Degree-seeking students are accepted to LTS in a specific course of study. (For information about policies regarding non-degree seeking student status, see the student catalog or the section on continuing education).

Should the student desire a change in program, from the M.A. to the M.Div. or vice-versa, or a change from non-degree to degree-seeking status, a request for the change must be submitted to the Director of Admissions. The request must contain the reasons for the request and the planned completion of the new course of study, and it must be signed by the student’s Faculty Advisor.  The Director of Admissions will review the request and make a decision or request additional information.

6.1 Master of Divinity (M.Div.): The M. Div. is a professional degree designed to help persons preparing for Christian ministry. This degree is required for ordination by many denominations. The total number of hours required for graduation is 76. There are four primary goals to the M.Div. degree at Lexington Theological Seminary.  They are:

• that students will learn to think critically and creatively about the Christian faith;

• that students will gain the skills and knowledge in the fields of theology, church history, ethics, and Biblical studies that are needed for effective leadership in the Christian community;

• that students will gain specific pastoral and leadership skills appropriate to ordained ministry, including teaching, preaching, and pastoral care;

• that students will learn to appropriate the Gospel for their varying contexts; and that students will learn to integrate the spiritual, intellectual, and practical aspects of ministry.

6.1.1  Time Limit: The Master of Divinity degree must have been completed within ten years prior to the granting of the degree.

6.1.2  Curriculum Requirements: The degree can be completed in three years by taking twenty-five to twenty-six hours each year. It can be completed in four years by taking nineteen hours each year. Students must fulfill the curricular requirements in place when they enter the degree program. (For more information on allowable transfer credits, see Section 4.8, Transfer Credit.) For an overview of the curriculum structure, go to  M. Div. Curriculum Overview.

6.1.3  Ministry Site: A major component of the Master of Divinity degree is the participation in the life of a congregation. Students will serve in an accountable ministry in a congregational setting throughout their degree program.  (See Appendix K, Accountable Ministry Site) In the experience of this ministry site, students will benefit from the distinctive formation of congregational life and leadership.

6.1.4  Mentors: Each Master of Divinity student will be partnered with a local mentor during his/her degree program. The mentors help students reflect upon the ministry in which they are participating as well as participate in the evaluation of the students’ competency exercises and consult with them in the development of their capstone project in Level III of the degree program.

6.1.5  Covenant Groups: Master of Divinity students participate in a covenant group for no less than 4 terms.  Each term of a covenant group last three months and earns .5 credit hour toward the degree.  The covenant groups meet twice a month and are co-led by a professor and an experienced pastor.  Students will participate in two covenant groups during Level I of their program before their competency exercises are completed, one during Level II, and one during Level III.

6.1.6  Gerontology Program: The University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging offers a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. The program requires twelve hours of classroom work and a field experience for which three hours of credit are earned. LTS will accept the fifteen hours of work for transfer into the Master of Divinity degree program. The LTS Professor of Pastoral Leadership will work with the academic advisor at UK in an effort for the UK field education to count as one of the electives at LTS for M.Div. students.

6.2 Master of Arts (M.A.): The Master of Arts is a program designed to prepare men and women for a wide variety of ministries including advanced graduate study in one of the theological disciplines. It introduces students to the main theological disciplines, provides opportunity for some specialization, and requires a thesis relevant to the student’s goal. It is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate preparation for a variety of vocational goals.

6.2.1  Time Limit: Coursework counted toward the completion of the Master of Arts degree must have been completed within ten years prior to the granting of the degree.

6.2.2  M.A. Basic Curriculum Requirements: For information on allowable transfer credits, see Section 4.8, Transfer Credit. For an overview of the curriculum structure, go to  M.A. Curriculum Overview.

6.2.3  Gerontology Program: The University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging offers a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. Students in the Lexington area may enroll in this program. The program requires twelve hours of classroom work and a field experience for which three hours of credit are earned. Lexington Theological Seminary will accept the fifteen hours of work for transfer into the Master of Arts degree program.

6.2.4  Master of Arts Thesis: The M.A. thesis is the culmination of the Master of Arts degree at LTS.

Standards for an M.A. Thesis: The thesis should not be less than sixty pages in length. It must follow Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7^th ed., (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007) in matters of form and style. The thesis should build upon coursework and demonstrate an advanced level of research and thought.

The M.A. thesis is normally an academic research project, though the student may choose to relate the research to a question or issue in a religious community. It is expected that the M.A. thesis will demonstrate an advanced level of thought and facility in a field of religious studies.

The project provides an opportunity for candidates to engage in an inquiry which will:

• Develop and demonstrate a deep and coherent understanding of an area of religious studies;
• Further refine and integrate various elements of candidates’ academic work;
• Represent an advanced degree of knowledge and skill in a particular area.

