Academic Programs

SLTS, in partnership with the Body of Christ in the intermountain west, seeks to prepare people to serve the church effectively as pastors, staff, and lay ministers with both churches committed to a traditional path to ministry and those exploring alternative paths to ministry. Students generally fulfill requirements for both graduate and non-graduate programs by taking courses scheduled at SLTS. However, with seminary approval and directed preparation and follow-up assignments, they may fulfill some program requirements by participating in a variety of other training opportunities. These may include packaged modules produced by SLTS, conferences, seminars and lecture series that the seminary sponsors, co-sponsors or approves. (See seminary policies and procedures below for required processes for pursuing these alternatives.)

Graduate Programs

Salt Lake Theological Seminary offers two graduate programs of study: the Master of Divinity, and the Master of Arts with concentrations in Theological Studies, Ministry Studies, and Intercultural Studies. Each of these programs of study is designed to cultivate a longing to know God, a focus on servant ministry, a life shaped by biblical values, and an expression of faith sensitive to cultural context. All students are viewed as people endeavoring to grow in their experience of the Lord. Therefore, theological education at Salt Lake Theological Seminary is approached with a concern for developing personal spiritual formation, reflective biblical thinking, servant leadership, and cross-cultural awareness.

• Master of Divinity (MDiv)

• Master of Arts

Concentration in Theological Studies MA (TS)

Concentration in Ministry Studies MA (MS)

Concentration in Intercultural Studies MA (ICS)

Certificate Programs

Certificate students are required to complete an Enrollment Application to become matriculated in the CCS or CCM Program. Students may take four classes or one academic year, whichever comes first, before completing the Enrollment Application.

Credits earned in a certificate program are NOT for graduate or undergraduate credit and cannot be directly applied to graduate or undergraduate programs. Students enrolled for graduate credit cannot apply those credits to the Certificate program. As many as nine (9) credit hours may be granted for previous education or experience considered relevant to the Salt Lake Theological Seminary program and of equivalent academic standard. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0) is required to be considered for transfer of certificate credit to the seminary.

• Certificate in Christian Studies (CCS)
• Certificate in Christian Ministry (CCM)

MASTER OF DIVINITY (MDIV)

The Master of Divinity degree is designed to provide graduate theological education for persons who desire or are called to a more complete preparation for ministry. The program is rigorous and involves summer commitments. In many circles, an MDiv degree is the recognized academic preparation for professional religious ministry or ordination.

Admission to the MDiv program requires completion of an Enrollment Application and a Bachelors degree from an accredited institution. As many as thirty (30) credit hours may be granted for previous graduate education which is of equivalent academic standard and content to that of Salt Lake Theological Seminary. A minimum grade of “B” (3.0) is required to be considered for transfer of graduate credit to the seminary. The academic dean may also grant one to ten credits if presented with a ministry portfolio accompanied by additional supervised work. Students are encouraged to inquire about MDiv curriculum alternatives that accommodate specific denominational requirements (e.g., Episcopal, PC (USA), etc.).

The MDiv degree is a three-year program and is offered in two tracks. One is for students who desire or require proficiency in the biblical languages. It requires students to take twelve (12) credits in specified Greek and Hebrew language courses. The other track does not require proficiency in biblical languages. Rather, students in the non-language track will take BE 501and 502, Greek Basics for the English Reader and Hebrew Basics for the English Reader, for six (6) credits plus electives for six (6) additional credits.

The Master of Divinity degree will be awarded upon the successful completion (with a minimum GPA of 3.0) of 96 credit hours of study. Under special circumstances, students who do not complete a full course of graduate study may be awarded a Diploma In Christian Studies after completing 30 hours of core coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.8.

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MASTER OF ARTS (MA)

The Master of Arts program at Salt Lake Theological Seminary is designed to provide students with a graduate degree that focuses on a particular area of ministry or academic research. Typically, these students are already working or preparing to work in a church or para-church setting, in the marketplace, or in the academy. They are seeking this degree to advance their knowledge and deepen their spiritual formation as they follow God’s calling to serve in these arenas.

Admission to the Master of Arts degree requires the completion of an Enrollment Application and a Bachelors degree from an accredited institution. As many as twenty-four (24) credit hours may be granted for previous graduate education which is of equivalent academic standard and content to that of Salt Lake Theological Seminary. A minimum grade of “B” (3.0) is required to be considered for transfer of graduate credit to the seminary. Currently there are three areas of concentration: Theological Studies, Ministry Studies, and Intercultural Studies.

