Decision Made! MA in Biblical Studies

After years of looking into every MA program I could find. I have finally made a decision. I have enrolled in a new MA in Biblical studies program being offered by The Master's College in Santa Clarita, CA (www.masters.edu).

Lurking on this site taught me much about what to look for in a distance learning program. I am grateful. Thanks for all the insightful posts.

I considered other schools, especially SATS, but I think the program at The Master's College will be a better fit for me. I just had to wait until the right program became available.

The degree can be completed through independent study courses and short residential weeks on campus in Santa Clarita. The program is not even posted on the school web site yet. It will begin in March 2006.

PS- This is the real, regionally accredited Master's College, not the degree mill.

Thanks again for the great service degreeinfo provides.

 

Congatulations! I have a book on preaching written by their faculty. May God bless this new educational endeavor!

 

Actually, the book you mentioned, Rediscovering Expository Preaching, was written by the faculty of The Master's Seminary (www.tms.edu). The two schools are related, John MacArthur is president of both, but they are different schools. TMS doesn't offer any sort of external program on the masters level.

 

I misread the title of this thread...I thought it said "MBA in Biblical Studies" and I thought to myself; "Well! That's a new one!"

 

I think I read that there is a seminary that offers an MDiv/MBA combination program- Beeson Divinity School at Samford, I think.

 

To further add to the confusion, there's also a Master's Institute in St. Paul, an unaccredited non-DL Lutheran seminary (unaccredited yes--amd by choice--but it's a million miles from being a mill, I happen to know the president of the sem).

http://www.themastersinstitute.org/mi_seminary.htm

 

I was referring to the Masters that is allegedly affiliated in some way with Trinity Newburg. I was unaware of the Lutheran school.

 

By the way, Thanks! PatsFan.

 

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were accusing MI of being a mill, I was discussing the school, and then pointed out that while it's not accredited, it's not a mill. I figured it might be appropos to the forum, considering many discuss whether accreditation is necessary for respectibility. I didn't even remember that part of your post before posting mine. I was just saying to those reading the thread: "Oh look guys, did ya know there's another 'Master's Seminary' out there?"

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Interesting. The biblical studies profs at the college are probably different folks than the seminary, eh? Oh, and you're welcome. You sound excited and rightly so. I hope it scratches where you itch.

 

little fauss:

No problem. I just didn't want you to think that I was calling the school that you mentioned a mill. There is a Master's Bible College, that has been discussed much on this site, that seems to be less than legitimate.

 

PatsFan

Different faculty, but the same doctrinal stance, philosophy, etc. Both schools are related to Grace Community Church (www.gracechurch.org).

 

Go Rob!

The "real" Master's Seminary and Master's College are of the highest caliber in theological education. Excellent choice, Rob. I actually made the trek down to Sun Valley this year to look at further education there, but we couldn't handle the cost of living there with our many children.

It's interesting to read of the other school Little Fauss mentions. Hadn't heard of them before.

Of the "imitation" Master's Divinity School, the less said the better.

 

I was accepted into the MDiv program at The Master's Seminary back in 1999. But the cost of moving from Wake Forest, NC to Sun Valley was just more than we could manage. If they had offered a distance program I would have done it years ago.

I spoke with Dr. Mayhue, the dean of TMS, this spring about distance courses and he told me that TMS would probably never offer them. Therefore, I am thrilled with this new MA in Bible at The Master's College.

In a way, I almost like this program better. Having had quite a bit of ministry experience, I like the idea of just taking Bible courses without ministry courses.

 

Rob

I wish you the very best in this endeavor . Unlike you, so many choose less credible schools. I congtraqtulate you for not doing that.

Bill,

 

ie, congratulate

 

Thanks! Bill. Is the Faith Seminary you are now teaching at, the Lutheran school in the Seattle area?

 

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Rob:

As I understand it , Faith Seminary of Tacoma which originally was Faith Lutheran but is not now, has joined with Oregon Theological Seminary . There are differences in the faculties and there can occur curricular differences as well. EG, I believe for Systematic Theology a Lutheran text is used in Tacoma . But ST taught by DE through Faith / Salem will use texts by Cook, House , and Grudem.

The good thing for OTS is that it now is accredited with TRACS because Faith isaccredited .I've encouraged Dr. House to update the OTS website to reflect these major changes at OTS, but Wayne is a very busy man flying all over and writing several books at present. Before my surgery I spent an enjoyable 25-30 hrs over several weeks with him in his home.

OTS has high standards. EG, for the MDiv 24 units of Hebrew and 24 of Greek are required. (yes, I know Nosborne, hardly the equivalent of Hebrew learned by Jewish children ) Also, OTS (Faith/Salem) has an excellent faculty whose class lecures in Salem are video taped and become tools for DE learning.

While I hope to become a classroom lecturer too, particularly doing modular courses in Christology , the area of my dissertation, my present assignment is focused in seeing to it that DE students of Faith/Salem receive the very best possible Theological education.

Rob, I cannot express the gratification that I now feel having, at 65 years of age , finally finished the doc and nearly immediately have as well a place to serve. If God will give me another decade or two, now that my heart is sounder, I will enjoy every moment of time in that service.

But this is your thread, and it is fine people like you, who by making such good choices as The Masters, show support for genuine excellency in higher Christian education. Again, hearty congratulations!

 

Bill,

I had not heard the news about Faith Seminary. I seriously considered them. I have a great deal of respect for Dr. House.

Congratulations! I can only imagine how thrilled you must be. I also hope that someday I will be able to teach on a college level, part-time, in addition to my duties as a pastor.

I wish you all the best.

 

Congratulations!!

The Master's College is a great school, my brother and sister in law are both alumni of the College, you will not be disappointed (if you share the same theological stance)

The Master's College is no only RA, but in The Princeton Review out of a total of 646 schools featured on the Best Colleges: Region by Region section, The Master’s College is named as one of the schools receiving the Best in the West designation. The Princeton Review wrote: “…we believe these schools uphold the standards of our Best Western College distinction and provide students with a wide breadth of excellent schools to consider.

According to US News and World Report, The Master’s College is one of 321 institutions in the Comprehensive Bachelor’s Colleges category and is ranked 6th of the 40 western region (15 state) colleges in this category. This marks the sixth year in a row that TMC is listed in the first tier of western region bachelor’s degree colleges.