Theological – First Year (Fall)

Master of Divinity

A Letter from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dear Entering M. Div. students:

Welcome to Drew! This letter attempts to give you the information that you need to register for the Fall semester.

Students enter the M. Div. program for a variety of reasons but the degree itself is intended to prepare people for the professional practice of ministry. Thus it is intended to help form you into religious leaders. There are many required courses – classes that the faculty believes that anyone who holds an M. Div. should take. But you also have some choices and we want to be sure that you think carefully about not only the particular classes but also their timing and pacing. The classes, the community events, your internship(s), the cross cultural experience, and the many informal discussions that take place around Seminary Hall are all part of this formative experience. We hope that you will consider them as building blocks in your professional formation. Because of the importance of formation, we require all first year students to take a course entitled “Pastoral Formation.” This course meets for two semesters and you earn 1.5 credits for each semester. There are five separate small groups and you must register for one of those sections during the first semester. (PSTH 501). In this class you will have the opportunity to explore your vocation and to identify the areas in which you would like to concentrate or specialize while you are at Drew.

The academic curriculum at Drew is divided into five divisions:

• Division 1 – Biblical Studies
• Division 2 – Church History
• Division 3 – Theology and Philosophy
• Division 4 – Church and Society
• Division 5 – Christian Practices

You will take required courses in each of these divisions during the degree program. We have a suggested sequence for courses and whenever it is possible, we urge you to follow the sequence we have laid out.

The M. Div. degree is planned to take three years for a student who is studying full time. By that we mean someone who is not working more than 10 hours a week at an outside job and who is devoted to studying about 35 hours a week in addition to the time spent in classes. Many of you are NOT full time students because you work full time. Only you can determine exactly how many credits you should take during the semester but we want you to be very careful to really examine your own schedule.

Courses for Fall

1. As indicated earlier, we expect every student to register for one section of PSTH 501. Those of you who have flexible schedules should be sure to sign up for a daytime slot leaving the evening slots for the students who really need them.
2. If at all possible, BBST 501 Biblical Literature 1 should be the next course you choose. We offer it in two sections. The times for those are listed on the materials from the registrar. Entering students also have the option of signing up for BBST 515 – Exegetical Skills I. This is a course that is designed to be taken alongside BBST 501. It will introduce students to the alphabet and to available tools for biblical exegesis. It is a 1.5 credit class and meets once a week for 75 minutes.
3. All M.Div. students participating in the Intensive English Language Program during the summer must register for PSTH 681: Language and Learning in Theological Education during the Fall, ’12 semester.

After you have registered for those classes, you should choose from the following classes to finish your course load:

CHST 502 Church History 1 – This class also has two sections:

TPHL 500 Philosophical Resources for Theological Study – This course is required for students who did not have a philosophy course as an undergraduate. I will be examining your transcripts to determine this. It is open to all students. If you have already had a philosophy class, you may choose to take TPHL 501 Systematic Theology. This course will also be offered in the spring semester.

There are some other courses which are not required but which are open to first year students. I would encourage you to consider taking the two-credit course TPHL 584 “Theological Research and Writing” (team-taught by an English professor and our theological librarian) and/or PSTH 548 Body and Voice for Preaching (1.5 credits). The former is very helpful for improving academic skills, especially if you have been out of school for a while. The latter is strongly encouraged as a pre-preaching course. The seminary choir is a fine organization and is offered for one credit as PSTH 575.

Additionally, you can then check on the availability of courses by referring to the “Search for a course for a term” portion of the Registration Instructions page here.  If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact the Registrar’s Office at regist@drew.eduor 973-408-3025.

You will be assigned an advisor who will work with you during your time at Drew. You will have opportunities to meet with your advisor during orientation at which time your schedule will be finalized. In the meantime, you can contact our office 973-408-3419.

Sincerely,

Morris L. Davis
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Master of Arts

A Letter from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dear entering MA students:

Welcome to Drew! You are about to embark on a wonderful journey that we hope will lead you to earn the Master of Arts degree. In this letter we will be offering you some very specific advice that will enable you to register for your fall semester classes online during the summer.

Students enter the Master of Arts program for two main reasons – to prepare for further academic work and/or to increase their general knowledge of religion. We have specifically kept the program flexible so that you can make careful choices that enhance your own goals for the program. Dr. Stephen Moore is the Program Advisor for MA students. You will also have an academic advisor chosen for you in relation to your particular academic interests. You will be assigned that advisor shortly before orientation and that person will work with you in planning your overall program. In the meantime, however, you may pre-register for your classes.

All MA students should register for INTD 700 MA Seminar, which will be taught by Dr. Terry Todd. This is a required course that is only offered in the fall semester. It meets Thursday 1:15-3:45pm.

The academic curriculum at Drew is divided into five divisions:

• Division 1 – Biblical Studies
• Division 2 – Church History
• Division 3 – Theology and Philosophy
• Division 4 – Church and Society
• Division 5 – Christian Practices

In each of those divisions, there are basic courses that usually serve as prerequisites to the upper level courses in the division. If you wish to take upper level courses, you do first need to take the courses that are listed as prerequisites for them. Many of the introductory courses have precept sections (discussion sections) that are part of the class so you need to register for the lecture section and the precept section. If you have done previous coursework that you believe covers the material of the introductory courses, discuss the possibility of moving into the more advanced courses with Dr. Moore.

