Concordia Theological Seminary offers a Master of Arts degree in religion (M.A.). The M.A. degree is designed for those students who seek a level of professional competence in theology but who are not preparing for the pastoral office. The M.A. degree would be suitable for parochial school teachers, deaconesses and others with a B.A. or B.S. who are interested in formal theological study.

Admission Requirements

Admission Procedures

1. Application forms should be requested from (or download one here) and returned to the Office of Graduate Studies. Each application must include a $35.00, non-refundable, application fee before it will be processed.
2. Applicants must submit official transcripts of all previous academic work beyond high school.
3. Three letters of recommendation are required from individuals who are to address the candidate’s character, scholarly intent and ability.

Qualified Admission

Degree Requirements

Students must successfully complete 72 (48) quarter hours of course work with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 on a 4.0 scale. Courses in the M.A. program are chosen from the M.Div. curriculum.
Students who have 30 or more quarter hours of credit in religion or theology on the bachelor’s or master’s level, from a college or another seminary, will be required to complete the 48 hour program. All other requirements are the same.

Biblical Languages

Both Greek (six credit hours) and Hebrew can be used towards the M.A. degree as electives. Greek is a prerequisite to Gospels I and Hebrew I and II are prerequisites to Pentateuch I. Prerequisite requirements can be met by taking and passing a competency exam, which is administered by the Registrar’s Office.

Essay Requirement

Students must write a 30-40 page essay in the major field. This essay shall conform to Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, latest edition. The essay shall be supervised by a faculty advisor of the student’s choice (ordinarily from the major department) and in addition shall be read and approved by a second faculty reader who is chosen by the Registrar. When students are ready to write the essay, they will register for M.A. ESSAY HOURS for one credit per quarter. Students will automatically be re-registered for an additional one credit M.A. ESSAY HOUR each quarter until the essay is complete. The essay must be complete with all necessary revisions at least two weeks before the end of the quarter in order to graduate.

Completion Requirement

Requirements for the M.A. degree program must be completed within ten years of the student’s admission into the program.

Course Restrictions

Regular M.A. students may not take those courses that are listed for Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Alternate Routes (A.R.) students only. However, A.R. students who have been accepted into the M.A. program may use these courses toward their M.A. degree requirements.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of 24 (16) quarter hours of credit may be transferred. All transfer credits must be approved in advance and are determined by the Registrar in consultation with the Academic Dean.

Alternate Route Program—M.A. Relationship

Students who complete the Alternate Routes (A.R.) program may at the same time fulfill the requirements for the Master of Arts (M.A.) program. However, the requirements for each program are considered separately when evaluating the transcripts of the student, either for the M.A. or the A.R. program. A.R. students need to apply and be admitted to the M.A. program.

For more information, contact:
Graduate Studies Advisor
Concordia Theological Seminary
6600 N. Clinton St.
Ft. Wayne, Indiana 46825