The Master of Arts in Media Arts and Worship degree program is designed to equip worship leaders, writers, and artists who desire to integrate a sound biblical and theological education with training and experience in the arts and/or leading worship.
Join a community of men and women dedicated to the beauty of the Gospel expressed through the beauty of human creativity.
The Curriculum
The 2-year MA programs at DTS have a common core of Bible and theology coursework along with specific training in culture formation, arts, and worship tailored to deepen your existing skills and augment them with new ones.
Biblical Exposition
BE5101 Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics
BE5102 Old Testament History I
BE5103 Old Testament History II & Poetry
BE5104 Old Testament Prophets
BE5105 The Gospels
BE5106 Acts & Pauline Epistles
BE5107 Hebrews, General Epistles, and Revelation
BE5109 Ruth, Psalms, Jonah, and Selected Epistles
Systematic Theology
ST5101 Theological Method and Bibliology
ST5102 Trinitarianism
ST5103 Angelology, Anthropology, and Hamartiology
ST5104 Soteriology
ST5105 Sanctification and Ecclesiology
ST5106 Eschatology
Theology of Art and Worship
MW5101 The Art of Media and Worship
MW5102 Media Arts Apprenticeship
MW5103 A Christian View of Art or MW5104 Theology of Creativity
Spiritual Formation and Electives
SF5100 Spiritual Formation
PM5101 Christian Life and Witness
Media Arts and Worship Electives – 15 credit hours
Program Details
Program Goals
Students in the MAMW program will:
- Evidence a general knowledge of Christian theology, including an ability to support their theological views
- Demonstrate a general knowledge of the Bible, including an understanding of the message and arguments of specific books of the Bible
- Display Christlikeness in their pursuit of knowledge and relationships within the seminary community
- Communicate biblical, theological, and spiritual content through creative, culturally relevant media
- Articulate the role of art and worship in shaping and expressing Christian life and the role of the creative believer in the church and the world
- Develop an integrated model of theology, creativity, and productivity that leads to sustainable professional practices
Course Requirements
Sixty-six credit hours of coursework are required as a minimum for graduation. No thesis is required for the MAMW degree. The MAMW requires 4 courses (i.e., 4 3-hour courses for a total of 12 hours) be completed in real-time. Twenty-two of the 66 hours are in prescribed Bible Exposition courses, 18 are in prescribed Systematic Theology courses, 3 are in the Christian Life and Witness course, 6 are in prescribed Media Arts courses, and 2 are in the Media Arts and Worship apprenticeship, in which the student develops a professional portfolio in a field-experience context. The remaining 15 hours are to be selected from Media Arts and Worship electives. For information about the maximum amount of transfer credit available for the degree, see the Graduate Transfer Information page.
Spiritual Formation
The mission of Spiritual Formation at DTS is helping servant-leaders pursue Christlikeness. Because DTS values Christlike character and spiritual maturity, MAMW students are required to register for and participate in Spiritual Formation groups for two consecutive fall and spring semesters at the Dallas, Houston, Washington, DC, or Atlanta campuses. (Students who are not planning to be in residence in Dallas, Houston, or Washington, DC, for two consecutive fall and spring semesters must contact the Spiritual Formation Office for other options to meet their Spiritual Formation requirement.)
In the Spiritual Formation curriculum, small groups of four to five students focus on issues of identity, community, integrity, and fidelity. The groups provide an atmosphere for prayer, fellowship, and the integration of learning with life and ministry.
Because students participate with the same group during two consecutive semesters, they should plan their schedules so they may meet on the same day and at the same time each semester. Spiritual Formation is a noncredit, transcripted experience. Internship prerequisites include successful completion of SF5100.
Financial Aid
Through our donors and Foundation, we are able to offer hundreds of scholarships to students every year.
Logos Bible Software
Every student at DTS receives a copy of Logos Bible Software customized with additional commentaries and resources, and DTS courses integrate Logos into assignments and learning.