Master of Sacred Theology (STM)

Program Goals

Students in the STM program will:

• Demonstrate the ability to exegete the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible
• Communicate the truth of Scripture clearly and accurately
• Critically evaluate a scholarly issue within their chosen area of study.

Spiritual Goals

To enable students to evidence an increasing likeness to Christ as manifested in love for God, love for others, and the fruit of the Spirit.

Ministry Goals

To enable students to:

• communicate the Bible effectively
• demonstrate skills in various ministries
• lead a local church or other group by means of biblical exposition, leadership skills, evangelism, and service; and
• be prepared for advanced theological education

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Admission Requirements

Ccomplete the prerequisite Hebrew and Greek courses (OT5101–OT5102, NT5101–NT5103) as needed and application procedures for the STM program are the same as for all programs of study at the seminary (please refer to the Admission section of this catalog for more information), with three exceptions:

To enable students to:

1. STM applicants must have attained accredited college and seminary degrees or their respective academic and theological equivalents;
2. transcripts of this work must show a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a scale of 4.0; and
3. applicants must provide a research paper (in English) previously written at the master’s level that shows an acceptable level of competency in research and writing.

Each applicant’s evaluation for admission to the STM program will include a review of the applicant’s completed MDiv (or equivalent) coursework to ensure the appropriate breadth of preparation necessary to pursue the STM degree. Identified deficiencies must be completed in addition to the standard program requirements.

All STM students must demonstrate exegetical proficiency in Greek and Hebrew. Students who do not have the appropriate Hebrew and Greek courses at the MDiv level will also be required to take the prerequisite Hebrew and Greek courses as necessary (OT5101–OT5102, NT5101–NT5103).

Students who have taken Hebrew or Greek at the MDiv level must pass a Hebrew or Greek proficiency exam before enrolling in OT5103 or NT5103. Failure to pass the exams will require the student to enroll in first-year language courses. Prerequisite courses in Hebrew or Greek, if required, will not count toward the 32-hour requirement for the STM degree

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