Master of Ministry

The purpose of the program is to equip more Christians as professional and non-professional ministers capable of serving effectively and encouraging others in Christian service in the local church and the world.

Students completing the Master of Ministry program will:

1. Demonstrate an ability to discern God’s Word as the primary source of spiritual formation and ministry in order to integrate Bible knowledge with constructive ministry.
2. Demonstrate competence in communicating the Word effectively in a variety of settings.
3. Be able to integrate an understanding of God’s will with the realities of the church’s context and interpersonal dynamics in order to participate with fellow Christian in the process of articulating a ministry vision, setting goals and planning strategically, while exercising skill in managing conflict.
4. Demonstrate an ability to participate with others in pursuing spiritual health and growth, in discovering and developing gifts, and in exercising gifts in constructive ministry in the church.

Admission Requirements: Applicants should have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 in undergraduate studies and have completed the necessary prerequisites. (See prerequisite section.)

A target score of 900 is required for applicants on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) unless the applicant has one of the following:

• A cumulative bachelor degree GPA of 3.0 with less than five years of full-time work experience.
• A cumulative bachelor degree GPA of 2.75 with a minimum of five years of full-time work experience.

Application Procedure: Applicants should submit the following information:

1. An official transcript of work for the baccalaureate degree sent directly from a fully accredited degree-granting institution.
2. Two letters of reference from persons familiar with the applicant’s ability to serve as a leader in ministry. Letters of recommendation should demonstrate that the candidate has been or can be a ministry leader.
3. A statement of goals in which the applicant reflects on why she or he wishes to pursue the degree in ministry and how she or he hopes to use the knowledge and skills gained through the program in future ministry.
4. Support of the local congregation. Due to the practical nature of this program, it is required that the student have the blessing of a local body of believers who will permit the student to complete course work within the context of that local church. The applicant will be provided with a form to be completed and submitted by the applicant’s local church.

Application may be submitted online from the CAMT/MMIN Web page.  Supporting documents should be submitted to:

Dr. William Richardson
Director of Master of Ministry Program
Harding University
Box 12236
Searcy, AR 72149

Application Review and Selection of Candidates: Each applicant must have an interview with the director of the program or his appointed alternate. Phone conferences may be done when circumstances prohibit face-to-face interviews.

Applicants are notified on the status of their application after the interview and after all submissions have been reviewed.

Provisional admission: Provisional admission may be allowed with a minimum 2.3 cumulative GPA. Probation is removed when the student has completed 12 semester hours of graduate work with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

Prerequisite Coursework: Applicants should have completed a minimum of eight courses (16 hours minimum) in undergraduate Bible courses from an accredited institution of which a minimum of four courses (8 hours minimum) are in the Biblical text. Applicants must also complete a Bible Interpretation course which can be taken either at the undergraduate level or as a part of their Master of Ministry course work (MMIN 603 ). Applicants who do not meet the minimum Bible requirements can receive provisional admission and take up to four hours (two courses) in undergraduate Bible concurrent with the first 12 hours of graduate studies. Provisional status is removed when 16 hours of leveling and graduate studies are completed with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Leveling courses do not count toward the 36-hour master’s degree. Note: Up to six hours of undergraduate Bible credit may be satisfied by competency exam. Contact the Master of Ministry office for further information.

Applicants who have served as a full-time minister for more than six years may petition for a waiver of leveling requirements on the following basis: 1 hour of leveling may be waived for every 2 years of full-time ministry experience up to 10 credit hours of waiver. Applicants must provide documentation of ministry history that includes a time-line and a list of places served. An additional 6 hours of leveling requirements may be waived based on results of the Bible competency exam.

Applicants with significant experience as a part-time, volunteer, or vocational minister may petition for a waiver of leveling requirements on the following basis: 1 hour of leveling may be waived for every 3 years of ministry experience up to 10 credit hours of waiver. “Significant experience” is understood as a level of involvement in ministry that would exceed an average of 5 hours per week for a period of at least six years. Applicants are asked to write a description of the ministry performed through these years. An additional 6 hours of leveling requirements may be waived based on results of the Bible competency exam.

Other Program Requirements: High-speed Internet connection is required for optimal participation in online courses.

All requirements of the program must be completed within seven years from the time MMIN coursework begins. Coursework completed before seven years will not be acceptable.

Transfer Students: Up to six hours of graduate credit completed at an accredited institution of higher education may be accepted upon review of applicability and/or equivalency and applied toward the MMIN.

International Students: The TOEFL is required of all incoming international students. Students who (1) speak English as a second language, and have (2) not previously completed an undergraduate degree from an accredited American college or university must meet a minimum score on a nationally recognized test of English language proficiency such as the TOEFL or IELTS. However, in lieu of these exams, professional programs in the health sciences may assess such students with an interview and/or a writing exam. An iBT Score of 80 with a Speaking Sub-scale 27 are the required minimum scores.