Master of Arts programs of study require that each student complete at least sixty (60) hours of course work (with a minimum GPA of 3.0) including a thesis. The programs are built on a common core of courses designed to provide students with the necessary biblical, theological and historical foundations for thinking about ministry questions and issues in an informed manner.

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CONCENTRATION IN THEOLOGICAL STUDIES: MA (TS)

The Master of Arts with concentration in Theological Studies is designed for students intending to pursue university doctoral degrees after completing the MA (TS) or for those who desire an integrated theological perspective in support of other professional or academic vocational objectives. It is not necessarily designed for those who are seeking ordination or are planning to enter pastoral ministry in the church, for whom the MDiv is normally the appropriate degree.

The focus of this program is to enable students to develop understanding and skills in the interpretation and application of scriptural truth to life and issues confronting the Christian community and the cultures in which it serves God. The concern will be to strengthen students’ confidence in dealing with Scripture, their ability to critique systems of thought, and encourage humility when encountering new ideas or troubles with former ideas through building a collegial atmosphere in the classroom seminars. Rather than emphasizing a systematic theology approach or any particular systematic theology as the organizing perspective of choice, systematic theology will be presented as one way of interpreting and applying scriptural truth to life.

This area of concentration is normally a two-year program, however, proficiency in at least one of the biblical languages (Hebrew or Greek) is required for graduation though not considered a credit course within the program and may, therefore, extend the duration if the student must pursue these studies simultaneously.

The Master of Arts in Theological Studies will be awarded upon the successful completion (with a minimum GPA of 3.0) of sixty (60) credit hours of study, which will be constituted as follows:

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CONCENTRATION IN MINISTRY STUDIES: MA (MS)

The Master of Arts with a concentration in ministry studies is a two-year professional degree program designed to prepare graduates for ministry in staff positions in the local church or through a parachurch organization. Elective courses for each student will be determined in consultation between the sponsoring church or ministry, the student, and the seminary in order to best fit each student’s preparation to the requirements of the particular ministry and the student’s needs. (Students interested in the traditional ordination track should consider our Master of Divinity program.)

The Master of Arts in Ministry Studies will be awarded upon the successful completion (with a minimum GPA of 3.0) of sixty-three (63) credit hours of study, which will be constituted as follows:

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CONCENTRATION IN INTERCULTURAL STUDIES MA (ICS)

The Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies is a two-year program designed to equip both North American students as well as foreign nationals to communicate the Gospel effectively in cross-cultural settings - urban and rural, at home and abroad. The program provides a solid biblical and theological foundation for mission, along with a strong theoretical base for missiological practice in the increasingly complex world of the twenty-first century. In addition, the seminary’s local context of the greater Salt Lake City area, where the predominant world-view and culture is both formed and informed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church), provides an experiential component in which to encounter and observe intercultural dynamics. With these elements, the program facilitates the integration of the discipline of Missiology with the practice of mission.

The Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies is designed to meet the needs of those newly entering Christian mission service as well as those experienced in cross-cultural mission. Students will be encouraged to tailor their programs to their levels of experience. In consultation with their professors, students may design course projects to meet their particular needs and interests.

The Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies will be awarded upon the successful completion (with a minimum GPA of 3.0) of sixty-three (63) credit hours of study, as outlined below.

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CERTIFICATE IN CHRISTIAN STUDIES (CCS)

The Salt Lake Theological Seminary Certificate in Christian Studies is designed for Christians who want to prepare themselves to serve Jesus Christ by acquiring basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes for on-going spiritual growth and effective service as leaders in their Christian communities. This program opens the rich resources of the graduate program to students from all walks of life who desire a lifelong pursuit of Christian study, devotion, and practical service.

The Certificate in Christian Studies will be awarded upon the successful completion (with a minimum GPA of 2.0) of thirty (30) credit hours of study that will be constituted as follows:

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CERTIFICATE IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY (CCM)

The Certificate in Christian Ministry is a one-year, non-graduate program designed to equip all people of God for the work of ministry to which God calls them. Through a deepening of personal growth, spiritual formation, and biblical and theological understanding, this course of studies together with mentored opportunities for practice of ministry skills and pastoral care will encourage the personal faith and confidence of the graduate in local ministry. Elective courses for each student will be determined in consultation between the sponsoring church or ministry, the student, and the seminary in order to best fit the student’s preparation to the requirements of the particular ministry and the student’s needs.

The Certificate in Christian Ministry will be awarded upon the successful completion (with a minimum GPA of 2.0) of thirty-six (36) credit hours of study that will be constituted as follows:

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