Skip to Content

Coursework

On This Page

Course Requirements

Core Courses 28 units
GBBL 511Seminar in Biblical Interpretation*4
GBBL 512The Gospels' Witness to Christ4
GBBL 521People of God4
GTHE 504God, Creation, and Humanity4
GTHE 513History of the Modern Church4
GTHE 514Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Church4
GMIN 547Foundations for Ministry Life4
*GBBL 511 is offered as 511A and 511B at some centers.
Concentration 12 units
Required
GMIN 501Foundations of Youth Ministry4
Select two of the following:
GMIN 502Discipleship and Evangelism of Youth4
GMIN 503Multicultural Youth Ministry4
GMIN 504Pastoral Counseling of Youth4
Field Education 4 units
GMIN 569Field Education in Ministry*1

*Repeated for four semesters.

Capstone Course 4 units
GMIN 605Leadership in Youth Ministry4
Total 48 units

Biblical Languages

Master of Divinity (M.Div.) students are required to obtain competence in at least one biblical language for use as an exegetical tool in the study of the Bible. This requirement may be met by the course GBBL 500 (Elements of Greek Exegesis); by transcript evidence of one year of biblical Greek or Hebrew at the undergraduate level; or by GBBL 510, GBBL 520 or GBBL 530, GBBL 540.

It is strongly recommended, however, that students who anticipate further graduate study in theology complete a full-year course in biblical Greek and/or Hebrew. To obtain full benefit from courses in biblical studies, students should enroll in the biblical language course, as well as in GBBL 511 (Seminar in Biblical Interpretation), as early as possible in their academic program.

Advanced Standing

  • M.Div. students may petition for up to 15 units of advanced standing from upper-division undergraduate work in religion.
  • The number of core courses in any department that may be replaced by advanced standing is limited to two.
  • M.A.P.S. students may petition for up to 10 units of advanced standing from upper-division undergraduate work in religion.
  • M.A.T.S. students may petition for up to 10 units of advanced standing on the basis of undergraduate biblical language study or upper-division undergraduate coursework in religion.
  • M.A.Y.M. students may petition for up to eight units of advanced standing from undergraduate work in religion.
  • Prior to formal admission, the Request for Advanced Standing Petition form should be completed.
  • All advanced standing examinations are administered in a proctored setting twice a year: the second Friday of October and March.
  • Students must pass examinations for advanced standing within 12 months of their admission date. The cost for the exam is $50 per unit. If the student passes the exam(s), then he/she will not be required to pay full tuition for those units.
  • A student may repeat advanced standing examinations one time without further charge.
  • Courses in which a grade of B-or lower was earned may not be used for advanced standing.
  • Students admitted under the exceptional category may not petition for advanced standing units.
  • Undergraduate work must be from an accredited college or university.

Transfer Units

A student may petition for up to 45 units for the M.Div., less any advanced standing units (e.g., 30 units transfer and 15 units advanced standing or any other combination totaling 45 units for the M.Div.), 30 units for the M.A.P.S. and M.A.T.S., and up to 24 units for M.A.Y.M., less any advanced standing units, from other regionally or ATS-accredited graduate degree programs. Units transferred are limited to one-third of an earned master’s degree. A minimum of 45 units for the M.Div., 30 units for the M.A.P.S. and M.A.T.S., and 24 units for the M.A.Y.M., must be completed at C.P. Haggard Graduate School of Theology.

Additional Degree Requirements

Advancement to Candidacy

In order to advance toward the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry degree, the student must attain candidacy by completing 20 units of coursework, including 2 units of field education with a grade-point average of 2.7 or better. In addition, the student must comply with three candidacy requirements:

  1. A satisfactory evaluation by the professor of field education and field ministry supervisors.
  2. A satisfactory evaluation by the faculty of the student’s spiritual and personal growth and skills for ministry development.
  3. Approval for candidacy by C.P. Haggard Graduate School of Theology faculty. The faculty may act to grant candidacy and permission to continue studies, or deny candidacy and recommend that the student be dropped from the program.

All students in the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry Program should devote at least 8 hours per week, for the duration of the program, to the practice of some form of supervised ministry in an approved church or para-church field center. In order to graduate, a student must maintain at least a 2.7 grade-point average.

Time Limit

The Master of Arts in Youth Ministry must be completed within eight years from the date of admission. APU coursework completed more than eight years prior to completion of degree requirements is not acceptable toward the degree.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many units do I take each quarter/semester?
While there are no minimum or maximum unit requirements, 9 units is considered a full-time schedule.

How long is a semester?
Semesters generally run for 15 weeks.

How many hours does each class session require?
Both once a week classes, which last for 4 hours and 15 minutes, and twice a week classes, which run for 2 hours each, are available.

How many students will there be in my classes?
Most classes will average between 15-18 students.

How many evenings per week do I attend classes?
Classes usually meet once a week, but some are offered twice a week.

Does this program require a thesis, dissertation, or capstone project?
A student’s philosophy of ministry will serve as their master’s thesis.

Note: This information is current for the 2009-10 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for the most current and controlling information. For additional information, please contact the appropriate office.