Graduation Requirements
Overview: To complete a graduate degree program, students will need to complete the specified coursework and pass the comprehensive examinations (M.A. degree), begin an exit option and achieve Advancement to Candidacy status, complete the exit option, and apply for graduation. The graduation requirements for these steps are:
STEP ONE: Coursework
1. Successfully complete the core and elective courses for an approved program.
"Successful completion" means achieving a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for the M.A. degree, or a grade point average of 2.67 for the M.T.S. degree. Also, no more than two course grades of C+ or C can count toward the M.A. degree, and no more than two course grades of C or C- can count toward the M.T.S. degree.
2. Achieve passing marks on the Comprehensive Examination (M.A. only).
The comprehensive examination is the second stage of the M.A. degree. It consists of two or three parts, each part having one or more essay questions. The time limit for each part is three hours. The professors who taught the core courses of the student’s concentration will construct the questions. The questions will be given to the students in advance so that research can be done as needed, and they will reflect the content of core courses and the content of other, related courses in the student’s concentration. The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to evaluate the student’s ability to understand and apply the course content of the graduate program. Thus, it brings closure to the coursework stage of the program. Only M.A. students are required to take the comprehensive examination.
Students generally take the comprehensive examination near the end of their last semester of coursework and before they begin work on their exit option. The “Comprehensive Examination Request” form, available in the OGPR, is to be completed and returned to the Coordinator at least six (6) calendar weeks before the scheduled date of the examination. The comprehensive examination will be scheduled three times a year as follows:
- Fall: The week preceding Thanksgiving; specific days and times to be announced.
- Spring: The week of March Spring Break; specific days and times to be announced.
- Summer:The last week in June; specific days and times to be announced.
STEP TWO: Advancement to Candidacy
This important step applies to both M.A. and M.T.S. students. Granting candidacy status indicates that the student has satisfactorily completed the coursework (including any deficiencies), has an approved exit option prospectus, and is "cleared" to complete the degree program. M.T.S. students who choose an exit option (not requiring a prospectus) can apply for candidacy status after enrollment in the exit option course. The graduate student must apply for advancement to candidacy--it is not automatically granted. Advancement to Candidacy requirements are:
1. Acceptance into the GPR with regular standing by having all deficiencies (if any existed at the time of admission) removed.
2. Make application for Advancement to Candidacy no less than five calendar months before the expected date of graduation. The Advancement to Candidacy form is available in the OGPR.
3. Achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (M.A.), or at least 2.67 (M.T.S.) on all graduate work taken toward the degree. The GPA will be confirmed by the Registrar's signature obtained through the Records Office.
4. Choose an exit option by which the graduate student will complete the degree with the academic advisor’s approval, and signatures of faculty members who serve on the student's committee. At that time, the student is ready to begin research on the exit option and write a prospectus (describing exit option and a preliminary bibliography). Finally, obtain approval from the student's faculty committee and research methodology professor.
5. If the student plans to transfer in one or more graduate courses, the OGPR requires an official transcript from the institution(s) involved.
STEP THREE: Choose Exit Option
The final stage of the degree program is the exit option. M.A. students may choose one of the following options: 1. Thesis, 2. Project, or 3. Directed Reading. M.T.S. students may choose one of the following: 1. Thesis, 2. Project, 3. Directed Reading, 4. Field Education, or 5. Integrative Seminar Course.
Guidelines for Thesis and Project Options (M.A./M.T.S.)
A thesis is an intensive study of a subject relevant to the student's concentration. The project options allows one to study/survey, and contribute to some aspect of ministerial studies. Research for any option will be: 1. Guided by three professors, 2. Formally written and defended, and 3. Bound and shelved in the reference section of the library (student pays for binding cost). The average size of a thesis is approximately 100 pages.
To Complete This Exit Option:
- Register in the appropriate exit option design and proposal course after completing at least 20 units. RELG 790 is the course for those in the Biblical Studies concentration; RELG 791 is the course for those in Leadership Studies.
- Select a topic. The research methodology professor and/or academic advisor should be consulted as needed.
- Select a Faculty Committee Chair and begin to describe the research topic in prospectus form (as instructed in the Exit Option Design and Proposal course).
