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The Master of Arts Concentration in the Philosophy of Religion (MA/PR)

MA/PR Concentration Purpose

The Master of Arts concentration in the Philosophy of Religion (MA/PR) is designed primarily for the following:

• To enable the student with previous work in philosophy to do concentrated work in philosophy of religion and apologetics from a Christian perspective
• To equip men and women for ministry to the collegiate mind whether from the pulpit or in student work and develop a concern for evangelical scholarship in this discipline
• To prepare evangelicals as teachers of philosophy, apologetics, and related disciples
• To contribute to graduate education by providing Christian perspectives in preparation for doctoral studies elsewhere

MA/PR Concentration Admission Requirements and Prerequisites

The admission requirements for the MA/PR are those described in the Admissions section of the catalog and those specific to the MA/PR program described below:

• An undergraduate major in philosophy or its equivalent which includes 15 semester hours of undergraduate philosophy
• A reading knowledge of languages required to complete the thesis, depending on the area of study
• An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) are required.

MA/PR Candidacy Requirements

Admission to the Master of Arts programs must be followed by achievement of candidacy for the degree. Program candidacy occurs when

• A minimum of 12 hours in the program is completed with a minimum GPA of 2.5 after admission to the program.
• All entrance deficiencies and conditions are removed.
• After a review of student files for continued progress toward meeting graduation requirements, formal action is taken by the faculty to grant candidacy for the degree.

MA/PR Residency Requirement and Statute of Limitation

• Twenty-four hours must be completed on the Deerfield Campus of Trinity. Generally two to three semesters of full-time course work and comprehensive exams are followed by one year of thesis writing.
• The final 8 hours must be taken through Trinity.
• All requirements in the Master of Arts programs must be completed within five years of matriculation into the program. Petition to extend the statute of limitation may be made by a student to the Academic Exceptions Committee.

MA/PR Concentration Graduation Requirements

In addition to the General Graduation Requirements for all master’s programs, the following are required for the MA/PR:

1. Completion of all course work in the program, including required Field Education, with a minimum cumulative grade point average for program course work of 2.5, with no course work graded below a “C-” applicable to the degree. A maximum of 20 percent of course work may be completed in an independent study format (Reading, Guided Research, and Distance Education courses).
2. Meet the general comprehensive requirements in Old Testament, New Testament, and two in Systematic Theology. See the Academic Handbook for details.
3. Successfully write the major comprehensive exam.
4. Complete a Master of Arts capstone project for the MA/PR, which is research and write an acceptable thesis on an approved topic, exhibiting the ability to do competent research, to think critically, and to communicate effectively in the area of emphasis. The thesis may be for 0-3 hours credit, applicable to the student’s program.

MA/PR Concentration Curriculum

Updated to 2008-09 Catalog