Announcing the Redesigned MA in Theology and Ministry

Fuller Seminary is pleased to announce a new curriculum for the MA in Theology and Ministry (MATM) degree in the School of Mission and Theology. Prompted by the guiding values of Fuller’s strategic plan, FULLER NEXT, the MATM program has been rebuilt to maximize students’ training and formation as leaders for a new era in the church and in society.

“Fuller’s MATM is oriented toward the needs of church leaders in our present generation—it cultivates the essential skills and foundational habits of gospel-centered ministry, and also equips students for the context-specific needs that they will face in ministry,” said Chris Blumhofer, assistant professor of New Testament.

The mission of the redesigned 80-unit MATM is to form agile Christian leaders who participate in God’s active work through specialized ministry in church and parachurch settings. The degree provides an indispensable education that rigorously engages topics including Scripture, theology, and leadership, while integrating practical ministry skills to prepare holistically formed leaders to impact the world through their ministry. This professional degree is designed for those who are called to be leaders in Christian ministry but who do not require the MDiv or ordination to Word and Sacrament in their vocations.

The new curriculum responds to students’ desire for a more structured sequence of courses throughout the program. Now the MATM, like Fuller’s other master’s-level degrees in the School of Mission and Theology, is organized into three stages. The first stage provides a set of “Shared Foundations” courses that familiarize the student with the concepts they will build on throughout their degree from the five major disciplines across the seminary: biblical studies, theology and history, practical theology, missiology, and psychology. This first stage also focuses on the student’s spiritual formation and discerning of their calling.

As students progress through the next two stages of the MATM curriculum, the courses will cover increasingly in-depth information and application. Later stages allow for students to choose from a variety of courses to customize their training for their own particular calling and desired vocational outcome. To that end, several optional concentrations are currently offered: Asian American Ministry; Black Church Studies; Ecclesial Leadership; Intercultural and Urban Ministry; or Youth, Family, and Culture. A carefully curated curriculum in the program’s later stages focuses on preparation for a specific range of 21st-century careers the church and the world most need today.

“Christian leaders need, in this uncertain time, to develop the agility to thrive regardless of how the world changes,” said Scott Cormode, Hugh De Pree Professor of Leadership Development. “This degree has been specifically designed to prepare students to lead in the particular contexts where God calls them––no matter the circumstances.”

Finally, the redesigned MATM introduces the practice of “pace plans,” which students can choose at the beginning of their program to more reliably schedule their courses at a steady and consistent rate. These pace plans not only help students complete their degrees in their desired amount of time, but also foster an organic sense of community with other students starting at the same pace. MATM students may also apply to optional cohorts, which gather students with similar interests to take a tailored sequence of courses together.

Learn more about Fuller’s newly redesigned MA in Theology and Ministry.