Masters Programs

Seabury offers three highly regarded Masters programs, which are available to both ordained and lay leaders.

Master of Divinity
Master of Theological Studies in Church Music and Liturgy
Master of Arts

Master of Divinity

Shape of the Curriculum

Total required semester hours (“units”) for MDiv: 87

Normal full-time course load:

12-15 units in the fall and spring semesters;
2-3 units in the J term

Required courses: 59 semester hours (all courses are 3 semester hours unless otherwise noted)

Partners in the Mission of God (First semester integrative course, team taught)
1 introductory course in each of these fields

Old Testament (4 hours): Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament
New Testament (4 hours): Introduction to the New Testament
Theology: Introduction to Theology
Ethics: Introduction to Christian Ethics
Ministry (including intensive observation period) (3 hours in J-term + 3 in spring): Pastoral Care and Congregations
Liturgy and music: Foundations of Liturgical Worship
Preaching: Foundations of Christian Communication

2 introductory church history courses: History of Christian Thought and Practice 1 & 2

Introduction to Spiritual Practices
Clinical Pastoral Education (6 hours)
Practice of Ministry: 2 full years of field education with reflection groups (3 hours / semester for 4 semesters = 12 hours)
Last semester senior integrative / capstone course with reflection on field education an integral part

Area requirements (students may choose from a range of courses offered at Seabury, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and other ACTS schools): 18 semester hours

1 Old Testament
1 New Testament
1 church history
1 theology
1 liturgy and music
1 preaching

Electives: 10 semester hours

January term (3 weeks): Each student is required to earn at least 7 credit hours during January terms. Students may enroll in courses at Seabury or any other school in ACTS. Seabury offerings may include:

Intensive field observation for first-year students (3 weeks): Pastoral Care and Congregations A
Anti-racism training (1 week) and/or extended multi-cultural training (3 weeks)
Practical workshops (2½ days or 1 week each), e.g., parish administration, ministry with particular groups (youth, aged, rural/ cluster churches, etc.)
Intensive course not available in semester offerings
Independent study project

Recommended Sequence (for students entering in Fall 2007 and later)

	Fall	Hours	J-Term	Hours	Spring	Hours	Summer
Junior
	Partners in the Mission of God	3	Pastoral Care and Congregations A (“The Plunge”)	3	Pastoral Care and Congregations	3	CPE (6 sem. hrs.)
	Foundations of Lit Worship	3			Introduction to Spiritual Practices	3
	Intro. Bible *	4			Intro. Bible *	4
	History of Christian Thought & Practice 1 *	3			Intro. to Theology	3


Middler
	Practice of Ministry	3	Elective(s)	2-3	Practice of Ministry	3	[cross- cultural]
	Foundations of Christian Communication	3			The True & Lively Word (or other preaching area requirement)	3
	Intro to Christian Ethics or area requirement	3			History of Christian Thought & Practice 2 *	3
	Area Requirement	3			Area Requirement	3


Senior
	Practice of Ministry	3	Elective(s)	2-3	Practice of Ministry	3
	Area req. or Intro to Christian Ethics	3			Capstone course	3
	Area Requirement	3			elective	3
	Area Requirement	3			Elective	3

* Introductory Bible courses and History of Christian Thought & Practice 1 and 2 may be taken either at Seabury or at Garrett. In 2007-2008, some students will need to enroll in both introductory Bible courses during the fall semester and History of Christian Thought & Practice 1 during the spring semester.

By the end of the fall semester of the senior year, students are expected to complete all introductory requirements and at least 5 of the 6 area requirements.

Goals and Requirements for students entering prior to Fall 2007
The goals of the curriculum are divided into three sections:
·Habits are those things that students should come to do almost instinctively; all aspects of the curriculum work to develop these habits in students.
·Familiarities suggest more than just general knowledge of something — students need to be “familiar” with these issues so that they can communicate with others about them in ways that demonstrate their confidence.
·Skills should be a fairly self-explanatory category.

