1. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 36 quarter hours of course work with a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Individual courses will be regarded as successfully completed only when a grade of B- or better is received.
    
2. Students will choose a major and a minor area from the following departments: Exegetical, Historical, Pastoral or Systematic.
1. Of the 36 quarter hours of course work, 21 hours shall be in the major field, nine (9) hours shall be in the minor field, and three (3) hours in each of the two remaining areas.
2. Students who major in Exegetical, Systematic or Historical theology must take a minimum of 15 hours of course work in their major area at the 700 (S.T.M.) level. At least three (3) hours of course work in the minor area must be at the 700 (S.T.M.) level. Of the remaining 18 hours, up to six (6) hours may be on the 800 (D.Min.) or 900 (Ph.D.) level.
3. Students who major in the Pastoral Ministry and Missions Department must take a minimum of 12 hours of course work in their major area at the 700 (S.T.M.) level. At least three (3) hours of course work in the minor area must be at the 700 (S.T.M.) level. In addition, the student may enroll in a maximum of 15 hours on the 500 level and up to 12 hours on the 800 (D.Min.) or 900 (Ph.D.) level.
4. Students who major in Exegetical Theology may concentrate in either Old or New Testament. At least 12 hours of course work are to be taken in the area of concentration. At least six (6) hours of course work are to be from study of the other testament.
5. Up to 12 credit hours of course work may be transferred to a student’s S.T.M. degree program. Courses taken more than four years prior to admittance to the program will be accepted at the discretion of the Dean of Graduate Studies.
6. A student’s course requirements and the list of examinations to be taken are established for the duration of the program. Details regarding the completion of the examinations, the writing of the thesis and the fees due are determined by the catalog in effect when the student reaches each of those stages.
7. The S.T.M. Manual is an official supplement to the catalog, and the requirements of the catalog are given further official specifications by the S.T.M. Manual.
 
3. Students must write a thesis in their major field for six (6) hours of S.T.M. credit.
    
4. Language requirements:
1. A reading knowledge of at least one biblical language is required of all S.T.M. students.
2. Students who major in Exegetical theology must demonstrate not only a reading but a working knowledge of the biblical language in the area of concentration.
3. Students majoring in Exegetical theology must pass the proficiency examination in Hebrew or Greek before enrolling in courses in the area of their biblical concentration.
4. A reading knowledge of at least one modern foreign research language is also required of all S.T.M. students. The foreign language requirements assist students in their class work and in their thesis research. Students majoring in Systematic or Historical theology may substitute Latin for the modern foreign language if Latin is necessary for thesis work.
5. Students may take no more than 12 hours of course work before the foreign language and biblical language examinations are passed.
 
5. Written examinations are required covering the student’s major and minor areas. The examination in the major field shall be three hours in length. The examination in the minor field shall be two hours in length. These examinations must be completed at least four weeks before graduation and before the oral examination is taken. The major and minor exams shall be comprehensive examinations testing both the student’s knowledge and interpretive skills. These examinations shall not be based on courses taken by the student. Both major and minor exams must be passed at a performance level of at least B-. No written examination may be taken more than twice.
    
6. At least five weeks before graduation, students must successfully pass an oral examination in the area of the thesis. This examination shall be conducted by the thesis advisor, the two thesis readers and the Supervisor of the S.T.M. program. The examination shall not exceed two hours.
    
7. Reinstatement: Requirements for the S.T.M. degree must be completed within six years after the student’s acceptance into the program. If the requirements are not completed within the prescribed time, candidates may be reinstated for two years if they earn six additional course hours at the 500 or 700 level. Reinstatement can be made only once.
    
RES 789 S.T.M. Thesis Hours
(3 credits) Students will be registered when they submit to committee their S.T.M. thesis proposal. The committee will withhold approval until this fee is paid.

RES 799 S.T.M. Thesis Hours
(3 credits) Students will be registered when they submit the final draft of their S.T.M. thesis. The committee will not schedule an oral examination until this fee is paid. Note: A Registration fee is assessed with all off-campus courses. The Graduation and Library processing fees are assessed when the student registers for RES 799.

1. In keeping with the objectives of the S.T.M. degree, the thesis must demonstrate that the student has achieved the following:
1. Independent scholarly research with a penetrating analysis of key issues;
2. Ability to conduct scholarly research on the basis of modern language sources and tools;
3. Critical analysis and logical reasoning;
4. Ability to communicate clearly and accurately all scholarly findings;
5. In-depth interpretation of significant, relevant texts.
 
