Biblical and Theological Studies Certificate

Overview

The Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies at Talbot School of Theology is designed to introduce students to seminary study by allowing them to take core courses in Talbot's graduate degree programs. Students learn basic skills in biblical and theological studies along with other graduate students in courses that can later be applied to a full graduate degree, if desired.

Mission

The mission of the Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies is to deepen knowledge of God and his Word within those who have not yet determined to enter a full seminary degree program but, nevertheless, wish to grow in their ability to minister to others.

Program Description

The Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies is ideal for church lay leaders, church elders, and ministers without formal training. The Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies provides a foundational theological education. This certificate consists of six courses which can be completed online, on-campus, or any combination of those two modalities. Those wanting to see if a full seminary degree is for them can use this certificate as a "trial run."

Certificate coursework may later be applied toward a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree. Please note that students wishing to transfer the credits and GPA earned in a certificate to a master's degree must meet the minimum GPA requirements for the master's degree in their certificate program. Academic M.A. degree programs at Talbot require a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the 18-credit Bible and Theological Studies Certificate, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an introductory ability to apply background information and evangelical interpretive principles to explain the meaning of biblical texts accurately (ULO 1).
  2. Demonstrate an introductory ability to articulate one major doctrine of Christianity from an evangelical perspective (ULO 1).

Each Program Learning Outcome (PLO) listed above references at least one of the University Learning Outcomes (ULO 1, 2, 3), which may be found in the General Information section of this catalog.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must possess a Bachelor of Arts degree or its academic equivalent from an accredited college with a minimum grade point average of 2.6 (on a 4.0 scale). Applicants who do not possess a Bachelor of Arts degree or its academic equivalent from an accredited institution may still apply and may be provisionally admitted at the discretion of Talbot School of Theology.

All applicants must submit a written statement outlining their vocational objectives and how the certificate relates to those objectives.

Completion Requirements

  1. Satisfactorily complete all courses for a total of 18 semester credits as outlined in the curriculum below.
  2. Complete the online introduction to theological research and writing by the end of the second semester.
  3. Obtain a 2.5 GPA with no grade below a D- in all courses to be credited toward completion.
  4. At least 9 credits must be taken at this seminary.
  5. Complete the entire program in no more than five years.

Students are placed on academic probation if their GPA for any semester falls below 2.5 and will remain on probation as long as the single semester or cumulative GPA remains below 2.5.

Probation students are granted one semester in which to bring their academic work up to the required level (2.5) for continuance in the seminary. A student cannot complete the certificate while on probation.

Curriculum Requirements

TTBE 517Hermeneutics and Bible Study Methods3
TTBE 519Old Testament Survey3
TTBE 520New Testament Survey3
TTTH 521Theology I: God, Scripture, Creation3
TTTH 522Theology II: Christ, Humanity, Sin, Salvation3
TTTH 623Theology III: Spirit, Church, Last Things3
Total Credits18