The curriculum should help students develop habits of . . .
·Corporate and personal prayer
·Reading and interpreting texts — biblical, theological, liturgical and musical
·Leadership in the chapel, the classroom, and the life of the community
·Listening and observing, for discerning the soul of a community and its members

The curriculum should help students develop a familiarity with . . .
·The Bible’s canonical story
·Systematic, doctrinal, pastoral and missional theology
·Liturgical resources of the Episcopal Church, including BCP, lectionary, and music
·The history, present, and future of the Church, with a focus on its Anglican expression
·Congregational dynamics and the challenges facing the contemporary Church
·Contemporary world cultures, with a focus on the American context, and the ways in which Christianity interacts with cultures

The curriculum should help students develop skills of . . .
·Clear and persuasive writing and speaking
·Leadership that enables connection to the God revealed in Jesus Christ, in corporate worship and small groups
·Leadership that recognizes and empowers gifts in others
·Leadership that fosters Christian formation and pastoral care in a community
·Leadership that enables a community to articulate and enact an inspiring and theologically coherent vision of God’s mission in the world
·Leadership that understands the dynamics of change and employs effective tactics of innovation and adaptation

Prior to Fall 2007, when Seabury was on the quarter system, the total number of required units was 35 and the residency requirement was 9 quarters. Course requirements were as follows (1 unit = 4 quarter hours):

Gospel Mission: 2-course sequence
Bible: 2-course OT sequence, followed by 2-course NT sequence
History/Historical Theology: 3-course sequence
Theology & Ethics: 2-course sequence in Ethics; 1 core course in Systematics
Spirituality: 1 full-unit course (Spirituality for Ministry) in the first year, plus at least one section of Spiritual Formation in Small Groups
Preaching: 2-course sequence
Liturgy: 1 unit (split across two quarters) in the first year)
Music: 2 courses, Liturgical Music 1 (.5 unit) and Liturgical Music 2 (1 unit)
Ministries:

1 course in “Pastoral Care and Congregations”
1 course in “Church, Ministry, and Culture” (“Plunge”; 2units credit)
Clinical Pastoral Education (3 units)
“Practice of Ministry” (field education) (3 units)

Anglican-focus courses: Students in the ordination track in a church of the Anglican Communion must take at least 2 course with a specific focus in Anglicanism. Courses that fulfill this requirement are Anglican Worship, Worship of the Episcopal Church, England in the Age of Reform, Anglican Polity and Ecclesiology, Anglican Identity, Mission in the Anglican Communion, ECUSA, The Episcopal Church and American Society, Sex Money and Real Estate: Canon Law and Polity.

Course equivalencies for each student enrolled prior to Fall 2007 were established by a “transition contract” signed by the Academic Dean, the Registrar, and the student. Students and advisors should refer to those contracts for details of curricular requirements; a copy is available in each student’s permanent file in the Academic Affairs Office.

Spiritual Formation
Spiritual formation is integral to the M.Div. curriculum. This formation occurs not only in the required course Introduction to Spiritual Practices, but in other ways as well: the elective course Spiritual Formation in Small Groups (required for students entering prior to Fall 2007), our corporate worship life, retreats, spiritual direction, and work with outreach ministries. While these latter are not part of the official degree requirements, they are particularly important for students who are in the ordination process.

Worship. The principal purpose of the worship conducted at Seabury is to praise and serve the triune God. In this way we participate in the vocation common to all Christian communities. The round of worship conducted in our chapel is our liturgy: the corporate work of the people of God. Within the all-encompassing vocation of praise and service, the community at Seabury has a more specific focus: the academic preparation and spiritual formation of persons preparing for ordained and lay ministry within the Episcopal Church. Thus, we worship together as an academic community of faculty, staff, and students. In doing so, we affirm that the work of praising and serving God is the foundation for our studies and for our corporate life in its entirety.

The particular focus of our community on preparation for ministry brings certain secondary functions of our worship into prominence. These include the following:
· In worship, our busy and fragmented lives can stop for a moment so we may recollect what we are about and find our lives, individually and corporately, re-centered in God.
· In our worship, our vocational commitments can deepen as we cultivate the habits and spiritual dispositions necessary for faithful service.
· In our worship, we may be enabled by God to bear one another’s burdens and to uphold one another even in our differences as we pray for each other and for the world.
· In our worship, opportunities can be provided for students to plan, participate in, and grow to appreciate services representing the diverse liturgical traditions that contribute to contemporary Anglicanism.

Students and faculty have a covenant to participate regularly in the seminary’s worship: being present for worship at least once each day during the school terms and attending the Tuesday community Eucharist. Prior to Fall 2007, this covenant also included participation in the Triduum services (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil); in Fall 2007, the faculty will reconsider this aspect of the covenant for students enrolled in Practice of Ministry during the spring semester.

Students in the ordination process also receive training and practice in all liturgical ministries open to lay persons and all aspects of preparation and evaluation of worship.