The MA degree is planned to take two years for a student who is studying full time. You can figure that in addition to class time you will spend 2-3 hours per week for each credit that you are taking. So if you take 12 credits you should plan to spend around 30 hours per week of study time in addition to class time. Please think carefully about your load as you make your registration choices.

Additionally, you can then check on the availability of courses by referring to the “Search for a course for a term” portion of the Registration Instructions page here.  If there are specific courses not on this list that are of interest to you, please contact me by email to discuss their suitability to your program.  If you have any questions about the on-line registration process, please contact the Registrar’s Office at regist@drew.edu or 973-408-3025.

You will have opportunities to meet with your advisor during orientation at which time your schedule will be finalized. In the meantime, you can reach our office at 973-408-3419.

Sincerely,

Morris L. Davis
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Master of Arts In Ministry

A Letter from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dear Entering MA in Ministry students:

Welcome to Drew! You have begun a pilgrimage toward the Master of Arts in Ministry degree designed for those preparing for Christian leadership in congregations, non-profit agencies, or ministries beyond the local church. It you are a United Methodist interested in preparing for the order of deacon, this is the degree approved by the United Methodist Church. Within the MAM program you may choose a specific area of specialization such as: spirituality, social justice ministries, camp and retreat ministries, Christian education, ecological ministries, worship, music, and the arts.

We have set up your program to insure that you get grounding in four areas – religious tradition, cultural context, ministry formation and field experience. We have specifically kept the program flexible so that you have choices that enhance your own goals for the program. Dr. Heather Elkins is the Program Advisor for MAM students. You will have a chance to meet with Dr. Elkins during orientation. In the meantime, however, you may pre-register for your classes.

The academic curriculum at Drew is divided into five divisions:

• Division 1 – Biblical Studies
• Division 2 – Church History
• Division 3 – Theology and Philosophy
• Division 4 – Church and Society
• Division 5 – Christian Practices

In each of those divisions, there are basic courses that usually serve as prerequisites to the upper level courses in the division.

Your degree requirements are set out in four areas as follows:

1) Religious heritage (9 credits from the following courses):

• BBST 501 Biblical Literature 1
• BBST 511 Biblical Literature 2
• CHST 502 Church History 1
• CHST 503 Church History 2
• TPHL 301 Systematic Theology
• TPHL 508 Challenge of World Religion to Christian Practice

2) Cultural Context (3 credits from the following courses):

• CHSC 401 Religion and the Social Process
• CHSC 400 Christian Ethics
• Or any of the world religion or cross-cultural courses

3) Personal and spiritual formation (3 credits from the following courses)

• PSTH 501and 502 Pastoral Formation
• PSTH 503 Introduction to Educational Ministries
• PSTH 505  Church at Worship (second semester)

4) Practicum/Internship PSTH 617 (6 credits)

Each student will complete six credits in field education in an appropriate ministry field. This requirement may be fulfilled through internships or through the supervised ministry class.

We would anticipate that students would do this requirement in the second year of the program.

Additionally, students should take 12 credits in an area of specialization. You can talk with Dr. Elkins about this when you meet at orientation. You may also want to consider taking TPHL 584 “Theological Research and Writing” which is a 2 credit course that helps works with students on research and writing skills in theology.

The MA in Ministry degree is planned to take two years for a student who is studying full time. You can figure that in addition to class time you will spend 2-3 hours per week for each credit that you are taking. So if you take 12 credits you should plan to spend around 30 hours per week of study time in addition to class time. Please think carefully about your load as you make your registration choices.

Additionally, you can then check on the availability of courses by referring to the “Search for a course for a term” portion of the Registration Instructions page here.   If there are specific courses not on this list that are of interest to you, please contact me by email to discuss their suitability to your program.  If you have any questions about the on-line registration process, please contact the Registrar’s Office at regist@drew.edu or 973-408-3025.

You will have opportunities to meet with your advisor during orientation in August, at which time your schedule will be finalized. In the meantime, you can call our office at 973-408-3419.

Sincerely,

Morris L. Davis
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Master of Sacred Theology

A Letter from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dear Entering STM students:

Welcome to Drew!  We know that you are already experienced with theological education so the overall shape of the curriculum should look familiar to you.

Students enter the Master of Sacred Theology program for two main reasons – to prepare for further academic work or to deepen a particular area of interest in their ministry. Because the program is a one-year program, it is important for you to choose your courses carefully. Dr. Stephen Moore is the program advisor for the STM program and each of you will additionally have an advisor in your area of academic interest. You will have a chance to meet with Dr. Moore and with your academic advisor during orientation. At that time you will finalize your schedule.

As an STM student, you are expected to take at least 4 of your 6 courses in an area of concentration. Furthermore, you are to write an extended paper in conjunction with one of those courses. We encourage you to think about that early in the first semester since one of your first semester courses might be the best choice for the extended paper. You will receive more information on that once you are here also.

Please feel free to contact Dr. Moore with questions about courses for the fall semester. If you have a particular faculty member in mind as your advisor, please feel free to send him that information (smoore@drew.edu).

Additionally, you can then check on the availability of courses by referring to the “Search for a course for a term” portion of the Registration Instructions page here.  If you have any questions about the on-line registration process, please contact the Registrar’s Office at regist@drew.eduor 973-408-3025.

I look forward to meeting all of you at orientation.

Sincerely,

Morris L. Davis
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs