Master of Arts

Program: 36 hours

Additional Requirements

Level of Scholarship: An average scholarship level of 3.00 (B) is required for the M.A. No grade below C is acceptable for graduate credit. Only six hours of C are permitted for the M.A. degree, and these must be balanced by an equal number of hours of A credit.

Prospectus: A student should work with a professor in the appropriate area to develop a prospectus for a thesis or guided research.

Research: A grade of S in Thesis or B or better in Guided Research is required to receive credit toward the M.A. An approved prospectus is due before signing up for a guided research paper. Two copies of the thesis or guided research must be submitted to the candidate’s professor in his/her area of concentration for permanent placement in the library before graduation. A helpful pamphlet prepared by the HST faculty, titled “Guide for Developing a Dissertation, Thesis or a Guided Research Paper at Harding School of Theology” (January 2000), is available free of charge from the dean’s office.

Degree Candidacy: Students should apply for candidacy to the degree from November through December 15 prior to the spring or summer in which they intend to graduate; fall graduates should apply by July 15. Students are responsible to notify the associate dean if they apply for graduation and are unable to complete graduation requirements. 

English Bible Exam: All students in all master’s degree plans must pass a comprehensive English Bible exam within their first semester. Students who fail must take the corresponding survey(s), BOLD 5000  and/or BNEW 5200 .

Statute of Limitation: All degree requirements must be completed within a seven-year period from time of entry into the program.

Probation: After the completion of 12 semester hours and thereafter, students with grades below a 3.00 average will be placed on academic probation. To remove probation, a student must achieve a 3.00 overall average during the next 18 hours of study.

Requirements for Areas of Concentration for Master of Arts

In addition to the CORE courses, each concentration area has specific requirements. The following requirements conform with the rules that: (1) the student must study with two professors in the division containing his/her area of concentration, and (2) courses to be taken with the second professor must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor.

For an outline of divisions and areas, refer to the Course Descriptions  section.