School of Theology (Graduate)

Dean: R. Clifford Jones, Ph.D., D.Min.

Graduate Program Coordinator: Finbar S. Benjamin, D.Min.

Graduate Faculty

Finbar S. Benjamin, D.Min.
R. Clifford Jones, Ph.D., D.Min.
Ifeoma Kwesi, D.Min.
Tarsee Li, Ph.D.
Gilbert Ojwang, Ph.D.
Leslie Pollard, Ph.D., D.Min., MBA
Jesse Wilson, D.Min.

Accreditation:

The School of Theology Graduate Department is accredited by:
The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

For questions, contact:

The Association of Theological Schools
in the United States and Canada
The Commission on Accrediting
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15275-1110
Telephone: 412-788-6505
Fax: 412-788-6510

Purpose

The purpose of the School of Theology Graduate Department (Graduate Theological Studies Department) is to develop competent Christian leaders through the delivery of graduate theological education that is Christ-centered, biblically-based, and from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective, emphasizing specialized contexts of ministry.

The Department offers Master of Arts degrees in the areas of Pastoral Studies (MAPS), and Urban Ministry and Community Development (MAUM). The School of Theology graduate programs meet the needs of many students who due to age and other circumstances find it impractical to enroll in the Master of Divinity program which is the standard/preferred degree for professional ministry in North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

The Department sees its graduate instruction as a harmonious interaction of various learning strategies and resources. Qualified faculty members from the School of Theology and from other participating departments apply various methods of delivery such as lectures, classroom discussions, seminar formats, group presentations and reflection, audio-visual presentations and onsite visits that provide hands-on experience and/or stimulate learning. The culminating experience is a major field project in which participants practice how to become life-long corporate and independent learners by discerning and evaluating a congregational need or challenge and working with the congregation to address it.

Program Location

Administration and instruction for the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies are located in the Calvin E. Moseley Religion Complex and the Bradford-Cleveland-Brooks Leadership Center. The Religion Complex, originally built in 1977 and completely renovated in 2007, houses the C.T. Richards Chapel and offices and classrooms for the Department of Religion and Theology. The Bradford-Cleveland-Brooks Leadership Center, a 10,000 square foot extension to the Religion Complex, completed in 2007, promotes continuing education in ministry. The extension includes an auditorium, four classrooms, a learning research lab, and four offices.

Diversity

The School of Theology Graduate Department is committed to fostering diversity in all its programs, including the composition of its student body, faculty, and staff. This commitment is grounded in the belief that men and women are created in God’s image and redeemed through Christ’s death and resurrection. The value of every human being is best understood in light of this redemption price. In line with the University’s commitment to diversity and non-discrimination, the learning, teaching, and research mission of the School are enriched by the interaction and engagement with individuals across racial, national, gender, cultural and social backgrounds in an increasingly globalized world.

Admission of New Students

The Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies and in Urban Ministry and Community Development are designed for individuals who already have some familiarity with the religious and theological thought of the Christian Church and who have already been exposed to the challenges and responsibilities of contemporary church leadership, but who would like to expand their knowledge and skills to meet the spiritual and moral needs of today’s church and society.

Entrance Requirements include:

A baccalaureate degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or a graduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0, or an international equivalent, from an accredited institution. Official transcript required. Students with less than 2.50 GPA, but not below 2.00, may be admitted on probation for one semester during which they must earn a GPA of 3.00 or above.
Sixteen hours of coursework in the following areas: Christian Theology (3 hrs), Biblical Preaching (3 hrs), New Testament Survey (3 hrs), The Gift of Prophecy (2 hrs) and Spiritual Disciplines (2 hrs); if a student does not have the prerequisite courses, he/she must successfully pass at least twelve hours before taking any of the core courses and complete all sixteen hours by the end of the first year in the program.
Evidence of at least two consecutive years of pastoral experience, or local church leadership experience within the past five (5) years; local church officers must have been voted into office by the local church except students who graduated from Oakwood University with a bachelors degree in religion and theology.
A current resume.
Two letters of recommendation; pastors should present one letter from a conference administrator, and one from the head elder of the local church where they are ministering. Church officers need to present one letter from their pastor and one from a current church leader or office in the church where they have served.
Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and score at least 500 (written test) or 173 (computer test); TOEFL scores must be sent directly to School of Theology Graduate Department and/or the University’s Office of Graduate Admissions from Educational Testing Service; students who have earned a baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution will be exempted from the TOEFL.
A nonrefundable application fee of $100 must accompany each application.

Additional requirements for official acceptance into the School of Theology graduate programs:

Complete the Biblical Literacy Entrance Test (BLET), with a minimum score of 70% during the first intensive of the program. Students with a Masters degree in religion or theology may be able to have this requirement waived for degrees completed within the last five years.
Complete the first semester (at least 9 credit hours) with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Transfer Policy and Advanced Standing

Students wishing to transfer to Oakwood University from another college or university must follow the same application procedure as other new students (see Admissions Requirements). Transfer students must also submit official transcripts from all colleges and/or universities attended. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to Oakwood University.

If an applicant holds a Masters degree or has graduate credits from an accredited institution, they may transfer a maximum of six (6) semester credit hours that are relevant to the graduate degree. However, faculty may grant advanced standing to certain cases in which the student transfers large amounts of credit hours.

However, faculty may grant advanced standing to certain cases in which the student transfers large amounts of credit hours deemed to be closely aligned with the School of Theology’s programs, from Seventh-day Adventist institutions, and whose transcripts demonstrate consistent high academic achievement. Such students shall take a minimum of one third of the required credit hours/courses, including the capstone course, towards the degree they are seeking at the School of Theology. For example, in the MAPS/MAUM programs this translates into a minimum of twelve semester credit hours (four courses), including the capstone TM672 Contextual Pastoral Praxis & Resource.

The faculty of the School of Theology Graduate Department will evaluate all requests for transfer credit and make the final determination about the courses and credits that will be accepted.

Students who, after admission into a graduate program, desire to change to a different program may do so, provided they submit the change of program form approved by faculty advisor, and fulfill all the requirements for the new program.271

Second Master’s Degree

A student who graduates with a master’s degree and wishes to earn a second master’s degree, must complete a minimum of eighteen semester credit hours. Twelve of the hours must be in the area of concentration of the second degree sought, and the remaining six semester credit hours earned by re-taking TM 573 Field Education and TM 673 Contextual Pastoral Praxis & Resource, both of which must be tailored to the second degree’s requirements.

Completion Requirements

Proficiency in basic Greek and Hebrew is required (at the introductory level). Students demonstrate proficiency by passing the Basic Greek and Basic Hebrew Proficiency Tests. Students with passing grades in Biblical languages on their transcripts are exempt. Students who do not have these prerequisites may enroll in the Greek and Hebrew programs offered in the summer or regular semesters. Alternatively, students may meet the language requirements by testing out - by the beginning of the first semester. Those who do not pass the test are given up to the beginning of the second semester to acquire necessary language skills. To prepare for these tests, Greek/Hebrew tutorials may be offered.
Complete a minimum of 36 semester hours in accordance with program requirements, maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, with no grade below B-, provided a student may earn a minimum grade of C+ in only two courses.
Complete all course requirements according to schedule and within six (6) years of initial acceptance. Part-time participants must attend two intensives in sequence and take at least one course per semester in order to complete the program in six (6) years.
Complete a graduation application form by January 31 of the graduating year.
Provide two copies of a completed integrated project-resource by February 28 of the graduating year.
Give an oral presentation and make a successful defense of the completed integrated project-resource during the second intensive of the graduating year (final semester).
Receive a minimum grade of “B” for the overall project by an appointed advisor. Participants who fail to receive a “B” grade will have only one additional opportunity to meet this requirement. Participants will not be able to continue with the degree if a second failure occurs.

Repeated Courses

There is no limit to the number of times a course may be repeated with the exception of the Research Project, TM 571 and TM 572. Please see “Completion Requirements”, items 5-7. Otherwise, the better grade for a repeated course will be accepted for credit. Notwithstanding this policy, TM 573 Field Education and TM 672 Contextual Pastoral Praxis & Resource may be repeated for credit when a student seeks a second master’s degree, or changes to a different program.