# Master of Theology ## expand\_more The Master of Theology (ThM) program affords an opportunity for students who have received the Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent (three years of graduate theological study) to pursue advanced theological studies for one year. The program is especially recommended for students who seek to gain additional competence for the ministry beyond that provided by the Master of Divinity degree. It is equally appropriate for those who, after some years in ministry, teaching, or another field, wish to return to a theological institution to clarify their thinking, to prepare themselves for new tasks, or to acquire further competence in a specific area of study. Applicants should be aware that admission to the Master of Theology program is not a step toward the doctoral program at Harvard or an indicator of future admission to the joint Doctor of Philosophy in the Study of Religion program. Areas of Focus: - African and African American Religious Studies - Buddhist Studies - Christianity - Comparative Studies - East Asian Religions - Gender, Sexuality, and Religion - Hebrew Bible/Old Testament - Hindu Studies - Islamic Studies - Jewish Studies - New Testament and Early Christianity - Religion and Ecology - Religion and the Social Sciences - Religion, Ethics, and Politics - Religions in Europe - Religion, Literature, and Culture - Religions of the Americas - Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean - Religious Thought, Philosophy, Theology - South and Southeast Asian Religions ## Requirements for the Degree ThM students plan a coherent program of advanced study with an advisor in their area of focus. Receipt of the degree is dependent upon the candidate’s fulfillment of the: 1. Course Requirements 2. Language Requirement 3. Oral Examination Requirement 4. Financial Requirements ### Course Requirements ThM students must satisfactorily complete the equivalent of one year of full-time study (16 credits or eight semester courses) within one year from the initial date of registration for the degree, according to the following stipulations: - Both semesters must be spent in full-time study (16 credits). - No course with a grade below B- may be counted toward the degree. - Four courses must be completed in a student’s chosen Area of Focus, of which one must be a seminar or colloquium. - A minimum of four of the courses completed must be selected from those offered by the Divinity School. Of these, at least half must be taken for a letter grade. - One-half of the total number of courses attempted each semester must be chosen from those offered by the Divinity School. - No more than two courses may be taken in the schools of the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium. A student who has completed an MDiv program and subsequently enrolled as a non-degree student at HDS may petition to receive advanced standing for up to four courses taken while a non-degree student. Courses must have been taken within four years immediately preceding matriculation. Advanced standing is not granted under any other circumstances. An exception to the requirement of full-time study is allowed for students who, upon successful petition to the appropriate curriculum committee, have officially been placed on part-time status (see the section titled “Part-Time Study”). ### Language Requirement Students must demonstrate intermediate-level reading competence in one of the eight theological languages examined by the School. In addition, areas of concentration and particular topics of study may require intermediate knowledge of a second language. Options for demonstrating competence in a language are described in full in the section titled “Language Study.” Students are asked to familiarize themselves with these options and to create a strategy for meeting the language requirement early in their program. ### Oral Examination Requirement Students must satisfactorily complete an oral examination by a committee of the faculty. ThM students will be examined orally by a committee of the faculty when the course requirements are nearing completion. A candidate must submit one large paper (normally 40-60 pages in length) or two smaller papers (each normally 20-30 pages in length) that provide a starting point for, or focus of, the questioning at the one-hour final oral examination. All papers should be submitted to the readers prior to the oral exam. Following the oral examination, a bound copy of the approved thesis must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for submission to the Harvard Divinity School Library. These papers may have been prepared in connection with, or as part of the requirements for, the courses which the student has taken as part of the ThM program. ## Financial Requirements ThM students must pay one year of tuition. Students who must enroll for a third term in order to complete requirements must pay for that term on a per-course basis at the current per-course rate. Students who have been approved to be part-time will pay on a per-course basis and must pay for a minimum of eight courses.