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Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology

Master of Arts Programmes

General Description

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is a two-year programme with emphases in five areas: Biblical Studies (students can pursue one of two tracks); Christian Education; Church History; Mission Studies; and Translation Studies. The M.A. degrees are designed for candidates to pursue academic and/or professional degrees in particular areas of interest. For all the MAs, candidates are expected to complete 96 hours of course work of which 8 hours are common courses, 8 hours are Master of Arts core courses and 80 hours are distributed between emphasis core courses and electives.

Common Courses (8 credit hours)

These 8 hours are required by all Master of Arts and Master of Divinity programmes.

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	BS501 PA561	4 1	PA562	1	PA563	1
	Total Hours	5	Total Hours	1	Total Hours	1
2

3					PA763	1
					Total Hours	1

Core Courses (8 credit hours)

These 8 hours are required by Master of Arts programmes only.

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
2			BT601*	4	BT602*	4

*MACE and MAMS require these courses in the first year of the corresponding terms

Master of Arts in Biblical Studies

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (M.A.B.S.) is a two-year programme requiring 96 credit hours of course work to complete. The programme is designed to promote African Christianity by enabling the student to have a graduate-level grasp of Bible, Theology (both biblical and systematic) and Church History plus the tools for further research (Hermeneutics and Research Writing). Students in the programme can pursue one of two tracks.

Objectives

At the end of the course of study in the M.A.B.S. a student should be able to:

demonstrate competence in the fields of biblical and theological studies
display a broad understanding of biblical language
exhibit competence in the exegesis and exposition of the Old and New Testaments and relate that competence to African realities
acquire necessary skills for further scholarly studies in the field of Old or New Testament
demonstrate Christian maturity expressed in commitment to Christ, to His Body and interpersonal sensitivity in character and lifestyle displayed in communal relationships

Entrance Requirements

(As stated under the general entry requirements)

Content of Programme

Students pursuing the Master of Arts in Biblical Studies can follow one of two tracks.

Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (Biblical Languages)

The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (Biblical Languages) programmes require 96 credit hours to complete. In addition to the 8 credit hours of common courses and 8 credit hours of Master of Arts core courses; there are 44 credit hours of emphasis core courses and a final 36 credit hours of electives as shown below.

Emphasis Core Courses (44 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	BS501 or BL511	4 4	BL502 or BL512 BS630	4 4 4	BL503 or BL513 Exposition Bible Book	4 4 4
	Total Hours	4	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	8
2	Bible Language Exposition Bible Book	4 4	Bible Language Exposition Bible Book	4 4	Bible Language BS771	4 4
	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	8

Electives (36 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	ED602 HS501	3 3	HS503 TS505 ED500	3 3 4	HS505 or TH605 TS508	3 3 3
	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	10	Total Hours	6
2	TH601 PA661	4 1	TH602 PA662	4 1	TH603	4
	Total Hours	5	Total Hours	5	Total Hours	4

The following table summarises the credit hour requirements and distribution.

	Common Courses	M.A. Core Courses	Specialisation Courses	Electives	Total
Year 1
Term 1	5	0	4	6	15
Term 2	1	0	8	10	19
Term 3	1	4	8	6	19
Total	7	4	20	22	53

Year 2
Term 1	0	0	8	5	13
Term 2	0	0	8	5	13
Term 3	1	4	8	4	17
Total	1	4	24	14	43
Grand Total	8	8	44	36	96

Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (Language Options)

The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (Language Options) programme requires 96 credit hours to complete. In addition to the 8 credit hours of institutional common courses and 8 credit hours of Master of Arts core courses; there are 40 credit hours of emphasis core courses and a final 40 credit hours of electives. The elective hours include 4 hours of a Bible course.

Emphasis Core Courses (40 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	Exposition Bible Book or Bible Language	4	Exposition Bible Book or Bible Language BS630	4 4	Exposition Bible Book Or Bible Language	4
	Total Hours	4	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	4
2	Exposition Bible Book Or Bible Language Bible Language Or Elective	4 4	Exposition Bible Book Or Bible Language Expsosition Bible Book	4 4	Exposition Bible Book Or Bible Language Long Essay	4 4
	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	8

Electives (40 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	ED602 HS501	3 3	HS503 TS505 ED500	3 3 4	HS505 or TH605 TS508	3 3 3
	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	10	Total Hours	6
2	TH601 PA661	4 1	TH602 PA662	4 1	TH603	4
	Total Hours	5	Total Hours	5	Total Hours	4

The following table summarises the credit hour requirements and distribution.