- Select faculty readers after consulting with the chair.
- Complete the Advancement to Candidacy form and return it to the OGPR.
- File a copy of the approved prospectus with the OGPR.
- Register for chosen exit option. Credit for the exit option will be granted only after a successful defense.
- Submit chapter drafts regularly to your chair and committee; do not write the entire thesis before your committee reviews your document!
- Submit final draft of thesis/ to the GPR copy editor prior to submission to faculty committee, at least three months prior to defense date.
- Defend the exit option when the committee agrees that it is complete enough to defend. The defense will be scheduled via the OGPR when the Application for Oral Defense form is completed.
Deadlines for Defending the Thesis/Project:
- Fall 2002 Graduation—December 13, 2002
- Spring 2003 Graduation—March 1, 2003
- Summer 2003 Graduation—July 11, 2003
- Finish the exit option in consultation with your committee chair and submit it to the OGPR to be bound and shelved in the library. Students may request any number of copies for their own use. A binding fee is required for each copy, including the library copy.
If a student needs more than one semester to complete the exit option, he or she will register in RELG 799: Continued Registration: Master's Study (1) until the exit option is complete. A tuition fee for one (1) unit is required to maintain active status in the program, to protect the thesis/project topic, to have access to library privileges, and accessible consultation with faculty.
Guidelines for Extended Course/Directed Reading Option (M.A. and M.T.S.)
In general, the directed reading option is an opportunity to explore a subject of interest. Often the scope of study is wider than for the thesis. Research should be supported by at least 4,500 pages of scholarly reading, and the results will be expressed by written critiques, oral or written examinations, annotated bibliographies, or other means that the student and faculty mentor have agreed on.
To Complete This Exit Option:
- Register in the appropriate exit option design and proposal course approximately half-way through the degree program. RELG 790 is the course for those in the Biblical Studies concentration; RELG 791 is the course for those in Leadership Studies.
- Register in one additional elective course (3 units) so total program equals 39 units.
- Select a topic. The exit option design and proposal professor and/or academic advisor should be consulted as needed.
- Select Faculty Committee Chair and begin to describe the research topic in prospectus form (as instructed in the exit option design and proposal course).
- Select one other faculty reader after consulting with the Chair.
- Complete the Advancement to Candidacy form and return it to the OGPR.
- File a copy of the approved prospectus with the OGPR.
- Register for chosen exit option.
- Submit the final draft of the synthesis paper to the GPR copy editor prior to submission to the Chair.
- Complete the directed reading in consultation with the Chair, and file a copy of the final synthesis paper with the OGPR.
Deadlines for Defending the Thesis/Project:
- Fall 2002 Graduation—December 13, 2002
- Spring 2003 Graduation—March 1, 2003
- Summer 2003 Graduation—July 11, 2003
Guidelines for the Integrative Seminar (M.T.S. only)
The Integrative Seminar is a classroom experience designed to help students reflect theologically on ministry experience by integrating what they have learned in graduate coursework with the practice of ministry.
To Complete This Exit Option:
- Register in RELG 693 Integrative Seminar (3 units).
Guidelines for Field Education (M.T.S. only)
The Field Education option allows students to exit the program through supervised ministry experience.
To Complete This Exit Option:
- Consult the OGPR for approval of this exit option.
- Register for RELG 694 Field Education (3 units).
- Select the place of ministry and meet with the faculty mentor assigned by the OGPR to confirm your placement and academic requirements. (Contact the OGPR for details.)
STEP FOUR: Application for Graduation
Students will file an application for graduation with the Registrar’s Office prior to the semester that the degree will be granted, even if the student does not participate in the commencement ceremony. The Application for Graduation form is available in the OGPR and the Registrar’s Office. The degree is conferred on the last day of the semester in which the student has completed all degree program requirements as described above, and has satisfied the following requirements:
- File all the necessary forms in accordance with the timetable provided by the OGPR.
- Successfully complete all degree requirements within the "maximum time" limits (eight (8) years for M.A.; ten (10) years for M.T.S. degree).
- Settle all financial obligations to the University.
Commencement
Commencement is scheduled for the second Saturday of May. Consult the university calendar for the exact date and time.