At the beginning of the last semester of your studies, or after completing all your core course requirements, you may register to complete the capstone essays.

You will be given:

• three randomly selected essay questions from the Division of Philosophical and Systematic Studies and 
• two questions from the Division of Biblical and Historical Studies. 

You select three of the five questions (at least one from Philosophical and Systematic Studies and at least one from Biblical and Historical Studies). 

You must respond to each question with an essay of eight to 10 pages. Essays must draw on adequate sources, follow a recognized style manual for citation (preferably Chicago Style), and be completed three weeks prior to the last scheduled class day for the semester.

The professor who submitted the question will read the essay. The grades for all three essays will be averaged to determine your grade for the exam. You must earn a B- or above to pass. If you earn lower than a B-, you may retake the exam once, within six months of the first attempt.

See a general calendar of deadlines for registration and completion of capstone essays.

This option for the concluding exercise entails writing a 25- to 30-page research paper that demonstrates achievement of theological literacy, after you have completed at least 30 hours of the MA(T).

For example, you may write on some aspect of sacred Scripture, Church history, the Profession of Faith, the celebration of the Christian Mystery, the life in Christ, Christian prayer or ministerial practice. In addition, your paper must identify how it satisfies at least one other degree outcome.

Your paper must draw on adequate sources, follow a recognized style manual for citation (preferably Chicago style), and be completed three weeks prior to the last scheduled class day for the semester. Your paper will be graded by your research director and one other faculty reader. You must earn an average of at least a “B-” to pass.