	Common Courses	M.A. Core Courses	Specialisation Courses	Electives	Total
Year 1
Term 1	5	0	4	6	15
Term 2	1	0	8	10	19
Term 3	1	4	4	10	19
Total	7	4	16	26	53

Year 2
Term 1	0	0	8	5	13
Term 2	0	0	8	5	13
Term 3	1	4	8	4	17
Total	1	4	24	14	43
Grand Total	8	8	40	40	96

Master of Arts in Christian Education

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Christian Education (M.A.C.E.) is a two-year programme requiring 96 credit hours of course work to complete. The Programme is designed for equipping potential and functional leaders with knowledge, skills and character qualities to enable those trained to go on to serve in church education ministries, teach in theological institutions, or teach Christian Religious Education (C.R.E.) in public schools.

Objectives

At the end of the course of study in the M.A.C.E. a student should be able to:

demonstrate good working knowledge and understanding in the field of biblical and theological studies
demonstrate good working knowledge and understanding in the foundations of education
demonstrate skills in preparing and implementing a course of instruction for the different age groups—children, youth and adults
demonstrate necessary capacity for further academic pursuit in the field of Christian education
evidence an increasing Christ-likeness as manifested in love for God and love for others and demonstrate, in community, evidence of the fruit of the Spirit.

Entrance Requirements

(As stated under the general entry requirements)

Content of Programme

The Master of Arts in Christian Education programme requires 96 credit hours to complete. In addition to the 8 credit hours of institutional common courses and 8 credit hours of Master of Arts core courses, there are 41 credit hours of emphasis core courses and a final 39 credit hours of electives. The elective hours include 9 credit hours of courses from the Educational Studies department and 3 credit hours of general electives.

Emphasis Core Courses (41 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	ED502 ED504	4 3	ED500 ED503	4 3	ED506 ED760	3 4
	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	7
2	ED601 ED771	3 2	ED604 ED661 ED772	3 4 2	ED602 ED773	4 2
	Total Hours	5	Total Hours	9	Total Hours	6

Electives (39 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	HS501	3	HS503 CE Elective	3 3	HS505	3
	Total Hours	3	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	3
2	TH601 General Elective CE Elective	4 3 3	TH602 PA603	4 3	TH603 TH605 CE Elective	4 3 3
	Total Hours	10	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	10

The following table summarises the credit hour requirements and distribution.

	Common Courses	M.A. Core Courses	Specialisation Courses	Electives	Total
Year 1
Term 1	5	0	7	3	15
Term 2	1	4	7	6	18
Term 3	1	4	7	3	15
Total	7	8	21	12	48

Year 2
Term 1	0	0	5	10	15
Term 2	0	0	9	7	16
Term 3	1	0	6	10	17
Total	1	0	20	27	48
Grand Total	8	4	41	39	96

Master of Arts in Church History

(temporarily suspended)

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Church History (M.A.C.H.) is a two-year programme requiring 96 credit hours of course work to complete. The programme is designed to prepare teachers in secondary and post-secondary Bible schools, theological colleges and other institutions for higher education. A secondary purpose is to provide a foundation for a select number of academically gifted students to pursue doctoral studies in this area.

Objectives

At the end of the course of study in the M.A.C.H. a student should be able to:
have a general overview of the history of the Church up to 1500 AD
have a general overview of the history of the Church since 1500 AD
gain a historical understanding of the African Christian context in which he/she will live and work
have guidance into a deeper understanding of the growth, maturation and characteristics of the earliest African Christian communities in Egypt, North Africa, Nubia and Ethiopia
understand the interplay between theology and spirituality down through history
use church history in making better decisions in the local church setting
be exposed to special areas of church history not explored in depth in other courses
understand the dynamics of writing African church history with special emphasis on the subjective factors that shape the historian’s approach to analysis of history
construct a Christian perspective on history
have an overview and analysis of church and state issues in the 20^th century Africa as an aid to constructing a Christian view of political life in Africa
demonstrate competence in historical writing.

Entrance Requirements

(As stated under the general entry requirements)

Content of Programme

The Master of Arts in Church History programme requires 96 credit hours to complete. In addition to the 8 credit hours of institutional common courses and 8 credit hours of Master of Arts core courses, there are 36 credit hours of emphasis core courses and a final 44 credit hours of electives.

