Ministry, M.A.Min.
The Master of Arts in Ministry is a 36-credit hour program which establishes a customized and strong foundation for ministry leadership. The program helps students to build practical ministry skills, increase their biblical and theological understanding, and experience deeper personal spiritual growth that will enable them to provide Christ-centered leadership in the contemporary world. Coursework may be tailored by students to meet ministry and educational goals. Whether a pastor, church worker, or active layperson, the program offers courses that train today’s leaders for effective ministry to meet a variety of needs.
Description of Master of Arts in Ministry (M.A.Min.) Program
The Bethel Master of Arts in Ministry is a professionally focused graduate degree consisting of 36 credit hours (12 classes) of graduate study beyond the baccalaureate degree and is designed for people working in, or moving toward, various areas of Christian ministry. Courses can also be taken on a “special student” basis for those who wish to keep up on current theory/practice in biblical studies, Christian ministry, theology, history, ethics and society. The degree consists of three areas of study: CHMN (Christian Ministry) 18 credit hours (6 classes); BBST (Biblical Studies) 9 credit hours (3 classes); and, THES (Theology, History, Ethics and Society) 9 credit hours (3 classes). These study areas can be focused:
- Based on identified ministry and educational needs
- Based on the desire to Transition into the MATS Program Track
- Based on the selection of the Chaplaincy Track
Coursework can be completed in three semesters of full-time study. The program can also be pursued on a part-time basis.
Format of Program
Each semester, four courses are scheduled in a seven-week intensive on-ground or online format. (In some cases, the program may utilize 3-day intensives for which work is done online/independently both before and after 3-day intensive all day class sessions.) During the summer, two courses are offered. Each course carries three graduate hours of credit. Students complete the degree at their pace. From the time of matriculation, 7 years are granted to complete the M.A. Min. degree.
Program Requirements
(unless special permission is granted by the program director to follow a different distribution of classes):
M.A.Min. Required Courses:
| BBST | BBST - Biblical Studies courses | 9 |
| CHMN | CHMN - Christian Ministry courses | 18 |
| THES | THES - Theology, History, Ethics, Society courses | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36 |
Transition into MATS Program Track
Some students may desire to utilize the M.A. Min. program as a step toward a more rigorous MATS (Master of Arts in Theological Studies] degree. If so, the following courses must be taken to ensure the transition to the MATS program happens seamlessly and the need to take extra courses is avoided.
Chaplaincy Track
The Chaplaincy Track - Requires bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, two years of ministerial experience or equivalent for acceptance into the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program with the Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training (ICPT), and one unit of CPE to be completed through ICPT prior to taking the final course in the program.
| CHMN 510 | Chaplaincy Orientation and Issues | 3 |
| CHMN 515 | Pastoral Counseling | 3 |
| CHMN 517I | Seminars in Church & Ministry - Crisis Counseling | 1-3 |
| THES 530 | Seminars in Theology, History, Ethics & Society | 3 |
| | BBST/CHMN/THES Electives 6 | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Total Credit Hours: 36