In this era of continuing education at all age levels, it is increasingly important to continue personal and professional growth to better serve the Lord and humanity in an educated society.

The Mission of Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary is to provide biblically conservative, academically challenging, culturally relevant, and financially affordable preparation for a new generation of Christian ministers. 

  The curriculum attempts to build upon the professional and personal competence of those already engaged in ministry, to challenge scholarly inquiry, and the continuous development of: new abilities, new paradigms of ministering, and new awareness of the ever-changing needs of the world.  This is done within the theologically conservative tradition of the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Bible.

The specific educational and spiritual objectives of the Seminary are:

• To create alternative graduate-level opportunities for pastors, missionaries, evangelists and other Christian professionals.
  
  
• To offer nonresident studies comparable to resident programs in rigor and learning outcomes through the tutorial supervision of a qualified faculty.
  
  
• To enable experienced mid-career, self-motivated ministers to earn advanced degrees without leaving their present ministries.
  
  
• To enhance professional competency through a deeper understanding of biblical-theological truth and its application in all facets of ministry.
  
  
• To maximize advantages of students engaged in bi-vocational ministry.
  
  
• To prepare Christian professionals for ministries in all areas.

Programs of Study

Master of Ministry Degree

Program Description
The Master of Ministry Program is a 36 credit hour program designed to enhance the effectiveness of those currently engaged in vocational and bi-vocational ministries.  Course content is directed toward immediate application.  Curriculum is structured to provide appropriate balance between academic challenge and practical value for student in meeting the ministry needs of people in a local church. 

Master of Ministry Practicum
All students participate in a 15 week practicum for which they receive 6 hours credit. 

Prerequisite: Candidates for the program must have a completed Bachelors Degree from an institution recognized by Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.  

Versatility of the Degree
Upon completion of this degree all 36 hours can be applied toward the Master of Divinity Degree (the M Div is a 90 hour program).  A second option is to use the degree as a basis for enrolling in the Doctor of Religious Education (DRE) or a PhD in Biblical Studies. 

Overview of the Degree

General Ministries Elective Courses:
                                                                                                                         
The elective courses in General Ministry may be chosen from catalog pages 107- 113.  Courses on pages 114-121 may be taken by special permission from the Dean

(Both options assume the student has received the full 6 hours of Life Credit)        

Program Description
The Master of Theological Studies Program is a 36 credit hour program designed to move students beyond an introductory study of the ten major disciplines of systematic theology and challenge critical thinking about one’s own theological beliefs. Curriculum is structured to provide appropriate balance between academic challenge and practical value for the student and those to whom he ministers in a local church.  In this program students are required to take five advanced courses in systematic theology but may choose to do further study in theology.

Prerequisite: Candidates for the program must have a completed Bachelors Degree from an institution recognized by Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.  

Versatility of the Degree
All 36 hours of the Master of Theological Studies Degree can be applied toward the Master of Divinity (the MDiv is a 90 hour program).  A second option is to use the degree as a basis for enrolling in the Doctor of Religious Education (DRE) or a PhD in Biblical Studies.

Overview of the Degree

Deserving students are often granted up to 6 hours of course credit based on extensive experience in ministry.  However this credit may only be recorded on the student’s transcript after the Petition for Life Credit Forms (2 forms) are satisfactorily completed and returned to LBTS.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    6 hours

The student’s prescribed course of study in the Master of Theological Studies Degree is as follows:

Master of Divinity                   

Program Description
The Master of Divinity Degree is a 90 credit hour program designed to equip students with the biblical and ministerial skills necessary to serve in any role within a local church or denominational office.  The curriculum is comprehensive including both theological study and practical ministry.  Course content is sufficiently challenging academically for the student without sacrificing the practical value necessary for meeting the ministry needs of people in a local church.  Opportunities exist for transfer credit and life experience credit.  Students who have completed a theological masters degree program of less than 90 hours can generally transfer some and occasionally all the hours from the previous degree into the Master of Divinity.

Prerequisite: Candidates for the program must have a completed Bachelors Degree from an institution recognized by Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.  

Overview of the Degree

Program Description
The Master of Theology degree is a 30 credit hour program designed for academically gifted students who wish to study beyond the Master of Divinity.  A Master of Divinity is a prerequisite requirement for enrolling in this degree program.  Curriculum content is challenging and calls for familiarity with the biblical languages.  The primary focus of the curriculum is advanced theological studies.

Master’s Thesis
All students in the Master of Theology are required to complete a 30,000 word thesis.  The subject of the thesis must be theological in nature and pre-approved by the Dean.  The thesis must reflect the high quality of research and scholarship required for the Master of Theology Program.

Prerequisite: Candidates for the program must have at least a Master of Divinity or equivalent of graduate level theological training from an institution recognized by Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.  

Overview of the Degree

The student’s prescribed course of study in the Master of Theology Degree is as follows:
                                                                                                                         
The Advanced Theological Studies Courses students are required to take are described in the current catalog on page 114.

Doctor of Religious Education                  

Program Description
The Doctor of Religious Education is a 60 semester hour terminal research degree in theological education. This program provides ministers the maximum learning experience available in the field of Christian education. The degree is for pastors (senior pastors and those with designated ministry roles), missionaries, Christian educators, and others who wish to sharpen their skills with the best ministry tools available today.

Prerequisites: Candidates for the program must have at least a Masters Degree of 36 hours from an institution recognized by Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.  

Program Overview

Some qualified candidates entering the DRE program maybe entitled to receive up to a maximum of fifteen hours of course credit based on extensive life experience in ministry.  The criteria for determining whether a candidate receives any such credit and if so, how much are guided by a number of totally objective factors.  The determination is made by examining the candidate’s Application for Enrollment and the availability of information and documentation requested in the Application.  All candidates entering the program are encouraged to apply for Life Credit.  

Program Description
The Doctor of Ministry is an applied research degree designed for pastors and other ministers.  The purpose of the program is to enhance the student’s spiritual and professional skills by conceiving, designing, and carrying out an applied ministry project.   Significant ministry experience (generally 3 years or more in that area of ministry) is required.  The student is expected to conduct his applied ministry within the framework of the theologically conservative paradigm for which Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary is known. 

Prerequisite: Candidates for the program must have at least a Master of Divinity or equivalent of graduate level theological training from an institution recognized by Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.  

Doctor of Theology

Program Description
The Doctor of Theology is a 45 semester hour terminal research degree in theological studies. 
The program is designed to assist students who are pursuing advanced theological studies in developing the skills necessary for a ministry of scholarly research, writing and teaching.  Each student’s curriculum is uniquely tailored to coincide with his dissertation topic. The custom design of the curriculum is accomplished through a learning contract between the student and his faculty advisor.

Prerequisite: Candidates for the program must have at least a 90 hour Master of Divinity Degree or equivalent of graduate level theological training from an institution recognized by Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, candidates must also possess a familiarity with the biblical languages based on having satisfactorily completed a minimum of at least 6 semester hours in both Greek and Hebrew. 

Program Overview:

Some qualified candidates entering the ThD program maybe entitled to receive up to a maximum of fifteen hours of course credit based on extensive life experience in ministry.  The criteria for determining whether a candidate receives any such credit and if so, how much are guided by a number of totally objective factors.  The determination is made by examining the candidate’s Application for Enrollment and the availability of information and documentation requested in the Application.  All candidates entering the program are encouraged to apply for Life Credit.