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Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry
African American Church Format		 96 units

The Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry degree is designed for people who are exploring the possibility that they are gifted for and called to the service of God as a pastor or as part of a pastoral staff. It is also a useful program for those whose church or denomination does not require the MDiv degree as a qualification for pastoral ministry. The curriculum covers the basic areas of theology, biblical studies and ministry, which combined with supervised ministry in a local church, promises to be especially effective in the preparation of students for pastoral ministry in today's world.

The Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry requires the successful completion of 96 quarter units. In addition to full-time and part-time study at the main campus in Pasadena, options are also available for taking up to 16 units in a combination of online and individualized distance learning courses. Many of the courses necessary for the degree are offered at all five Fuller extension campuses.

Sample Curriculum

Biblical Studies (20 Units)

New Testament
New Testament Exegesis
Afrocentric Biblical Hermeneutics
Old Testament
Old Testament Exegesis
 

   4
  4
  4
  4
  4
 

Theological Studies (20 Units)

Church History or Theology
Ethics
History of the African-American Experience

 12
  4
  4

Practical Theology (8 Units)

Foundations of Spirituality
Spirituality Elective

   4
  4

Cultural Literacy (12 Units)

Ethnicity
World Religions
Culture

   4
  4
  4

Specialized Requirements (28 units)

Approved communication or preaching courses2
Field Education

 24
  4

Other (8 units)

Electives

   8

TOTAL
96 units

Notes:

  1. For specific curriculum information, including information on transfer credit, please contact SOT Academic Advising or click HERE to view our Online Catalog.

  2. At least three of these courses must be taken from courses approved by the African American Church Studies Department.

Admissions Information
For deadlines click on the clock BlueClock
Applicants for the Master of Arts program in the School of Theology must submit the following:

  • Official transcripts of all postsecondary schools attended, showing a bachelor's degree earned from an accredited institution of higher learning, with a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 or above.

  • Evidence of academic capacity for graduate study as communicated through GPA and references (one of which should be an academic reference)

  • Evidence of personal maturity as communicated through three references (one of which must be a pastoral reference), and the applicant's religious autobiography

  • Religious Autobiography parts A and B

  • Fuller's application form, with application fee attached

Note: Applicants whose native language is not English or whose medium of instruction for all secondary and post-secondary education is not English must either submit a test score of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken within the past two years or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Academic Format, taken within the past two years. Please click here for minimum required scores.

If you would like to apply online to this program, click here.