School of Theology English

A Word from the Dean

The world we live in today is a cosmopolitan, globally connected 24/7/365 world which is straddled over geographical as well as digital spaces. Whether in Singapore, in regions immediately surrounding the island nation, or in countries further a field, the changes and developments of the 21st century have introduced new challenges previously not encountered. Serving in such a world requires understanding, perspective, competence, emotional stability, compassion and other leadership qualities for effective and long lasting ministry.

At the School of Theology (English), we are not blind to the changes and challenges of this generation as we carry out our mission of training a new generation of leaders for ministry in the 21st century. For that reason, there are four areas in our curriculum that we have identified as important for developing needed competencies and capacities in our students:

Understanding of Biblical/theological/historical foundations–elements of our rich Christian heritage which continue to inform the ideals, identity, mission, and practices of the church
Understanding how cultural shifts impact life, church, and ministry, and developing informed responses to the rapid changes experienced in the 21^st C
Understanding of self as God’s created being in community, and the promotion of personal, spiritual, character, emotional, and moral development
Development of competencies such as reading and interpreting texts, preaching, counseling, teaching, small group facilitation, mobilization, peace-making, and other areas of competency needed for effective leadership and ministry.

These four areas are reinforced in classroom lectures, in chapels, in specially organized forums and events, in practicums and weekly field placements, through dialogues and discussion, through email and Facebook interactions, and through reading, writing and reflection. Collectively these rich and hopefully indelible learning experiences serve to inform, form and transform our students as they prepare for a lifetime of faithful service and effective ministry.

As a school, our vision and goal for the community is that the learning and training experience will always remain academically challenging, spiritually invigorating, culturally diverse and educationally engaging. My hope as Academic Dean is that the time spent in our learning community will inspire leaders who are biblically and theologically informed, contextually relevant, globally aware, missionally oriented, wise in judgment and trustworthy in all matters.

The table below provides a summary of the programmes offered at the School of Theology (English) as well as the goals intended for each programme. Take time to discuss your programme options with your church or mission leaders and to make an informed decision about your choice of programme. Finally, if you wish to receive admissions counseling, please drop us an email and we will be glad to help you work through your admissions queries and questions about the application process.

PROGRAMME	# YRS	ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS	TOTAL HRS	GREEK REQD?	HEBREW REQD?	GOALS OF THE PROGRAMME
Master of Divinity	3	Degree from accredited or recognized universityTOEFL 80(IBT)/213(CBT) or IELTS 6.0BTh students receive advanced standing	98	Yes	Yes	Well-rounded pastoral preparation for Christian workers, pastors and missionaries. Students may choose from one of the following concentrations if there is a critical mass: Biblical Studies, Pastoral Ministries, Intercultural Studies and Christian Education
Master of Arts (Biblical Studies)	2	Degree from accredited or recognized universityTOEFL 80(IBT)/213(CBT) or IELTS 6.0 BTh students receive advanced standing	65	Yes	Yes	Specialized preparation for those whose ministries are focused on studying, interpreting and teaching the Bible
Master of Arts (Christian Education)	2	Degree from accredited or recognized universityTOEFL 80(IBT)/213(CBT) or IELTS 6.0 BTh students receive advanced standing	65	No	No	Broad-based and holistic preparation for Christian workers and leaders with a special emphasis on developing and supervising the educational ministries of churches, parachurch organizations and missions agencies
Master of Arts (Intercultural Studies)	2	Degree from accredited or recognized university TOEFL 80(IBT)/213(CBT) or IELTS 6.0 BTh students receive advanced standing	65	No	No	Broad-based and holistic preparation for Christian workers and leaders with a special emphasis on creating intercultural awareness, and for developing and supervising outreach ministries of churches, parachurch organizations and missions agencies
Graduate Diploma in Intercultural Studies	1	Degree from accredited or recognized university TOEFL 80(IBT)/213(CBT) or IELTS 6.0	33	No	No	Practical and foundational preparation for cross-cultural missionary service, including professional service and other forms of tentmaking
Graduate Diploma in Christian Studies	1	Degree from accredited or recognized universityTOEFL 80(IBT)/213(CBT) or IELTS 6.0	32	No	No	Foundational and flexible equipping of the whole people of God with a view to effective integration of faith, work and family life
Master of Theology	1.5 to 2	MDiv or equivalent MA + additional credit hours 3.0 GPA in all master’s level work Submission of research paperTOEFL 89(IBT)/231(CBT) or IELTS 6.5	24 plus thesis or research papers			Advanced academic, research-oriented programme for theological educators, pastors, and leaders who can think critically, reflect deeply, do independent research and have a solid understanding of a specific area of biblical or theological study
MDiv/MA Preparatory Year	1	Polytechnic Diploma	32	No	No	Foundational course for candidates without a prior degree seeking to enter the MDiv and MA programmes

Welcome to the School of Theology (English)!

Dr. Calvin Chong
Academic Dean
School of Theology (English)