Master of Sacred Theology Postgraduate Program By Boston University |Top Universities
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Main Subject Area

Theology, Divinity and Religious StudiesMain Subject Area

Program overview

Main Subject

Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies

Study Level

Masters

The Master of Sacred Theology (STM) is an advanced graduate professional degree for those who wish to pursue a year of more advanced coursework focusing on a particular discipline. The degree is not considered probationary for the doctorate. Applicants must hold a first-level graduate professional degree and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. STM candidates withdrawing from the STM program to apply for the ThD or PhD must submit a new application and may not transfer STM credits if they were deemed ineligible for admission to the doctoral program at the time of their initial STM application. Only 900-level courses will be considered for transfer, by petition to the Advanced Studies Committee (ASC). Curriculum Requirements The STM program requires eight semester courses (32 credits). A minimum of five semester courses are required in the primary discipline, plus three electives. Six of the eight required courses must be taken at Boston University. All courses must be taken at the 800 or 900 level. Courses at the 700 level are not open for credit to STM students. A maximum of three of the eight semester courses may be fulfilled through directed studies (including one for thesis writing, by approved Thesis Petition). Students in the STM program may enroll in formal study of any biblical, classical, or ancient Near Eastern languages appropriate to their major for full credit toward the degree, up to a maximum of 16 credits (the requirement of 800 level or higher courses does not apply in these cases). STM students who are registered full-time must complete the degree within two semesters. In all cases, STM students must earn the degree within two years (four semesters) of the semester of matriculation. For all classes, a minimum grade of B− is required. No grade lower than B− is acceptable for use in satisfying the requirements for the Master of Sacred Theology. Tuition Scholarships: Tuition Scholarships are awarded for the academic year, September to May. All awards are for a maximum of one academic year of full-time STM study. All STM students are required to either pass a written, two-hour comprehensive exam or to write a thesis. The presumed culmination for all admitted STM students is the written comprehensive exam. Students who want to write a thesis must petition to do so using the STM Thesis Petition Form (Appendix A in the STM Handbook). Students must complete this form, which includes the signature of an advisor willing to support the thesis-writing process. Each student must submit the completed Petition Form, a brief proposal of the topic of the thesis (up to two pages in length), a one-page bibliography, and an academic writing sample (fewer than 20 pages) to the School of Theology thesis coordinator during the first semester of STM coursework. The deadline for submission of the Petition Form is December 5 for students who matriculate in the Fall Semester, and April 5 for students who matriculate in the Spring Semester. The thesis coordinator will file the request with the thesis advisor and the ASC. Students pursuing the thesis option may count it as equivalent to one course (4 credits) if they register for a directed study with the major advisor/professor. The thesis is graded; a minimum grade of B− is required. The thesis must be submitted in approved format.

Program overview

Main Subject

Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies

Study Level

Masters

The Master of Sacred Theology (STM) is an advanced graduate professional degree for those who wish to pursue a year of more advanced coursework focusing on a particular discipline. The degree is not considered probationary for the doctorate. Applicants must hold a first-level graduate professional degree and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. STM candidates withdrawing from the STM program to apply for the ThD or PhD must submit a new application and may not transfer STM credits if they were deemed ineligible for admission to the doctoral program at the time of their initial STM application. Only 900-level courses will be considered for transfer, by petition to the Advanced Studies Committee (ASC). Curriculum Requirements The STM program requires eight semester courses (32 credits). A minimum of five semester courses are required in the primary discipline, plus three electives. Six of the eight required courses must be taken at Boston University. All courses must be taken at the 800 or 900 level. Courses at the 700 level are not open for credit to STM students. A maximum of three of the eight semester courses may be fulfilled through directed studies (including one for thesis writing, by approved Thesis Petition). Students in the STM program may enroll in formal study of any biblical, classical, or ancient Near Eastern languages appropriate to their major for full credit toward the degree, up to a maximum of 16 credits (the requirement of 800 level or higher courses does not apply in these cases). STM students who are registered full-time must complete the degree within two semesters. In all cases, STM students must earn the degree within two years (four semesters) of the semester of matriculation. For all classes, a minimum grade of B− is required. No grade lower than B− is acceptable for use in satisfying the requirements for the Master of Sacred Theology. Tuition Scholarships: Tuition Scholarships are awarded for the academic year, September to May. All awards are for a maximum of one academic year of full-time STM study. All STM students are required to either pass a written, two-hour comprehensive exam or to write a thesis. The presumed culmination for all admitted STM students is the written comprehensive exam. Students who want to write a thesis must petition to do so using the STM Thesis Petition Form (Appendix A in the STM Handbook). Students must complete this form, which includes the signature of an advisor willing to support the thesis-writing process. Each student must submit the completed Petition Form, a brief proposal of the topic of the thesis (up to two pages in length), a one-page bibliography, and an academic writing sample (fewer than 20 pages) to the School of Theology thesis coordinator during the first semester of STM coursework. The deadline for submission of the Petition Form is December 5 for students who matriculate in the Fall Semester, and April 5 for students who matriculate in the Spring Semester. The thesis coordinator will file the request with the thesis advisor and the ASC. Students pursuing the thesis option may count it as equivalent to one course (4 credits) if they register for a directed study with the major advisor/professor. The thesis is graded; a minimum grade of B− is required. The thesis must be submitted in approved format.

Admission requirements

7+

Tuition fee and scholarships

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

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One of the largest private universities in the country, Boston University educates approximately 16,000 undergraduate students each year. Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach in 250 programs of study at 17 schools and colleges.

In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked BU 37th in the nation and 39th among global universities. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1 and the average class size is 27.
BU is a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. It’s not unusual to find undergraduates in the cutting-edge labs and work spaces of prominent researchers tackling life-changing challenges.

Recognized around the world, the University fields applications for admission from students representing over 150 countries. By the same token, thousands of Terriers get their passports stamped every year for study, research, and internships on all seven continents. Once they graduate, BU students are among the most employable in the country and the world—5th and 6th, respectively, according to Times Higher Education.
BU is implementing a University-wide general education curriculum called the BU Hub, which ensures every graduate will possess the essential knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed to think deeply, generate new ideas, and put them into action, particularly within the context of a hyper-fast, globally connected world.

On campus, daily life is a swirl of languages, faces, and religions, with 450+ student clubs, countless shows and lectures, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a slew of pubs and restaurants, and 22 varsity athletic teams, including the thrills and spills of Terrier hockey.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

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The largest university in Boston and the fourth-largest private educational institution in the country, Boston University counts some 15,000 graduate students among its student body.

Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach at 17 schools and colleges and when not at the front of the classroom, they can be found at BU’s 125+ research centers and institutes and 2,326 laboratories spread across three city campuses. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows.
BU is a major, global research institution and a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of 62 of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. Home also to a medical school and teaching hospital, in FY2017 BU landed more than $400M in federal research dollars. In the commercial sector, some 200 companies are developing and selling products based on BU discoveries.

U.S. News & World Report for 2019 ranked numerous BU graduate programs among the country’s top 50: Sargent College’s occupational therapy program (#1), School of Public Health’s program (#10), Business (#42), Education (#34), Law (#22), Engineering (#34), Biomedical Engineering (#12), Medical Research (#29), Medical Primary Care (#26), Social Work (#10), as well as graduate programs in Computer Science, Math, Physics, Economics, Psychology, and Sociology.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

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Postgrad programs 63