Retreats. Students participate in at least one retreat each year. Retreats are typically organized each year for each of the M.Div. classes (juniors, middlers, and seniors). Additional retreat opportunities are available.

Spiritual Direction. Students become familiar with spiritual direction by meeting with a personal spiritual director at least eight times during an academic year.

In order to facilitate the fulfillment of these last two elements, the seminary maintains up-to-date lists of spiritual directors and retreats (beyond those sponsored by the seminary). Students for whom these requirements present an undue financial burden may apply to the Dean for partial funding.

Service/outreach ministries. Students participate in off-the-block outreach ministries and/or work for peace and justice.

Anti-Racism Training. As part of their process of spiritual formation, students are expected to participate in a program of anti-racism training by the end of their second year of studies. Students may fulfill this expectation through participation in local programs announced by the seminary or through programs offered by dioceses in connection with the mandate of General Convention 2003 for anti-racism training for all candidates for ordination. They should discuss with their advisors their plans for fulfilling this expectation and their learnings from the anti-racism training experience.

All elements of Spiritual Formation are understood through the category of covenant. Our principal accountability for this covenant is to one another. A student’s pattern of attention to these matters is discussed with the advisor and may also be discussed with other students. The canonical evaluation, in accord with the form developed by the House of Bishops, includes comment upon the student’s “faith in God as revealed in Jesus Christ, nourished and expressed by participation in the seminary’s liturgical life” and “the capacity to lead a congregation in worship,” as well as “an intentional pattern of personal spiritual discipline and a commitment to promote peace and justice among all people.”

Developmental Self-Assessment
This process is intended to help students think through the learning and personal development they want to pursue in their work at Seabury, particularly to help students select area requirements and elective courses taken during their middler and senior years, and to identify personal development goals that represent opportunities for growth in the goals outlined in the curriculum. Materials to guide students in this process are presented in a junior class meeting during the spring semester. The process includes self-reflection and consultation with one's faculty advisor, peers, and other consultants (for example, area clergy or a Commission on Ministry mentor). Students submit a self-development plan to their faculty advisor during the spring semester of their junior year, then review that plan and revise as needed during their middler and senior years.

Academic Policies Specific to the M.Div. Program

Cross-Registration. Students entering in Fall 2007 or later are required to take at least one course from another seminary in the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS) consortium. Required Bible and Church history courses (Introduction to the Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible, Introduction to the New Testament, History of Christian Thought & Practice 1, History of Christian Thought & Practice 2) do not satisfy this requirement.

Students entering prior to Fall 2007 are encouraged to take at least one course from another seminary in the ACTS consortium.

The ACTS catalog of courses is available online; a link can be found on the “Academics” page of the Seabury website. See below, p. 27, for details.

Full-time Residence. Full-time students entering M.Div. studies at Seabury are expected to be in residence (enrolled) for three full academic years (exclusive of C.P.E.) unless special exceptions have been granted in the letter of acceptance from the seminary.

Grades. For students entering in Fall 2006 and later, all required courses must be taken for a letter grade, except Introduction to Spiritual Practices, Clinical Pastoral Education, and Practice of Ministry, which are offered only on a credit/ no credit basis. Students must receive a passing grade (“C” or better) to satisfy the requirement. For elective courses, students may choose either a letter grade or the credit/ no credit option.

Students who entered prior to Fall 2006 may elect either credit/no credit or letter grades for all courses, both required and elective (except those not offered for a letter grade).

Students of Other Traditions
Seabury welcomes students who are not Anglicans. Adjustments may be made in the requirements of the M. Div. degree program to conform to requirements set by the student's ecclesiastical authorities. For example, courses relevant to the student's ecclesiastical tradition taken in other seminaries of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools or work through independent study with qualified instructors from other traditions may be approved for fulfillment of required courses.

Master of Arts (MA)

In June 2007, the Association of Theological Schools approved a change in nomenclature for this program, from M.T.S. to M.A. Students admitted prior to June 2007 may elect which degree to receive; the requirements are the same.

