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The Master of Theology (Th.M.)

  • Designed to enhance the breadth and depth of scholarly training beyond a first theological master's degree

  • May be completed within one calendar year

  • Includes student mentoring by leading evangelical scholars

Distinctively Fuller
 Curriculum
 Languages
Degree Outline
Areas of Concentration
 Faculty
 Scholarships
 Admissions Information
 Deadlines
 CATS website

Distinctively Fuller
 The Master of Theology (Th.M.) is designed to increase both the depth and breadth of theological training and to sharpen the skills necessary for scholarly work. This 48-unit degree requires one calendar year of full-time study, or may be completed over a longer period, up to a maximum of five years.
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The Curriculum
 Flexibility is the hallmark of the Th.M. degree. The student has access to all Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Theology courses offered by Fuller Seminary as well as to doctoral seminars conducted by the Center for Advanced Theological Studies (CATS). The Master's courses are intended to provide opportunities for students to extend their basic theological knowledge and competencies in one or more areas. The seminars comprise the focus of the Th.M. degree and encourage students to pursue one area of concentration in-depth.

Th.M. students may take all their courses at the doctoral level in 8-unit seminars, or they may take up to half their total units (24 units) in 4-unit courses from the master's-level curriculum. At least half of their total units must be made up of courses in their chosen areas of concentration, which must include a methods seminar and a thesis.
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Languages
 Competence in at least one biblical language (Hebrew or Greek) is required for the Th.M. degree. Students who wish to specialize in New Testament or Old Testament must demonstrate competence in both Greek and Hebrew. In addition, all students must demonstrate competence through course work or examination in one research language pertinent to their field of inquiry.

Sixteen units of the program may be devoted to language study through courses at Fuller Seminary. However, the language requirements must be completed prior to writing the thesis, as it is expected that the thesis will show some knowledge of theological literature in the designated language. 
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A Typical Th.M. Degree Outline
Methods seminar in concentration area (8 units) Seminar or directed reading in concentration area or in a related field (8 units) Courses drawn from the M.Div./M.A. curriculum (24 units) Course devoted to writing a thesis (8 units)
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Areas of Concentration
Theology & Culture
Christian Ethics
Church History
Historical Theology
New Testament
Old Testament (Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature minor possible)
Philosophical Theology
Philosophy of Religion
Practical Theology (two years of prior ministry or vocational experience required)
Theology
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Scholarships
George Gay Memorial Fellowship
This award is given to a Hispanic U.S. citizen who is pursuing post-M.Div. studies at Fuller with the purpose of teaching Hispanics in the U.S. after graduation.

Paid Teaching Assistants
The center also provides an opportunity for graduate students to take steps in embarking on a teaching career. Teaching assistants work together with the faculty in their teaching through evaluation of students' work and, in some cases, gain classroom experience in the presentation of lectures.
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The Faculty
Full Members
David W. Augsburger, Professor of Pastoral Counseling. Research areas:
pastoral counseling, cross-cultural counseling, conflict studies, pastoral care, reconciliation, forgiveness, anger, prejudice, and hatred. 

James E. Bradley, Geoffrey W. Bromiley Professor of Church History. Research areas: church and state in the modern era, the English enlightenment, American evangelicals, and spirituality in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Colin Brown, Professor of Systematic Theology. Research areas: Christology and the quest of the historical Jesus, theological method.

William A Dyrness,  Dean emeritus and Professor of Theology and Culture.  Research areas: cross-cultural theology, theology of culture and the visual arts.

John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament. Research areas: Old Testament theology and ethics, Old Testament hermeneutics, Pentateuch, Isaiah.

Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor of New Testament. Research areas: Matthew, Hebrews, first-century Judaism, Pauline theology, the Apostolic Fathers.

Seyoon Kim, Director of the Korean Doctor of Ministry Program and Professor of New Testament. Research areas: Paul, synoptic Gospels, Jesus, New Testament Christology.

Nancey Murphy, Professor of Christian Philosophy. Research areas: modern and contemporary philosophy, integration of theology and science, theological methodology, and the philosophy of religion.

Richard V. Peace, Robert Boyd Munger Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation.  Research areas: evangelism, spiritual formation.

Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Director of the David du Plessis Center for Christian Spirituality and Professor of Church History and Ecumenics. Research areas: ecumenics, origins and development of global Pente-costalism.

David M. Scholer, Associate Dean for the Center for Advanced Theological Studies and Professor of New Testament. Research areas: Paul and Judaism, the separation of the church and Judaism, women in the early church, Gnosticism, Revelation, Galatians, second-century church history and literature.

Glen H. Stassen, Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics. Research areas: method for concreteness in Christian ethics, theological ethics, biblical ethics, justice, peacemaking.

Marianne Meye Thompson, Professor of New Testament Interpretation. Research areas: Jesus and the Gospels, Johannine literature and theology.

Associate Members
Richard Beaton, Assistant Professor of New Testament.  Research areas: ancient Judaism and early Christianity, New Testament, Parables, the Gospels, the Hebrew Bible in Judaism and Christianity.

Mark Lau Branson, Homer L. Goddard Associate Professor of Ministry of the Laity.  Research areas: Intercultural life and congregations, urban church redevelopment, practical theology.

Robert K. Johnston, Professor of Theology and Culture.  Research areas: theology and film/literature, contemporary evangelicalism.

Richard J. Mouw, President of Fuller seminary and Professor of Christian Philosophy.  Research areas: social ethics, the philosophy of culture, and theological higher education.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Professor of Systematic Theology. Research areas: pneumatology, ecclesiology, ecumenical theology, W. Pannenberg's Theology, theology of mission.

John L. Thompson, Professor of Historical Theology.  Research areas: history of exegesis, Calvin, early modern gender studies.

Contributing Members
Leslie C. Allen, Senior Professor of Old Testament. Research areas: prophets and writings, especially from the perspectives of textual criticism, redaction criticism, and rhetorical criticism.

Ray S. Anderson, Senior Professor of Theology and Ministry.  Research areas: integration of theology and psychology, hermeneutics, Christology, ecclesiology, and ministry.

Chapman R. Clark, Associate Professor of Youth, Family, and Culture.  Research areas: youth culture, youth and family ministry, parenting, leadership and teamwork, spiritual formation.

Mignon R. Jacobs, Assistant Professor of Old Testament. Research areas: Old Testament theology of hope, Old Testament ethics, minor prophets, Pentateuch.

Howard J. Loewen, Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Theology and Ethics.  Research areas: Spiritual and ecumenical formation, Anabaptist-Mennonite theology, Karl Barth Studies.

Yea Sun Eum Kim, Associate Professor of Family Counseling and Korean Family Studies. Research areas: family ministry with Asian families, culture and family therapy, supervision.

Ralph P. Martin, Distinguished Scholar in Residence (New Testament). Research areas: liturgical interests in the New Testament and beyond.

Charles J. Scalise, Associate Professor of Church History. Research areas: early church history, theological hermeneutics, history of doctrine, pastoral theology.

Pamela J. Scalise, Associate Professor of Old Testament. Research areas: prophets, Old Testament theology.

Clayton J. Schmit, Arthur DeKruyter/Christ Church Oak Brook Associate Professor of Preaching.  Research areas: preaching, worship, liturgy, composing, conducting liturgical music.

Russell P. Spittler, Provost Emeritus and Senior Professor of New Testament.  Research areas: anatomy of sectarian piety, particularly in the charismatic Corinthian church.

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

  • Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended, demonstrating superior academic ability in a first theological degree (M.Div., M.A. in Theology with a concentration in biblical studies and theology, or the equivalent from an ATS-accredited school), with a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.0 or above. The Practical Theology concentration requires a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent.

  • All applicants to the Th.M. in Theology program must take the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections of the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Preference is given to those whose verbal scores are in excess of 600.

  • Those whose native language is not English may choose to submit an official TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper), 250 (computer), or 100 (internet), or an official IELTS Academic Format score of at least 7.0, in addition to submitting GRE scores if these fall below the minimum acceptable scores.

  • Evidence of suitability for doctoral-level study as communicated through references, through the applicant's written statement of vocational goals, and the applicant's religious autobiography.

  • A 15- to 25-page research paper in the discipline for which the student is pursuing further study.

  • Fuller's application form, with application fee.

If you would like to apply on-line, click here.

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