Thesis Proposal Due Dates: The process of thesis submission begins with the thesis proposal. Master of Arts students must submit a thesis proposal to the faculty for approval. The following guidelines apply:

• Proposals are due after students complete thirty-three credit hours and no later than the completion of thirty-nine hours.
• Proposals are due in the Office of the Dean on the third Friday of the month proceeding the month the proposal is being presented to the faculty.
• Students who do not submit their proposals by the time they complete thirty-nine hours will not be allowed to register for subsequent coursework. The Registrar’s Office will be responsible for identifying students who are not allowed to register for further coursework.

Thesis Proposal Preparation and Submission: Before beginning to write the proposal, a student must select a proposed Thesis Advisor from among the faculty and that faculty member must agree to advise the student. The student should confer with her/his proposed Thesis Advisor about procedures and faculty expectations. The proposed Thesis Advisor will engage the student in a discussion of the main considerations in the proposal.

Before the proposal is submitted for approval, the student will:

• Review the thesis proposal with and receive approval from the proposed Thesis Advisor.
• Select proposed thesis readers from a related field. One of the readers may be from an institution other than LTS. Any outside reader must be approved by the Thesis Advisor and Dean. M.A. thesis readers must be faculty or retired faculty members of LTS or another institution accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and/or have their accreditation recognized by the United States Department of Education (or international equivalent), and must be involved in a discipline related to the content of the thesis.
• Secure from the readers their consent to serve.

The thesis proposal is an 800 to 1,300 word, 12-point font, double-spaced document which shall contain the following elements:

• • Title
  • Thesis Statement
  • Methodology to be applied
  • Brief discussion of the existing scholarship on the topic
  • Statement of the nature and purpose of the thesis
  • Outline of the basic content of the thesis
  • Working bibliography, and
  • Names of two readers who agree to serve along with the Thesis Advisor as the Thesis Committee.

When the Thesis Advisor has approved a satisfactory draft, the student will prepare the final copy. The top of the first page of the proposal should contain the student’s and the Thesis Advisor’s typed names, signatures, and date signed.

The proposal is submitted to the Dean’s office according to the above timetable.

The faculty will review the proposal at the faculty meeting following the due date of the proposal. Faculty meetings are generally the first Monday of each month. Faculty reserve the right to postpone review of any proposal to balance the distribution between meetings. Students will be advised of postponed proposals.

When the proposal comes before the faculty, it may be approved, returned for revision (of either content or designation of readers), or rejected. Should the proposal be rejected, the student must begin formulating another thesis proposal. All thesis proposals must be approved by the faculty.

Thesis Writing, Completion and Defense: When writing the thesis the student must work closely with his or her thesis advisor sending portions or sections of the thesis to the advisor for feedback and modifications.

When the student and advisor agree that the thesis is close to completion the student may register for the thesis course credit.  Students should register for their thesis only in the month in which they expect to defend it.  Those who do not complete the thesis in the expected month will receive an NC as a grade until the thesis is completed and defended.

• Students will submit a copy to each of the faculty members on their thesis committee.

• Students will schedule a time for the thesis defense that is no less than 1 month before the date of graduation.

The defense is open to the entire faculty and is chaired by the Thesis Advisor.  Should others beyond faculty members wish to attend a thesis defense, they may do so only with the consent of the Thesis Advisor and Dean of the Seminary and only under whatever conditions the Advisor and Dean choose to impose.

Thesis Grade and Final Requirements: As soon as possible after the defense, the student’s thesis committee will communicate the results of its evaluation.  The thesis committee will normally convene immediately following the defense so that they may convey the results of their deliberations to the student without delay.

Students may receive a grade on the thesis, a grade dependent upon revisions being made and approved by the Thesis Advisor or thesis committee, or, instructions to make substantial revisions and appear again to present a defense.

When the thesis is approved, the thesis committee members will sign the title page of the thesis in the appropriate place and the thesis advisor will submit the grade to the registrar.  A thesis will receive a grade of Credit or No Credit.

• A minimum of a C performance is required for a thesis to receive a mark of Credit.
• A thesis may also receive an “Honors” designation if the thesis committee determines that it is of superior quality.
• For an MA thesis which is not complete at the end of the month for which it was registered, a No Credit (NC) will be reflected on the transcript until the thesis is successfully completed.

When the thesis committee has accepted the thesis, the student will submit two copies to the office of the Dean.  The copies must be submitted unbound on #16 Roman 12-point type on at least 50% cotton paper (twenty-weight).  No credit will be given for a thesis that does not conform to the correct form and style.

The Seminary will have the copies of the thesis bound.  One copy will remain in the Library and the other will be returned to the student.  Graduation fees that cover these costs are to be paid to the Business Office.

6.3 Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (M.A.P.S.): The purpose of the degree is to prepare Roman Catholics for lay ministry at a diocesan or parish level.  The degree is designed only for Roman Catholics who do not seek ordination.  Others will not be admitted.  Graduates of this program will have a basic knowledge of scripture, contemporary biblical scholarship, the Christian tradition, theology, moral theology, and sacramental traditions.  They will have skills in developing and executing programs of education, administration of parish life, and pastoral care and nurture of Christian communities.