2. The thesis must be written in the student’s major area of concentration. Six quarter hours of credit are granted for an accepted thesis. The style of the manuscript shall conform to The Chicago Manual of Style (latest edition). The final bibliography may include only items cited within the thesis.
    
3. Thesis procedures:
1. Early in the program, students should begin planning for a thesis topic which must be in their major area. In this process students should consult with the chairman of the department in which they are majoring and with other faculty members whose interests and competence lie in the area of their research.
2. The student, in consultation with the chairman of the majoring department, selects a thesis advisor and one reader. This selection is to be approved by the Supervisor of the S.T.M. program who will select a second reader.
3. Students, with their advisors and in consultation with the two readers, formulate a thesis topic and develop a thesis proposal which is to include the following:
• a working title for the thesis
• a well-defined statement of the question to be researched
• a basic bibliography
4. The department in which the student is majoring reviews the thesis proposal and recommends approval to the Committee on Graduate Studies. The student must have passed both the biblical and modern language requirements before the department can approve the thesis proposal.
5. The thesis proposal must be approved by the Committee on Graduate Studies at least six months before the student is to receive the S.T.M. degree.
6. Upon completion of course work and the approval of the thesis proposal, students are qualified to register for RES 789, the first three thesis hours. They must register for RES 799 in the quarter immediately following, including summer. Grades for these two courses will be either “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory.” Students will receive an “Incomplete” for their RES 799 until the thesis is approved and accepted.
7. At least eight weeks before the degree is awarded, students must submit a semifinal draft of the thesis to their advisor and to each of the two readers for their approval. A minimum of four weeks must elapse between submission of this draft and the oral examination on the thesis.
   It is desirable that students periodically consult with their two readers and inform them of their progress in the research and writing of the thesis.
8. At least six weeks before graduation, students are to apply for the oral examination on the thesis. This examination is conducted by the thesis advisor and the two readers. Students are not eligible to appear for their oral examination until the thesis has received approval by the advisor and the readers, and both the major and minor written examinations have been satisfactorily completed. Application for the oral examination must be made at least two weeks before the oral is to take place.
9. At least four weeks before the degree is awarded, students are to deliver to the Dean of Graduate Studies one final and corrected copy of the thesis, signed by the advisor and the two readers. This copy will be deposited in the library. A library processing fee is paid when the student registers for RES 799.
 
4. Foreign students may write their thesis in the native language with the following qualifications:
1. Their native language is a generally well-known, familiar language (e.g., German, French, Spanish).
2. Before the thesis planning is begun, students and their advisors agree that the thesis may be written in the student’s native language. If circumstances warrant, a competent non-faculty person may serve as reader. These arrangements will be part of the thesis proposal and will be subject to approval by the Committee on Graduate Studies
3. The thesis shall include as an addition a brief, but full, English summary of the contents and argument of the thesis. This will enhance the usefulness of the thesis for future readers.

1. Students must petition the S.T.M. Supervisor for permission to enroll in the non-thesis option. This must be done when the student has completed 18 hours of course work.
    
2. The non-thesis option requires a student to take an additional 12 credit hours above the minimum of 36 credit hours of course work required in the thesis option. Of these 48 hours, at least 30 hours must be taken in the student’s major and 18 hours must be spread over the three department areas outside of the student’s major.
    
3. Students in the non-thesis option must take a minimum of 21 hours on the 700 (S.T.M.) level, a maximum of 15 hours from the 500 level may be taken, and a maximum of 12 hours from the 800 (D.Min.) or 900 (Ph.D.) level may be taken.
    
4. Unless otherwise stated in the non-thesis option, students must meet all of the other S.T.M. requirements.

Admission Requirements
Same as regular S.T.M.

Degree Requirements

1. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 42 quarter hours of course work with a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Individual courses will be regarded as successfully completed only when a grade of B- or better is received.
    
2. Students will choose a major area from the following emphases for the purpose of the major exam: homiletics, liturgics or catechetics. Students will choose a minor area from the following emphases for the purpose of the minor exam: homiletics, liturgics, catechetics or hymnody.
   Of the 42 hours of course work, 30 must be at the 700 level. The student may transfer in 12 hours. The student may take 12 hours by independent study.
    
3. Students must write a major paper (approximately 50 pages) in one of the final four courses in the degree program.
    
4. Requirements for the language and written examinations are the same as for the regular S.T.M. The reading lists for the major and minor exams will be different because of the different areas of emphasis.