Shape of the Curriculum

Focus: one of these theological disciplines

Bible
church history
theology
ethics
practical theology
liturgics
preaching
spirituality and the arts

Total required semester hours (“units’): 52

Normal full-time course load:

12-15 units in the fall and spring semesters
2-3 units in the J-term

General requirements: 15-20 semester hours

Partners in the Mission of God (First semester integrative course, team-taught)
1 introductory course in 4 of these 9 areas (all courses are 3 semester hours unless otherwise noted):

Old Testament (4 hours)
New Testament (4 hours)
Church history
theology
ethics
ministry (including intensive observation period) (3 hours in J-term + 3 in spring)
liturgy and music
preaching
spirituality

Concentration requirements (students may choose from a range of courses offered at Seabury, GETS, and other ACTS schools): 12 semester hours in the area of focus, in addition to any introductory course in the area
Thesis or project: 9 semester hours

M.A, Colloquium:

0 credit hours in fall of Year 1 (requirement waived for transfer students)
3 credit hours in fall of Year 2

Thesis, comprehensive examination, or summative project: 6 semester hours

Nature and scope of this requirement are developed during the second-year colloquium and agreed upon by the student and faculty advisor
Ordinarily students will register for 3 units in the J-term of their second year and an additional 3 units in the spring semester of their second year. In consultation with the advisor, a student may instead register for 6 units in the spring semester.

Electives: 13-16 semester hours

Recommended Pattern

	Fall	Hours	January	Hours	Spring	Hours
Year 1	Partners in the Mission of God	3	Pastoral Care and Congregations A 0R	3	Pastoral Care and Congregations or other Intro Course	3
	Intro. Course	3 or 4	Elective(s)	2 or 3	Concentration req.	3
	Intro. Course	3 or 4			Concentration req.	3
	Intro. Course	3			Concentration req. or elective	3
	MA/MTS Colloquium *	0


Year 2
	MA/MTS Colloquium *	3	Thesis or project	3	Thesis or project	3
	Concentration req.	3			Elective	3
	Concentration req. or elective	3			Elective	3
	Elective	3			Elective	3

* In 2007-2008, students should enroll in the M.T.S. Colloquium at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Students are required to complete all introductory courses (“general requirements”) by the end of their first year. Transfer students must complete all general requirements by the end of the fall semester of Year 2.

Students are required to complete all concentration requirements by the end of the fall semester of their second year.

At least one course (general requirement, concentration requirement, or elective) must be taken at GETS or another seminary in ACTS; additional cross-registration is encouraged. Introductory Bible and Church history courses (Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, New Testament 1, History of Christian Thought and Practice 1, History of Christian Thought and Practice 2) do not satisfy this requirement.

Grades
Students in the M.A. program are expected to sustain a minimum of a B (3.00) average.

Advising
When a student is admitted to the M.A. program he or she is assigned an academic advisor. This advisor will help the student plan his or her course of study until a thesis advisor is chosen. The student should determine with the academic advisor the area of concentration and a potential thesis advisor. The student should ask the potential thesis advisor of his or her interest and availability; this is not automatic. A second reader will also be identified in consultation with the advisor. The second reader may be outside the institution; however, if they are not faculty at an A.T.S. accredited school a curriculum vitae must be submitted to the Academic Dean for approval. Final assignment of a thesis advisor and second reader is made by the Academic Dean. A committee form exists for this purpose and should be filed with the Academic Affairs office as soon as possible. By the beginning of the spring semester of the first year, a permanent faculty advisor should be assigned.

Thesis/ Prjoect
The Seabury Manual for Theses is distributed in the MA/MTS Colloquium. A copy may also be requested from the Registrar.

The student shall submit a draft of the thesis/ project proposal to the advisor and second reader. The proposal is to be typed, double-spaced, approximately five pages. It should contain a carefully delineated thesis, explanation of research methods, and a bibliography of at least 10 books. Ordinarily a draft of the proposal is presented during the second year of the M.A. Colloquium.

By October 15th of the second year, the student shall submit a copy of the thesis/ project proposal with signed approval of advisor and second reader to be filed in the Academic Affairs Office. The Committee and Proposal forms must also be submitted by this date.

The thesis shall be approximately 50-60 pages. Students should submit chapters to the advisor and the second reader as they are written in order to receive timely feedback. The final copy of the thesis must conform to the Seabury Guide for MTS Theses.

The student shall submit a complete draft to the advisor and the second reader by March 1st.

The student shall submit the signed letter of intent to submit final copies by April 1st.

The student shall submit a final clean copy on acid-free bond, 8 ½ by 11 paper, with the signature of the advisor and second reader to the Academic Affairs Office by May 1st.

Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) in Music and Liturgy

Shape of the Curriculum

Total required semester hours (“units”) for the M.T.S.: 52
Normal full-time load:
- 12-15 hours in the fall and spring
- 2-3 hours in the J term
General requirements (12-14 hours):

Partners in the Mission of God (first semester integrative course, team taught)
1 introductory course in 3 of these 6 areas:

Old Testament (4 hours)
New Testament (4 hours)
Church history
Theology
Ethics
Preaching
Spirituality

Concentration requirements:
- Liturgy – 9 hours
  - Required course: Foundations of Liturgical Worship
- Music – 15 hours (applied courses may count up to 6 hours)
  - Required course: Music in the Episcopal Church
- Colloquium in Sacred Music – 4 hours (1/semester)
Thesis/project:
- M.A./ M.T.S. Colloquium (2 hours; normally taken in fall of 1st year)
- Thesis/project: 6 units, ordinarily spread over J-term and spring of the 2nd year
  - Electives: 4-6 semester hours

Recommended Pattern

	Fall	Hours	January		Hours	Spring	Hours
Year 1	Partners in the Mission of God	3	Concentration req. 0R		3	Music in the Episcopal Church	3
	Foundations of Liturgical Worship	3	Elective(s)		2 or 3	Intro. course	3 or 4
	MA/MTS Colloquium *	2				Intro. course	3 or 4
	Intro. Course	3				Concentration req.	3
	Colloquium in Sacred Music	1				Colloquium in Sacred Music	1
	Applied music	1				Applied music	1


Year 2
	Concentration req.	3		Project	3	Project	3
	Concentration req.	3				Elective	3
	Concentration req. or elective	3				Elective	3
	Colloquium in Sacred Music	1				Colloquium in Sacred Music	1
	Applied music	2				Applied music	1

* In 2007-2008, students should enroll in the M.T.S. Colloquium at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Grades
Students in the M.T.S. program in Music and Liturgy are expected to sustain a minimum of a B (3.00) average.

Project
The Seabury Manual for Theses is distributed in MA/MTS Colloquium. A copy may also be requested from the Registrar.

A second reader will be identified in consultation with the advisor. The second reader may be outside the institution; however, if they are not faculty at an A.T.S. accredited school a curriculum vitae must be submitted to the Academic Dean for approval. Final assignment of a thesis advisor and second reader is made by the Academic Dean. A committee form exists for this purpose and should be filed with the Academic Affairs Office by the beginning of the fall semester of the second year.

By October 15th of the second year, the student shall submit a copy of the project proposal with signed approval of advisor and second reader to be filed in the Academic Affairs Office. The Committee and Proposal forms must also be submitted by this date.

The student shall submit a complete draft to the advisor and the second reader by March 1st.

The student shall submit the signed letter of intent to submit final copies by April 1st.

The student shall submit a final clean copy on acid-free bond, 8 ½ by 11 paper, with the signature of the advisor and second reader to the Academic Affairs Office by May 1st.

Licentiate In Theology

Any student who does not possess a Baccalaureate degree will be considered for admission to the Licentiate in Theology (L.Th.) program. At the time of application, the student will be informed that s/he has the option to apply for admission to the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program instead of the Licentiate in Theology program, and of the process for doing so, including the titles of the two books which must be read in preparation for such an application. If the student elects not to apply for admission to the M.Div. program, or the application does not result in admission to the M.Div. program, the student is enrolled in the Licentiate program. The provisions of the M.Div. program outlined above apply to the L.Th. program.

The application for admission to the M.Div. program must be made during the process of applying for admission to the seminary. It cannot be initiated once the student has begun an L.Th. program.

Application Process
In addition to the normal application materials for the M.Div. program, the student must submit the following:

An essay of 1000-1500 words describing how the student’s life experience has prepared her or him for theological study at the graduate level.
Two papers of 300-500 words — one on each of the books specified to the student. Each paper should state the argument of the book and briefly summarize its contents.

For example, in recent years the texts were:

Dwight Hopkins, Down, Up, and Over
Stephen Neill and NT Wright, The Interpretation of the New Testaments, 1861-1986

The Academic Dean will appoint an ad hoc committee of three faculty members to read the applicant’s materials. If the ad hoc committee determines that these materials provide a prima facie case in favor of the student’s admission to the M.Div. program, the same committee will meet with the applicant for an interview of approximately one hour. This interview will be in addition to the standard formal interview for admission to the seminary.

The faculty committee will then make a recommendation concerning the student’s admission to the Academic Affairs Committee, which will inform the Academic Dean of its decision. The Academic Dean will convey the result of this process to the student.