Emphasis Core Courses (36 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	HS501 HS502	3 3	HS503 HS504	3 3	HS505 HS506 HS507	3 3 3
	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	9
2	HS771 HS601	3 3	HS602 HS772	3 3	HS720	3
	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	3

Electives (44 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	TH601 ED504	4 3	TH602 General Elective	4 3	TH603	4
	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	4
2	ED602 PA661 MS602 General Elective	3 1 3 3	MS503 General Elective PA662	3 3 1	TH605 TH609 General Elective	3 3 3
	Total Hours	10	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	9

The following table summarises the credit hour requirements and distribution.

	Common Courses	M.A. Core Courses	Specialisation Courses	Electives	Total
Year 1
Term 1	5	0	6	7	18
Term 2	1	0	6	7	14
Term 3	1	0	9	4	14
Total	7	0	21	18	46

Year 2
Term 1	0	0	6	10	16
Term 2	0	4	6	7	17
Term 3	1	4	3	9	17
Total	1	8	15	26	50
Grand Total	8	8	36	44	96

Master of Arts in Missions Studies

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Mission Studies is a two-year programme requiring 96 credit hours of course work to complete. The programme is designed to equip Christian men and women for a local and global missionary task in evangelism, church planting, disciple making and social service.

Objectives

At the end of the course of study in the M.A.M.S., a student should be able to:
proclaim the message of the gospel, heralding the righteousness, justice, and peace of God on the continent of Africa
express genuine respect for people and their culture
differentiate cultural particularity from homogenous conformity
formulate biblical values for the economic development and social progress of Africa
build networks of understanding and partnership between churches, denominations and nations
utilise missiological theories and strategies to enhance effectiveness in evangelism and discipleship
demonstrate a godly character that reflects the fruit of the Holy Spirit as stated in Gal. 5:22, Phil. 4:8, I Peter 1:3-11
live a Christian life that is beyond reproach, observed and witnessed by the community of believers
realise the importance of and apply personal devotion time with God in prayer, fasting, and reading the Scripture

Entrance Requirements

(As stated under the general entry requirements)

Content of Programme

Students pursuing the Master of Arts in Missions Studies can follow one of two tracks.

Master of Arts in Missions Studies –General

The Master of Arts in Mission Studies programme requires 96 credit hours to complete. In addition to the 8 credit hours of institutional common courses, 8 credit hours of Master of Arts core courses, there are 46 credit hours of emphasis core courses and a final 34 credit hours of electives.

Emphasis Core Courses (50 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	MS520 MS543 MS544	3 3 3	MS503 MS521	3 3	MS508 MS760	3 4
	Total Hours	9	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	7
2	MS601 EV502 MS602	4 3 3	MS603 MS771 MS604 MS606	3 3 3 3	MS605 MS772	3 3
	Total Hours	10	Total Hours	12	Total Hours	6

Electives (30 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	HS501	3	HS503 MS Elective	3 3	General Elective	3
	Total Hours	3	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	3
2	TH601 PA520	4 3	TH602	4	TH603 TH609	4 3
	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	4	Total Hours	7

The following table summarises the credit hour requirements and distribution.

	Common Courses	M.A. Core Courses	Specialisation Courses	Electives	Total
Year 1
Term 1	5	0	9	3	17
Term 2	1	4	6	6	17
Term 3	1	4	7	7	19
Total	7	8	22	16	53

Year 2
Term 1	0	0	10	3	13
Term 2	0	0	12	4	16
Term 3	1	0	6	7	14
Total	1	0	28	14	43
Grand Total	8	8	50	30	96

Master of Arts in Missions Studies – Islamic Emphasis

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Mission Studies with emphasis in Islam is a two-year programme requiring 96 credit hours of course work to complete. The programme is designed to enable the student to understand the Islamic worldview and practices so as to adequately respond to the challenges of understanding Muslims and their religion.

Objectives

The objectives of the programme are the same as those of general Missions studies.

Content of Programme

The Islamic emphasis of the Master of Arts in Mission Studies programme requires 96 credit hours to complete. In addition to the 8 credit hours of institutional common courses and 8 credit hours of Master of Arts core courses; there are 51 credit hours of emphasis core courses and a final 29 credit hours of electives.

