Distance ThM (Master of Theology) Programs?

[N. Eshelman]

I am wondering if you all can help compile a list of seminaries that currently offer a ThM program that is either distance or has partial residence requirements.

So far I know of two:

Toronto Baptist Seminary (distance [European model] ThM except for thesis defense)

Puritan Reformed Seminary (1/2 distance, 1/2 in residence)

Any help would be appreciated... links are good too!
Warmly,
Nathan

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

 

[reaganmarsh]

You and me, too!

 

[N. Eshelman]

According to the Covenant Seminary website, they have a modular based ThM, but it APPEARS as though it is only for graduates of Covenant with an MDiv... Can that be right?? Who knows... check out their website if you are interested.

 

[Wayne]

What general field or specialization do you want to focus on? Some schools may not cover some fields. Covenant for instance does not offer a Th.M in church history.

 

[N. Eshelman]

I am thinking historical theology or systematics.

 

[Covenant Joel]

I believe SBTS offers their ThM in a modular format, though it's not as well advertised as the modular PhD. RTS-O used to have one, but I don't think they do anymore.

Westminster has a modular ThM run out of London. So you actually go to London for the modular courses (taught by some UK profs but some WTS profs who come over as well), but the degree is from WTS. I looked into it seriously at one point. It is in Historical Theology, and looks like a really solid program.

If you branch out into European or South African options, there are many for the M.Th. It's not quite the same as a US ThM because there is typically no coursework, just a lengthy thesis. Some schools off the top of my head who offer this (not all are Reformed) are London School of Theology, South African Theological Seminary, Greenwich School of Theology.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Here is the London program.

MTh - Master of Theology - London School of Theology

 

[N. Eshelman]

Anything else brethren?

 

[Claudiu]

How does the 1/2 distance, 1/2 in residence work out?

 

[reaganmarsh]

When I looked into it a while back, the PRTS 1/2 and 1/2 worked like this: 1/2 of the classes online, and 1/2 were weeklong intensives on campus. It looks like an excellent program. I hope one day I can do it.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

At one time I was enrolled in the PRTS program and can testify that it is an excellent program. I had to drop it for monetary/time issues but hope to get back into the program sometime in the near future.

 

[reaganmarsh]

At one time I was enrolled in the PRTS program and can testify that it is an excellent program. I had to drop it for monetary/time issues but hope to get back into the program sometime in the near future.

What was/will be your concentration, if you don't mind me asking? From what I understood, there are 3 available: biblical studies, systematic theology, or historical theology. I don't see how a minister could go wrong with any of those concentrations.

Just being nosy.

 

[au5t1n]

Whitefield Theological Seminary offers Th.M. degrees in Pastoral Theology and Counseling, Reformed Theological Interpretation, Biblical Languages, and Christian Theological Thought. Whitefield Theological Seminary

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

At one time I was enrolled in the PRTS program and can testify that it is an excellent program. I had to drop it for monetary/time issues but hope to get back into the program sometime in the near future.

What was/will be your concentration, if you don't mind me asking? From what I understood, there are 3 available: biblical studies, systematic theology, or historical theology. I don't see how a minister could go wrong with any of those concentrations.

Just being nosy.

Historical. Basically I was going doing something on the Burgher/Anti-Burgher controversy in the Seceder churches.

 

[N. Eshelman]

Ben, what was the cost of Puritans in total? Do you remember? As I just looked at the Whitefield catalog I was astonished at the price considering it is not a brick and mortar school (or is it??)! $12,000.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

I don't really recall to be honest. Right now Th.M classes at PRTS are $225/credit hour

 

[SolaScriptura]

By way of providing balance - I dropped out of the program at PRTS because I wasn't impressed. Maybe I should have done more homework first, but what I discovered is that although there were some "actual" ThM classes, the majority of the classes were/are MDiv classes, with the minor tweaking being that instead of a couple 5 page papers us ThM seekers would write a 25 page paper.

This grated on me for two reasons:
1. I was spending a lot of money for the same information I'd already received as an MDiv student.
2. It felt insulting and disingenuous that I'd be "punished" for being an advanced student by simply doing more of the same work. Kind of like when I was a kid and I was in the TAGS program, we did the same work as everyone else, just more of it. "Normal kids have to do 10 math problems, you have to do 30. That'll teach you to be gifted!" By contrast, Southern's ThM program has students doing colloquia and symposia (doctoral formatting) rather than just sitting in class with MDiv students.

But if you think that it is a profoundly awesome opportunity to have to, I mean get to write big papers - if it makes you feel like an intellectual "manly man" - when the people to your left and right are, based on the same class lectures and reading, only doing a third of the writing you are... well, go ahead.

But as for me, I decided to stop sending in my money.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Alternatively, you might consider: | The North American Reformed Seminary

 

[reaganmarsh]

At one time I was enrolled in the PRTS program and can testify that it is an excellent program. I had to drop it for monetary/time issues but hope to get back into the program sometime in the near future.

What was/will be your concentration, if you don't mind me asking? From what I understood, there are 3 available: biblical studies, systematic theology, or historical theology. I don't see how a minister could go wrong with any of those concentrations.

Just being nosy.

