TALBOT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Master ofDivinity Program
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OBJECTIVES
because reductions for a specific course cannot be considered after registration for that course. The substitution ofekctives in lieu of required courses may be requested anytime during the student 'sfirst year. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS A. Satisfactorily complete 96-98 semester units. See (D) below. B. Take the courses prescribed in the Master of Divinity curriculum. C. Complete the requirements in one of the emphases. D. Submit an acceptable th esis (four units) chosen in consu ltation with the major advisor, or at the opt ion of the major advisor and in li eu of the thesis, complete six units of electives. Students who write theses wil l have a total requirement of 96 units and those who take six units of electives in lieu of a thesis will have a total requirement of 98 units. Five unbound copies of the thesis are to be subm itted to the librarian. E. At least 24 un its must be taken in this seminary by transfer students. Students are placed on academic probation if thei r grade point average for any semester falls below 2.5 and remain on probation as long as the sin gle semester of cumulative grade poilll average remains below 2.5. Students on probation are granted one semester in which to bring their academic work up lo the required level (2.5) for con tinuance in the seminary. A student cannot graduate while on probation. F. The standard rate of progress through the program ( 12 units per semester) wi ll allow the program to be completed in four years. CURRICULUM Two biblical languages are required: Greek and Hebrew. Either may be taken first. Greek - NT 503, NT 604 and NT 605 each required beyond beginning Greek . Aqualifying examination is available to all interested students. Those who pass the examination may enroll directly in NT 503; others must take NT 50 1 and NT 502 (two units each) as prerequisite LO NT 503. Hebrew- OT 603, OT 604 and OT 705 are required. Aqualifying exami nation is available to interested stu dents. Those who pass the examina tion may take OT 604, plus 3-4 units of Hebrew electives instead of OT 603.
their divergences. All the whi le they are measured by the pattern of the Word. Talbot 's program focuses on the entire person and is meant to con tribute lo personal spiritual formation as well as cogniti ve awareness and the development of ministry ski lls. The cur riculum is structured to develop "sus tainable habits" that can be cominued in life and ministry after graduation. The various components of the curricu lum are designed to complemem one another and to reinforce basic princi ples to which students have been exposed in other parts of their seminary program. A goal of the program is to equip students to think biblically and to respond approp1iately to the variety of challenges of life and ministry. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS All applicants, to be accepted, must hold the Bachelor of Arts degree, or its academic equivalenL They must have a 2.6 (on a 4.0 scale) grade poim average. Those not meeting this latter require menL, if accepted, will be placed on pro bation. Graduates from approved unac credi ted colleges, if accepted, will be granted provisional acceptance, though exceptions may be made when the grade poinL average is 3.0 or higher. Graduates from approved unaccredited colleges may be required to take certain add i tional liberal ans course work (no t appli cable toward the graduate degree) , if their undergraduate program did not include these courses. Students who have not had Greek but 1vish to take it in semina1y may take Beginning Greek al Talbot and receive elective credit applica ble toward the graduation requirement. EMPHASIS REQUIREMENTS Emphases are offered in the follow- ing areas of professional preparation: Pastoral and General Ministries Christian Education Pastoral Care and Counseling Marriage and Family Ministries Missions Urban/Multi-Ethnic Ministries Each stude nt is to select an emphasis and satisfactori ly compl ete its requirements. Students shou ld indicate their choice of emphasis al the beginning of their program. Changes of emphas is may be autho rized under certain circumstances prior lo the completion of 48 units , but are discouraged after that point. Studems without a working knowl edge of Greek must take NT 501 and
502 (Beginning Greek) which are not for cred it unless taken in place of elec ti ve units. Electives in the Curriculum Electives are open to the studem's choice (check prerequisites) regard less of emphasis, but that choice may be governed by the following guide lines: I) If w1iting a thesis, the stu dent's advisor may require up lo four units of electives in an area of study in preparation for the thesis; 2) Students who do not write a thesis are required LO take two additional elective un its for a program total of98 units. Program Reduction Based Upon Prior Academic Study Qualified students coming from accredited Bible colleges or Ch ri stian liberal arts co ll eges may request exemption from certain required courses. Requests for exemption may be considered from two perspectives: I) Program reductions are possible up to a maximum of 16 units from the normal M.Div. requirement, i.e., 96-98 un its may be reduced by up lo I6 units. A reduc tion of as much as six units (included in the 16) is possible for sn1- dents with col legiate studies in either Hebrew or Greek. Evaluations for reduc tion are considered for undergraduate courses with satisfactory parallel contelll, provided that the collegiate courses are approximately double the unit value of the corresponding seminary courses. To qualify for such reductions the studem must have earned al least a "B" grade in the spec ific course(s) and be able to demonstrate competency in the subject maner. In the evenL tl1e student takes a course wh ich had been previously waived , that previous reduction would tl1en be nullified. 2) The substitution of electives in lieu of required courses may be arranged in certain ci rcumstances. In some cases where one of the above cri te ria may preclude a program reduction , the student may nevertheless be able lo demonstrate a satisfactory level of com petency in a given subject. In tl1is evenL, electives may be substituted for th e course in question. Interested students would contact the appropriate depart mem chainnan regarding course substi tutions. This alternative is also available for those who qualify for tl1e maximum program reduction indicated above. Request for program reduction should be sulnnitted lo the Admissions and Regis trar's Offir.es before studies begin at Talbot,
The Master of Di11nity curri culum al Talbot Schoo l of Theology is designed to foster the purposes for which the semin ary was established - preparation for the propagation of the faith. This purpose entails an accurate knowledge of the Word of God, the source of faith , and the effective means of its communication. The course of study is therefore designed around these two basic foci. Believing firm ly that God in love and grace has provided an answer for the needs of the world in Jesus Christ and that this Jesus is the Christ of the Scriptures, Talbot emphasizes a knowl edge of the content of the Word of God. So that the Word may be knm111 and expounded accurately and authori tatively, mauers of biblical background , including the languages of the Old and New Testamems, are studied. Sound principles of literary interpretation are also explored as a basis for the imerpre tation of the Scriptures. On the basis of such imerpretation there comes system atic study so as to organize vaiious parts of the Word into theological categories. Since the faith of today does not stand alone, but is rooted in past cen turies during which God has preserved and instructed His people, cognizance of this heritage is taken in a study of the history of the church and its doc trine. Previous interaction between faith and the world pro11des a basis for understanding modem times. It is the seminary's aim that this knowledge of the faith first grip the life of the studem, and then motivate the studelll to share it with the world. In accord with this latter aim instruction is given in 11tal areas of ministry and com munication. From the preparation and delivery of sermons to individual involve ment in counseling, the curriculum is designed to provide instruction which will facilitate propagation of the faith in the various fields of God's call. Oppor tunity is also given for the developmelll of ministry skills as principles are applied in the comext of ministry in the church. With recogn iti on that the Great Commission commands the church to go imo the world to minister to all peo ples , the cross-cu rrents of modern thought are considered relevant to the preparation of God ' s minister. Throughout the course of instruction, interaction is provided 1vith various per spectives for the purpose of inculcating their contributions and understanding
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