Emphasis Core Courses (51 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	MS520 MS543 MS544	3 3 3	MS503 MS546	3 3	MS548 MS608 MS760	3 3 4
	Total Hours	9	Total Hours	6	Total Hours	10
2	MS549 MS602 MS607	3 3 3	MS609 MS604 MS606 MS771	3 3 3 3	MS605 MS611 MS772	3 3 3
	Total Hours	9	Total Hours	12	Total Hours	9

Electives (29 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1			HS503 General Elective	3 4
			Total Hours	7
2	TH601 PA520	4 3	TH602	4	TH603 HS505	4 3
	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	4	Total Hours	7

The following table summarises the credit hour requirements and distribution.

	Common Courses	M.A. Core Courses	Specialisation Courses	Electives	Total
Year 1
Term 1	5	0	9		14
Term 2	1	4	6	7	18
Term 3	1	4	10		15
Total	7	8	25	7	47

Year 2
Term 1	0	0	9	7	16
Term 2	0	0	12	4	16
Term 3	1	0	9	7	17
Total	1	0	30	18	49
Grand Total	8	8	55	25	96

Master of Arts in Translation Studies

Purpose

The Master of Arts in Translation Studies is a two-year programme requiring 96 credit hours of course work to complete. The programme is designed to prepare African and expatriate students for responsible leadership in translation ministry, either as 'mother tongue' or as 'missionary' translators. The broad objective of this programme is to provide individuals who will serve the church in Africa in a Bible translation ministry, by undertaking basic descriptive linguistic work in African languages to provide a foundation for translating important literature into these languages; translating the Bible into African languages; and leading or making a substantial technical contribution to translation and literacy projects. The programme as a whole, and its component courses in the Translation Studies Department, are designed to teach and model integration of scholarship with a student’s entire life as a Christian, uniting heart and mind in service and worship.

Objectives

At the end of the course of study in the M.A.T.S. a student should be able to:

undertake basic descriptive linguistic analysis with particular emphasis on African languages
translate the Bible into African languages
lead or make a substantial technical contribution to translation and literacy projects
demonstrate semi-professional competence in the various aspects of the Bible translation task
demonstrate growing commitment to thoroughness in all aspects of the Bible translation task
demonstrate developing vision for the continuing need of Bible translation in the modern world community
demonstrate a sense of personal responsibility for an effective contribution to the Bible translation task
Demonstrate consistent growth in Christian character and a life of integrated heart and mind, service and worship

Entrance Requirements

(As stated under the general entry requirements)

Content of Programme

The Master of Arts in Translation Studies programme requires 96 credit hours to complete. In addition to the 8 credit hours of institutional common courses and 8 credit hours of Master of Arts core courses, there are 40 credit hours of emphasis core courses and a final 40 credit hours of electives.

Emphasis Core Courses (40 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	TS501 TS502 TS503	2 3 2	TS504 TS505 TS506	3 3 3	TS507 TS508	3 3
	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	9	Total Hours	6
2	TS601 TS602 TS671	3 3 2	TS603 TS672	3 2	TS511 TS605	2 3
	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	5	Total Hours	5

Electives (40 credit hours)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	Bible Language	4	Bible Language General Elective	4 3	Bible Language General Elective	4 6
	Total Hours	4	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	10
2	General Elective General Elective	4 3	General Elective BS630	4 4	General Elective	4
	Total Hours	7	Total Hours	8	Total Hours	4

The following table summarises the credit hour requirements and distribution.

	Common Courses	M.A. Core Courses	Specialisation Courses	Electives	Total
Year 1
Term 1	5	0	7	4	16
Term 2	1	0	9	7	17
Term 3	1	0	6	10	17
Total	7	0	22	21	50

Year 2
Term 1	0	0	8	7	15
Term 2	0	4	5	8	17
Term 3	1	4	5	4	14
Total	1	8	18	19	46
Grand Total	8	8	40	40	96

Note: Under special circumstances a student may replace Linguistics Project and Translation Practicum with either (I) a 6-hour thesis with translation focus, or (II) a 6-hour project in linguistics or translation. These are offered as alternative assessments of students’ proficiency at the Master’s level. In both cases the number of elective hours will be decreased by 1 and the number of hours in supervised Field Ministries will be increased by 2.