Historical. Basically I was going doing something on the Burgher/Anti-Burgher controversy in the Seceder churches.

That sounds interesting. Thanks for indulging my curiosity!

 

[reaganmarsh]

By way of providing balance - I dropped out of the program at PRTS because I wasn't impressed. Maybe I should have done more homework first, but what I discovered is that although there were some "actual" ThM classes, the majority of the classes were/are MDiv classes, with the minor tweaking being that instead of a couple 5 page papers us ThM seekers would write a 25 page paper.

This grated on me for two reasons:
1. I was spending a lot of money for the same information I'd already received as an MDiv student.
2. It felt insulting and disingenuous that I'd be "punished" for being an advanced student by simply doing more of the same work. Kind of like when I was a kid and I was in the TAGS program, we did the same work as everyone else, just more of it. "Normal kids have to do 10 math problems, you have to do 30. That'll teach you to be gifted!" By contrast, Southern's ThM program has students doing colloquia and symposia (doctoral formatting) rather than just sitting in class with MDiv students.

But if you think that it is a profoundly awesome opportunity to have to, I mean get to write big papers - if it makes you feel like an intellectual "manly man" - when the people to your left and right are, based on the same class lectures and reading, only doing a third of the writing you are... well, go ahead.

But as for me, I decided to stop sending in my money.

Ben,

Thanks for sharing your experience at PRTS. Have you gone a different route (read: more formally academic) in another ThM program?

 

[N. Eshelman]

By way of providing balance - I dropped out of the program at PRTS because I wasn't impressed. Maybe I should have done more homework first, but what I discovered is that although there were some "actual" ThM classes, the majority of the classes were/are MDiv classes, with the minor tweaking being that instead of a couple 5 page papers us ThM seekers would write a 25 page paper.

This grated on me for two reasons:
1. I was spending a lot of money for the same information I'd already received as an MDiv student.
2. It felt insulting and disingenuous that I'd be "punished" for being an advanced student by simply doing more of the same work. Kind of like when I was a kid and I was in the TAGS program, we did the same work as everyone else, just more of it. "Normal kids have to do 10 math problems, you have to do 30. That'll teach you to be gifted!" By contrast, Southern's ThM program has students doing colloquia and symposia (doctoral formatting) rather than just sitting in class with MDiv students.

But if you think that it is a profoundly awesome opportunity to have to, I mean get to write big papers - if it makes you feel like an intellectual "manly man" - when the people to your left and right are, based on the same class lectures and reading, only doing a third of the writing you are... well, go ahead.

But as for me, I decided to stop sending in my money.

Ben,

Thanks for sharing your experience at PRTS. Have you gone a different route (read: more formally academic) in another ThM program?

When I was a student at Puritan, there were a few MDiv classes that had ThM students- but they were not the "normal" MDiv classes that you will get at every seminary. I remember a few in the Reformed Experiential Preaching class as well as Puritan Theology. A great number of ThM classes were offered that were not open to MDiv students regularly. At the end of my MDiv I was able to audit a ThM class taught by Carl Trueman on Aquinas. It's standards were quite a lot higher than the Mdiv classes (and by the way, I don't ever remember writing a 5pp paper at Puritan!)

Anyhow - did you find another ThM program?

I would like to hear of others experiences with ThM and pros/cons, etc.

 

[Shawn Mathis]

I went to Reformation International Theological Seminary for my M.Div. I had to write a 75 page thesis to graduate. They have a ThM program (here's their catalog) Here's the description of the ThM program:

Master of Theology (Th.M.)
The Master of Theology degree (Th.M.) is an advanced theological degree, available only to students who have an M.Div. or equivalent degree. The Master of Theology degree is awarded in Theological Interpretation’ and should be thought of as a reading-and-research expansion of the subject matter covered in the M.Div. program. Broadly speaking, the Th.M. is a ‘doctoral’ type degree, but having a less stringent workload and lesser writing requirement. Rather than a completely independent research and writing project (as with a Doctorate), the Th.M. candidate
selects an area from his previous studies that is of particular interest to him, and undertakes an agreed upon program of advanced studies in that area, in consultation with an approved mentor and the faculty.
The degree is progressed exactly as are doctoral degrees (see above), but with the following exceptions:
a) An extensive reading list must be agreed upon with Reformation International Theological Seminary and completed as part of the degree requirement. Students must certify completion of their reading, and fully reference their own dissertation from the works consulted.
b) A dissertation of 25,000-37,500 words is required, and must be presented in five bound copies for evaluation by the Review Committee, just as for a doctoral thesis. The Th.M. dissertation subject must be agreed and approved before enrollment.
c) The time-limit for Th.M. is normally one year, and all extensions of this period must be agreed upon by the faculty.
d) There is no requirement for a ‘verbal defense’ of thesis/dissertation to achieve a Th.M.
e) Th.M. dissertations that are considered to have suitable potential may be considered for expansion and submission as doctoral theses (with the approval of the Committee). In this case an additional year is normally allowable beyond completion of the Th.M.

All appropriate fees must be paid before the thesis can be considered. The same thesis cannot be used for both Th.M. and doctoral degrees.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who completed the Th.M. program at Reformation International Theological Seminary, Columbia Evangelical Seminary, or Whitefield Theological Seminary.