to ministry, showing me how God can use my engagement in the arts to advance His kingdom."
Jonathan Deatherage
Communications Specialist, CAM International
"My time at Dallas Seminary gave me the tools to accurately study and communicate God's Word. The classroom setting and the interaction with professors and peers allowed me to develop my writing and speaking skills, and it also opened many doors for future ministry. Even after graduating, I still glean from these resources and from the ongoing relationships I formed during my time at DTS. "
Amanda Knight DeWitt
Freelance Writer and Speaker, Journey of Sisters | Blog
Course Requirements
Sixty-seven semester hours of course work are required as a minimum for graduation. Twenty-two of the 67 hours are prescribed Bible Exposition courses, 18 are prescribed Systematic Theology courses, 2 are in Historical Theology, 2 are in Spiritual Life, 6 are in prescribed Media Arts courses, and 2 are in a Media Arts and Communication internship. The remaining 15 hours must be taken in media arts and communication electives, with at least one elective taken in each of the three major program divisions— writing, presentation, and worship—listed below. All electives are taken in consultation with the program advisor.
No thesis is required for the M.A./MC degree.
Spiritual Formation
Because Dallas Seminary values character and spiritual maturity, M.A./MC students are required to register for and participate in Spiritual Formation groups each of their first four semesters of study. Students taking extension, summer school, or compressed-schedule courses must contact the Spiritual Formation director regarding fulfillment of their Spiritual Formation requirements.
In the Spiritual Formation curriculum small groups (six to eight students) focus on identity, community, integrity, and ministry. The groups also provide an atmosphere for prayer, fellowship, career assessment, and the integration of learning with ministry. Additionally, the groups act as the small group component of all required internships. As courses should be taken consecutively, students are encouraged to arrange their schedules so they may stay in the same group each semester. Spiritual Formation is a noncredit, transcripted experience. The prerequisite for all required internships is SF101 Spiritual Formation I (Identity).
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements and application procedures for professional M.A. degree programs are the same as for all programs of study at the Seminary. Students generally will not be admitted into a degree program without goals consistent with the ministries for which the program is designed to equip them.
Transfer Credit
Transfer of some credit is allowed toward the professional M.A. programs from accredited graduate theological schools. Up to 34 hours of credit may be transferred toward the M.A. in Media and Communication.
Students must have earned a grade of C or better for a course to be considered in transfer. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the Registrar’s Office for information on eligibility for transfer credit.
Distance Considerations
- Of the 64 credit hours required for the MA/CM program:
- 30 hours must be completed in residency (meaning in class at the Dallas or Houston campuses)
- up to 30 credit hours can be completed online
- non-residency hours include online courses, independent studies, advanced standing, transfer credit, DTS courses taken outside the Dallas or Houston campuses, etc.
- All of the MA/CM core courses are available in Dallas and/or Houston during the summers. If you completed 29 hours online, you could complete 34 hours over the course of several summer sessions. Two hours will be an internship. During your first semester, you would need to choose your CM electives with advising of the CM department.
- Once accepted, you need to contact the Spiritual Formation and Leadership department regarding the completion of the SF101-104 requirement.
- You should estimate that it will take you between 3-5 years to complete the MA/CM program by taking online courses in the fall and spring, and summer courses each summer. You can take courses in Dallas or Houston over the 2 week Winter Session to reduce the time needed to complete the degree.
Degree Plan
First Year
Fall Semester
| Code | Name | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BE101 | Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics | 3 |
| ST101 | Introduction to Theology | 3 |
| PM101 | Spiritual Life | 2 |
| CE720 | Creativity | 3 |
| SF101 | Spiritual Formation I (Identity) | |
| Elective1 | 6 | |
| 17 | ||
Second Year
Fall Semester
| Code | Name | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BE103 | Old Testament History II and Poetry | 2 |
| BE104 | Old Testament Prophets | 3 |
| BE106 | Acts and Pauline Epistles | 3 |
| ST103 | Angelology, Anthropology, and Sin | 3 |
| ST105 | Sanctification and Ecclesiology | 3 |
| SF103 | Spiritual Formation III (Integrity) | |
| Elective1 | 3 | |
| 17 | ||
Spring Semester
| Code | Name | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BE107 | Hebrews, General Epistles, and Revelation | 3 |
| HT200 | History of Doctrine | 2 |
| ST104 | Soteriology | 3 |
| PM701 | A Christian View of Art | 3 |
| ST106 | Eschatology | 3 |
| SF104 | Spiritual Formation IV (Ministry) | |
| Electives1 | 3 | |
| 17 | ||
- At least one elective must be chosen from each of the three areas of Writing, Presentation, and Worship. (See above for a listing of courses in each category.)
- Students have the option of completing their Media and Communication Internship in a two-consecutive-semester format or a threeconsecutive-semester (one calendar year) format. The Media and Communication Internship also requires the completion of a portfolio. See the Spiritual Formation and Leadership department section of this catalog for more information.
15 Hours of Electives
Writing
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| PM721 | Creative Writing |
| PM722 | Advanced Creative Writing |
| CE605 | Christian Journalism |
Worship
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| BE503 | The Psalms and the Worship of God |
| PM302 | Pastoral Theology and Leadership II |
| PM741 | Introduction to Hymnology |
| PM742 | Intro to Praise and Worship Music |
| PM743 | Seminar in Worship Arts |
Independent Study
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| PM913 | Independent Study in Media Arts |
Presentation
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| CE104 | Audiovisual Presentations |
| NT408 | Jesus in the Media |
| PM103 | Expository Preaching |
| PM710 | Intro to Radio Broadcasting |
| PM711 | Creative Audio Production for Ministry |
| PM725 | Publishing Layout and Design for Ministry |
| PM731 | Video Production for Ministry |
| PM752 | Reading Scripture to Change Lives |
| PM753 | Dramatizing Scripture |