Students who are preparing for a technical role in translation will normally be required to undertake both the Translation Practicum and the Linguistics Project. [The only exception would be where the student already has had significant, quality experience of one or other technical aspect (linguistics or translation) and his/her employing entity specifically has asked for a waiver of one or the other]. Such students would be permitted to undertake a Field Project. Students who are preparing for literacy involvement will be required to undertake a Linguistics Project and a Field Project in consultation with the Department (i.e. generally the Field Project will replace the Translation Practicum). Students who are unclear as to the nature of their future commitment, and who have no previous experience or employing entity to guide them will be advised on the basis of their areas of skill, personal interests and likely future involvement.

The practicums include a stronger component of application of theory than does the project, which includes a stronger research component. Yet each exercise is intended to be a demonstration of the student's personal and professional competence to undertake and report on a research activity, and to apply theory in a practical way.

Practicums
(1) The translation practicum involves the translation of an extended biblical passage into a second language, and a commentary in support of major translation decisions made.

(2) The literacy practicum involves designing a detailed writing system and literacy materials for a particular language, and presenting a rationale for decisions made in so doing; or designing a complete literacy programme for a particular language community.

Linguistics Project
The linguistics project requires the research of a linguistic topic in a specific language, and its written analysis. It requires a written report to be submitted in accordance with the guidelines in the current NEGST Manual for the Writing of Theses, Projects and Research Papers.

Field Project
The Field Project is intended to be a focused task in a field situation, which will be mentored on location, and undertaken during the inter-term time. It requires a written report to be submitted. It may consist of a literacy practicum.

Thesis
This is a written piece of research submitted in accordance with the guidelines in the current NEGST Manual for the Writing of Theses, Projects and Research Papers.

The Department assumes responsibility for making the appropriate arrangements for and with each student for each alternative. However, translation is an activity which integrates several disciplines, and the Department will seek the counsel of other faculty, and perhaps also solicit one of the readers from another Department from time to time and in particular cases. A thesis topic will not be approved in the absence of suitable, willing readers.
The same examination requirements will be met in all three options; namely, a committee of three examiners including one external.

The Department takes a grave view of any student graduating from the M.A.T.S programme with an active involvement in translation in view, while lacking an extended translation exercise, and will take every precaution possible to prevent this occurrence.

Guided Practical Experience (Field Ministries or Practicum)

Purpose

Guided Practical Experience (or Field Ministries or Practicum) provides the student with the opportunity to integrate classroom learning with real ministry experience. The programme is intended to be a practical application to ministry of principles and procedures studied in class.

Programme Objectives and Content

The Guided Practical Experience programme is designed to allow students to be actively involved in self-directed learning and evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses in vocation-specific areas.

Programme Requirements

Master of Arts Programmes

The M.A. programmes require up to 5 credit hours of Guided Practical Experience. However, the M.A. programmes have the option of either using all five hours for Field Ministries (option 1) or using some of the hours required for professional practicum (option 2). For the professional practicum, a student pursues a field education relevant to his/her area of specialisation. A sufficient academic foundation must be demonstrated prior to undertaking professional practicum. The options are given below.

Option 1 (This option is followed by Biblical and Historical Studies)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	PA561	1	PA562	1	PA563	1
2	PA661	1	PA662	1

Option 2 (This option is followed by Christian Education, Mission and Translation Studies)

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	PA561	1	PA562	1	PA563	1
2	Practicum/Guided Practical Experience		Practicum/Guided Practical Experience

Students in the MACE, MATS, and MAMS (Option 2 Programs) will do a Practicum or Project within their departments in place of PA 661 and PA 662.

Master of Divinity Programmes

The M.Div. programme requires up to 8 credit hours of Guided Practical Experience distributed over 8 terms of study as shown below:

Year	Term 1		Term 2		Term 3
1	PA561	1	PA562	1	PA563	1
2	PA661	1	PA662	1	PA663	1
3	PA761	1	PA762	1

Note: The courses PA 661, 662, 663, 761, and 762 may be combined in various configurations to allow for 2- or 3-credit hour blocks designed to accommodate more intensive ministry projects, e.g. during the holidays. In such cases, students would design a special Guided Practical Experience Plan and Growth Covenant in consultation with their Advisors.

Master of Philosophy and Master of Theology Programmes

A student without prior credits in Guided Practical Experience (Field Ministries) will be required to do at least 3 credit hours. The maximum number of hours required for such student will be determined after an assessment of the student’s transcripts.