Minimum TOEFL scores acceptable for admission to the university are 550 (paper-based test), 213 (computer-based test), or 79 (Internet-based test). The minimum IELTS score is 6.0. Scores must not be older than two years prior to the date of application to the university. Please note that individual programs may have more stringent minimum requirements.

Transferability of Course Work: The transfer of course work is determined by the receiving institution. Students who later wish to transfer to a graduate theological school accredited by A.T.S. must meet entrance requirements of those institutions which would determine the amount of credit, if any, to grant for work done in this program.

Non-degree Seeking Students: Individuals who wish to take courses in the MMIN program may do so on a non-credit basis for one half the cost of credit tuition.

Scholarships and Financial Aid: Master of Ministry students taking 5 credit hours or more each semester may qualify for financial aid. Interested students should contact the Office of Financial Aid at Harding University.

A number of scholarships are available to Master of Ministry students. Application for these scholarships can be made online at  www.harding.edu/mmin. Scholarships are awarded based on the following criteria:

1. Scholarships that cover 40 percent of tuition are available for both full-time and part-time students. The criteria for these scholarships:

Category I - Full-Time Ministry

• Member in good standing within churches of Christ,
• Working full-time in ministry within a local congregation of churches of Christ,
• Taking any number of hours within the MMIN program, and
• Must maintain academic standing within the MMIN program.

Category II - Full-Time Student in Part-Time Ministry

• Member in good standing within churches of Christ, 
• Working a minimum of 10 hours per week within a local congregation of churches of Christ as a volunteer or salaried worker, 
• Taking a minimum of 9 hours/semester in the MMIN program, and 
• Must maintain academic standing within the MMIN program.

2. The Continuing Student Scholarship, which covers 25 percent of tuition, is intended to assist a student who is working as either a volunteer or salaried worker at a local congregation. The criteria:

• Member in good standing within churches of Christ,
• Completed 12 hours in the MMIN program with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA,
• Working a minimum of six hours per week within a local congregation of churches of Christ as a volunteer or salaried worker,  
• Taking any number of hours within the MMIN program, and 
• Must maintain academic standing within the MMIN program.

3. The Shepherd’s Scholarship, which covers 25 percent of tuition, is available for a student who is currently serving as an elder in a local church of Christ. The criteria:

• Working a minimum of six hours per week as an elder,
• Taking any number of hours within the MMIN program, and
• Must maintain academic standing within the MMIN program. 

4. The Active Duty Military Scholarship, which covers 25 percent of tuition, is available for a student who is currently serving full time in the military.  The criteria:

• Member of good standing within churches of Christ,
• Currently serving full time in the military,
• Taking any number of hours within the MMIN program, and
• Must maintain academic standing within the MMIN program.

Academic Standing Requirements: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on all MMIN coursework is required for graduation.

Undergraduate courses required as prerequisites for entering the Master of Ministry program are not calculated in the cumulative graduate grade point average required for graduation.

No grade below C is acceptable for graduate credit. Only six hours of C are permitted for the MMIN degree. Courses in which a grade of C has been received may be repeated and only the second grade will count. Courses in which a grade of B has been received may not be repeated. Courses in which a grade of D or F is made will not be counted toward the degree but will be used in figuring the GPA unless repeated. No course may be repeated more than once without permission of the professor.

Students accepted into the MMIN program are expected to progress in a manner that will ensure graduation meeting the minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

Required Standards of Progress for students who are admitted unconditionally:

Academic Warning

1-12 hours, less than 2.75 GPA
13-24 hours, less than 2.95 GPA
25 hours-graduation, less than 3.00 GPA

Academic Probation

1-12 hours, less than 2.25 GPA
13-24 hours, less than 2.75 GPA
25 hours-graduation, less than 2.95 GPA

PLEASE NOTE: Students who enter the MMIN program under provisional admission must complete the first 12 hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. After the first 12 hours are completed with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or more, the student is granted unconditional admission and subject to the schedule above.

1. Academic Warning status is an early warning to students who are in danger of being put on academic probation and restricts students to no more than 10 hours in a semester.
2. Academic Probation status limits students who are in academic trouble to enroll in no more than 6 credit hours per semester.
3. Academic Probation is lifted at the end of the semester in which the student raises his/her cumulative GPA to the “warning” level or above. Failure to remove academic probation after the completion of 9 additional hours of course work may result in the student being dismissed from the MMIN program.
4. Dismissed students will be placed on Academic Suspension for one semester. During this period, the student is not permitted to take graduate classes. Following a semester of suspension, the student may return to classes under Academic Probation status.
5. In all cases, a second dismissal will be final.