6.3.1  Time Limit: Coursework counted toward the completion of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies degree must have been completed within ten years prior to the granting of the degree.

6.3.2  Curriculum Requirements: M.A.P.S students may transfer up to 15 hours into the program.  For more information on allowable transfer credits see section 4.8, Transfer Credit.  For an overview of the curriculum structure go to  M.A.P.S Curriculum Overview.

6.4 Doctor of Ministry: The Doctor of Ministry program at Lexington Seminary is an advanced professional degree, designed to strengthen ministry practice and leadership in the midst of today’s rapidly changing cultures.  The program seeks to train students to be critical interpreters of culture and theology, skilled practitioners, and faithful leaders in ministry.  D.Min. studies call for rigorous academic work within the context of collegiality, spiritual formation, and a high level of commitment to the life and witness of the Church.  Our goal is to integrate an advanced level of theological reflection and the practice of ministry, thereby raising the standards of ministry and contributing to the continuing renewal and mission of the Church.

6.4.1  Time Limit: Course work counted toward the completion of the Doctor of Ministry degree must have been completed within ten years prior to the granting of the degree.

6.4.2  Curriculum Requirements: D.Min. students may transfer up to 3 elective hours into the program.  For information on allowable transfer credits see section 4.8, Transfer Credit.  For an overview of the curriculum structure go the D.Min Curriculum Overview.

6.4.3  Submission of Project Proposal: After completing 20 hours in the program, and prior to the completion of 26 hours, the student will submit a Project Proposal to the D.Min. committee and the faculty.  The proposal should be three pages, single-spaced, in length; in addition a substantial bibliography (including key sources in the proposed field of study) must accompany the proposal.  A faculty member will be assigned by the D.Min. Director as advisor to the student prior to the writing of both the proposal and the final project.  Please click here to download the DMin Project Proposal document.

The Project should arise from the practice of ministry in the congregation or church agency served by the doctoral candidate, and it must represent an advanced level of theology, research, and practice.  The goal is to require candidates to express her or his calling as practical theologians in defining and reflecting on an issue of significance in the life of the church or church agency.

The Project must reflect substantive, scholarly research in the area of inquiry.

Depending upon the nature of the Project, candidates may be required to enlist a collaborative team of leaders from the congregational or agency context in which they serve.

6.4.4 Models for the Project are:

• Action/Reflection – The development and implementation of a program in a congregational or church agency setting, with particular emphasis on the theological grounding and the critical evaluation of the program.

• Extended Research Essay –  An inquiry into a topic related to the integration of theology and the practice of ministry in a congregation or church agency.

6.4.5 Project Dates:  Candidates will register and pay tuition for the D.Min. project in the semester in which they present the project.  The Seminary requires that projects be submitted to the D.Min. Director by February 1 of the proposed graduation year.

Following the presentation and any required revisions and ultimate approval, two copies of the final approved project are to be sent to the D.Min. Director by May 1 of the year in which the degree is to be conferred.

6.4.6 Project Format: The optimum length of the final project is approximately 125 pages, and there is an absolute maximum of 150 pages.  The paper must follow Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7^th ed. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007) in matters of form and style.

6.4.7 Project Completion and Committee Presentation: The following steps describe the process of preparation, oral presentation, revision and final submission of the project following acceptance of the project proposal:

• The candidate is required to submit chapter drafts to her/his Project Advisor.
• When the project is completed and receives final approval from the Project Advisor, three copies of the project are submitted to the D.Min. Director.
• Upon receipt of the project, the D.Min.. Director appoints a third faculty reader.
• The candidate must schedule the oral presentation when the final project is submitted to the Director of the D.Min.. Program.
• The oral presentation meeting will last approximately one hour.  The candidate will give a brief summary of the project.  Committee members will then ask questions of the project.
• The Committee will give a decision on the project as soon as possible following the meeting. The Committee may approve the project and inform the Registrar of the grade for D.Min. 858 in the candidate’s records; or, may delay its decision on the project and ask for revision of the final project at specific points. (This action could result in postponement of graduation.)
• The project is not complete until the candidate has made any needed revisions and the Project Advisor has approved the final copy.

6.4.8  Project Submission:

• Two copies must be submitted unbound on #16 Roman 12-point type on at least 50% cotton paper (twenty-weight).
• The Seminary will have these copies of the project bound.  One copy remains in the Library and the other is returned to the candidate.
• Graduation fees that cover these costs are to be paid to the Business Office.
• When the final project is submitted, it must be accompanied by a one-paragraph abstract of 100 words or less.  This abstract will be published in the American Theological Library Association’s Research in Ministry (RIM):  An Index to Doctor of Ministry Theses and Projects.