Concentration in Church History (MA/CH)

MA/CH Concentration Purpose

The Master of Arts concentration in Church History (MA/CH) provides specialized study in the discipline of the history of the Christian church.  The MA/CH is academic rather than professional in focus, preparing participants in knowledge and practice for teaching or researching in Christian secondary schools, or higher education where a doctorate may not be needed; or as an intermediate step toward doctoral study in a related area.

MA/CH Concentration Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will acquire a foundational understanding of the history of the Christian Church in the western and non-western world from the first century to the present.
• Students will develop skills in historical research and writing necessary for academic ministry or service to the local church.
• Students will gain confidence in using the Christian tradition in their ministries of preaching and teaching to help other Christians with issues of spiritual, doctrinal, and ecclesial identity, and to make more faithful disciples of those whom God calls them to serve.
• Students will grow in their understanding of and appreciation for the rich diversity of faith traditions within the Christian churches.

MA/CH Prerequisites

• 6 semester hours of Bible including Old and New Testament surveys; or TEDS OT 5001, OT 5002, NT 5001, and NT 5002.
• an undergraduate major in history or its equivalent that includes a minimum of 18 hours in history
• a reading knowledge of languages required to complete the thesis, depending on the area of study

MA/CH Concentration Format

While the MA/CH is available in both a residential and remote format, not all courses are available in all modalities. Students in the MA/CH concentration should expect that enough required courses for them to graduate will be offered in a synchronous or blended format. Remote students will likely be able to graduate without taking courses in a residential format, but they will have fewer choices for electives than students who are studying on campus. The department encourages all students to take in person courses as they are able. Remote students who wish to take the MA/CH Comprehensive Exam may seek permission from the department to take their exam remotely.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Bible and Theology Core		8
ID 5000	Biblical Theology and Interpretation	2
ST 5211	Theology 1: The God of the Gospel: From the Father	2
ST 5212	Theology 2: The God of the Gospel: Through the Son	2
ST 5213	Theology 3: The God of the Gospel: In the Holy Spirit	2
Concentration Core		26
CH 8101	Classic Texts in the History of Christianity 1	2
CH 8102	Classic Texts in the History of Christianity 2	2
CH 8911	Colloquium in Historical Methodology 1	1
CH 8912	Colloquium in Historical Methodology 2	1
CH ____	Electives in Church History	20
Field Education		0
Select one option from the following:
Option 1:
PT 5090	Field Education (1 semester)	0
Option 2:
ID 5080	Formation Group (2 semesters)	0
MA/CH Capstone		2
CH 7477	MA Major Comprehensive Exam 1	1
Select one option from the following:
Option 1:
CH 7980 & 7980	MA Major Research Paper and MA Major Research Paper 2
Option 2:
CH 7485	MA Thesis 3
Total Hours		36

¹

Students may elect to complete the Comprehensive Exam for 1 hour of credit.

²

CH 7980 option available for those not intending to pursue PhD studies in history. Letters of recommendation for PhD studies will not be provided by departmental faculty for those pursuing this option.

³

CH 7485 option expected for those intending to pursue PhD studies in history.