2010-2011 HBU Catalog - Houston Baptist University

MASTER OF ARTS IN THEOLOGICAL STUDIES
The HBU Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) is designed to meet the specific needs of those planning
to enter vocational or bi-vocational church ministry, or of those already engaged in vocational or bi-vocational
church ministry. The program is designed to enable the graduate student or graduate of this program to greater
effectiveness and accomplishment in service through vocational church ministry.
The Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) is also designed to enable graduates to continue in additional
graduate study or to develop programs of continuing education for personal growth in ministry. Students will
study intensively in the four major areas of theological studies: biblical, historical/theological, philosophical, and
practical studies.
The student will be responsible for critical essays on the major works in subject categories, ongoing oral
evaluations by the tutor on knowledge in subject categories, a major paper, and a final exam. A student with less
than a (3.0) average for a term may enter a new term of work but will be on probation for that term. Should the
student have less than a ―B‖ average at the end of the probationary term, the student will be suspended for one
term after which a case review will determine whether the student will be allowed to enter the program again. A
category of discipline mastered satisfactorily will be given an evaluation of ―B-‖ to ―A‖ and a student will
receive the appropriate hours of graduate credit for the course. A course in which the student receives less than a
―C-‖ will not count toward completion of the degree. The grading scale will be the University grading scale as
described in this Catalog.
This degree requires 36 hours of course work. At the invitation of a professor, the last six hours may be taken as
a thesis option. Students with an undergraduate major in Christianity, Religion, or Biblical Studies will be
granted advanced standing, and may begin work immediately in the 36-hour requirements for the degree
provided that other entrance criteria have been met. Other students will be required to take 5300. Application for
candidacy for the degree must be filed after 27 hours of course work has been completed. Students in the
Accelerated MATS program must file for candidacy after completion of 18 hours of course work.
The Accelerated MATS (Master of Arts in Theological Studies)
The Accelerated MATS program offers undergraduate Christianity majors an opportunity to begin work toward
the MATS degree at the beginning of their first semester of their junior year. By entering this track as an
undergraduate, a student may earn a MATS degree with one year of graduate studies after earning the BA or BS
degree. Complete requirements for this program are described in the ―College of Arts and Humanities‖ section of
this Catalog.
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
The MBA Program is structured to develop the knowledge and skills vital to succeed in the business world,
offering an intensive curriculum for training students in the fundamentals of business practices. This curriculum
is also uniquely innovative and flexible. The MBA program requires completion of 16 courses that amount to 48
semester hours of academic work. Students may enter the program throughout the year, in any semester.
The MBA is open to college graduates with degrees in any field. Completion of previous courses in business is
not required for entry into the program. Academically qualified students from Liberal Arts, Engineering, the
sciences, and other non-business fields who have an interest in business as a profession are encouraged to apply.
Graduates of undergraduate Business programs will also benefit from pursuing the MBA.
The MBA curriculum is divided into ―core‖ courses and ―diversification‖ courses. The 11 core courses (33
hours) provide a broad, integrated foundation covering the functional areas, tools, and methodologies that are
needed by all business professionals. The five diversification courses (15 semester hours) are selected from a
menu of advanced offerings in areas like Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Management, International
Management, HR Management, and Information Technology. This allows the student to combine courses from
one or more subject areas and thus customize the MBA to career goals.
MASTER OF EDUCATION
The School of Education offers MEd degree programs in Counselor Education, Curriculum and Instruction,
Educational Administration, Bilingual Education, and Educational Diagnostician. As part of the Curriculum and
Instruction program, a student may acquire the following: (1) initial teacher certification (EC-6, 4-8, 8-12 or EC-
12), (2) initial teacher certification in Special Education (EC-12), (3) supplemental certification in ESL (English
as a Second Language) , (4) a specialization in Instructional Technology, or (5) increased expertise in the areas
of curriculum and instruction (without an additional certification or specialization).
2010-2011 HBU Catalog www.hbu.edu/catalog Page 76