Dallas Theological Seminary Announces Two New Degree Programs and the Expansion of our 100% Online Degree Options
Dallas Theological Seminary is excited to announce the addition of two new master’s degree programs to the curriculum for the upcoming academic year. The Seminary is also expanding the number of master’s degrees that are available 100 percent online by adding six degrees to the two currently offered.
“For the past year, the seminary staff has worked diligently to craft these new degree programs to meet the growing needs of our communities while making DTS more online/distance friendly,” Dr. Mark Yarbrough, vice president of Academic Affairs, and president-elect explained. “All of the elements necessary for truly life-changing theological education are present in our online format: instruction from world-class faculty, challenging assignments, and a strong community experience but with the flexibility for students to stay in their current ministry or workplace.”
MA in Chaplaincy and Ministry Care (MACP)
The MACP degree program is for students who feel called to ministries of care (such as vocational chaplaincy roles in the military, law enforcement, hospital/healthcare, and corporate arenas) that involve counseling, teaching, leading, and coaching. According to Luke Bryant, director of Admissions, “For the past few years, we’ve seen an increasing number of prospective students asking two questions: ‘Do you have a formal chaplaincy program?’ and ‘Do you have a program that blends the best of your counseling programs with a more pastoral-care emphasis for people not seeking licensure?’”
The new 79-hour MACP will help students care for those who may not have access to a local church, and it will enable them to minister to others not only in the spiritual realm but also in the areas of trauma care, grief, sexual wholeness, ethics, and more. “I’m thrilled this degree will allow us to extend what the Biblical Counseling department aims to do,” explained Chip Dickens, chair of the Biblical Counseling department. “In our MABC program, we love training people towards licensure (Licensed Professional Counselors), and with the addition of the MACP, we can broaden that care to people serving outside of a formal counseling ministry.”
Find out more specifics about the program at www.dts.edu/macp.
MA in Apologetics and Evangelism (MAAE)
The MAAE degree is a unique program for those passionate about sharing their faith and defending the truth in a winsome and gracious manner. “Evangelism has always been at the heart of DTS, and it was a passion of our founder, Lewis Sperry Chafer. We are excited to have a program dedicated to evangelism that also trains leaders to address the issues of our time,” Dr. Yarbrough explained.
The new 69-hour MAAE program builds on DTS’s Bible and theology core, adding in courses in philosophical apologetics, relational evangelism, and a defense of the key issues such as the reliability of scriptures and the historicity of the resurrection.
“We’re in an age where more people are questioning faith, so it’s vital that we equip people with a passion for evangelism to ask and answer real questions in ways that are wise, gracious, and compelling,” Dr. Michael Svigel, chair of Theological Studies wrote. “We’ve designed a program that genuinely embraces the classic Christian dictum of ‘faith seeking understanding.’”
Dr. Timothy Yoder, Associate Professor of Theological Studies and primary teacher of DTS’s apologetics electives, added, “We are living in the golden age of apologetics. So many thoughtful Christians, from Lee Strobel to Ravi Zacharias, have made compelling responses to the hurdles that prevent people from coming to faith. Christian thought in the domains of philosophy and science has also produced important evidence for key Christian ideas. Our world today needs leaders who are well-equipped to point seekers towards these answers, and this new degree will help prepare the next generation of faith-defenders.”
Find out more about the MAAE at www.dts.edu/maae.
Fully Online Professional MAs
DTS is committed to making more of its degrees available to students around the globe while continuing to institute a new wave of digital education and innovation. From launching our first online courses in 2004, to the more recent availability of two degree programs (MACS and MBTS) entirely online in English, Spanish, and Chinese, our goal has been to train students where they live and minister. Today, we are excited to announce that six additional master’s degrees will be available 100% online.
Starting in fall 2020, the MA in Christian Education, MA in Christian Leadership, MA of Arts in Cross-cultural Ministry, MA in Media Arts and Worship, and the new MA in Chaplaincy and Ministry Care and MA in Apologetics and Evangelism will be available fully online for working adults. These online courses mean that students are not required to travel to a campus to complete their degree programs, enabling them to continue serving their local community while they learn. Because DTS places a strong value on “life-on-life” learning in all our programs, students may choose to supplement their online courses with our in-person intensive classes offered at our many regional locations across the country each semester.
“More than fifteen years ago, I had a luncheon conversation with an international businessman who wanted DTS in East Asia,” recalled Dr. Mark L. Bailey, president of DTS. “Out of that talk came the impetus for DTS to start its first course online with Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost teaching “The Life of Christ on Earth,” which won the Association of Christian Continuing Education Schools and Seminaries (ACCESS) National Course of the Year award. Then our first Chinese online course was developed. I think back on the providence of God and how His provisions through those events has now allowed us to make some strategic moves to capture, develop, and even translate our classes for distance. Without that and a whole host of qualified IT and educationally qualified team members along the way, we would not be able to do what we have done these years.”
As part of the seminary’s desire to be more innovative and flexible, DTS will offer online courses in a variety of formats for students. Many online courses will continue to remain available as pre-recorded lectures with interactive components built in. Other online classes will make use of modern video conferencing platforms that allow for live, real-time, interaction and collaboration between remote students and their classmates and professors. Find out more at www.dts.edu/online.
Between the new programs launching this academic year and the expansion of the online degrees, DTS is well-positioned to meet the changing needs of its students and their communities. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced that trained men and women are needed to minister to people where they are, while simultaneously having the ability to earn their seminary degree. With these new programs and the increased availability of our online offerings, DTS will be able to train more students to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and fulfill our mission to glorify God by equipping godly servant-leaders for the proclamation of His Word and the building up of the body of Christ worldwide.