M.Div./M.Min. Degree (ESR Access)
Students who enroll full-time as M.Div./M.Min. degree seeking students through ESR Access should expect to come to Richmond, Indiana at least twice per year for two-week intensive classes (Aug., Jan., or May). During the Fall and Spring semesters, the full-time student takes one or more online classes. The full-time student, then, carries a minimum of 6 credits per semester, but more if the student wishes to complete the program in five years. At least one-third of the course work must be done on campus in the two-week intensives, not only to satisfy residency requirements but also to support the student's sense of community and an opportunity to utilize campus facilities.
Although students may begin the program in any course period, they should plan to take the August two-week intensive course Introduction to Spiritual Formation at their earliest opportunity. This course focuses on spiritual formation, and is also designed to allow Access students and ESR faculty to meet and become personally acquainted. This initial course provides an opportunity for students to experience life at ESR, and to meet fellow students with whom they will be interacting via electronic media in the on-line courses. This time together allows for periods of worship and Common Meals, each of which is important in our conception of learning in community.
Throughout the Access program, intensive courses offer an opportunity to come together for the purpose of learning a variety of practical ministry skills and of engaging topics important for a well-rounded theological education. Foundational, introductory courses, such as Introduction to Theological Reflection or Old Testament History and Literature, are offered on-line, as these courses generally demand longer periods of time to consume and process large amounts of information. This combination of course offerings creates stimulating learning opportunities that continue ESR's commitment to transformational educational experiences while meeting the logistical needs of many persons.
An important element of the M.Div./M.Min. program is the Supervised Ministry year. Students admitted to candidacy for this degree work with faculty to arrange an internship in which they can exercise and further develop their gifts for ministry. The Supervised Ministry program includes a year-long, nine-semester-hour seminar in which the case study method is used for reflection on class members' ministry experiences.
During their final year, students in the ESR Access M.Div./M.Min. program take Comprehensive Seminar, a year-long on-line course. This course enables the student to have an experience in integrating learning from all areas of the curriculum around a given problem. The seminar also serves to strengthen a student in areas of weakness. The experience requires students to draw deeply from their accumulated reservoir of learning and demonstrates their own readiness for ministry.
The ESR Access "competency in ministry" curriculum is designed to fulfill the needs of an M.Div./M.Min. degree with course work distributed over a five-year period.
Basic Requirements of the ESR Access M.Div./M.Min. Competency in Ministry Curriculum (81 semester hours)
The ESR Access curriculum is designed to fulfill the needs of an M.Div./M.Min. degree with course work distributed over a 5 year period. For a fuller description of the function of each of these areas of study, see the section on the residential M.Div./M.Min. program on page 23.
1) Biblical Preparation for Ministry (12 hours)
The introductory courses in Old Testament and New Testament are two of the required courses. These are taught as on-line courses. Students must also take two 300 level courses, one exegesis course and one advanced seminar, both of which are offered during two-week intensive periods.
2) Church Historical Preparation for Ministry (9 hours)
The required courses for this core area of study are History of Christianity I, U.S. Church History, and a denominational course, either Quaker Life or a directed reading course in the student's denomination.
3) Theological Preparation for Ministry (9 hours)
To fulfill the nine credit hours, students will first take Introduction to Theological Reflection as an on-line course. The two upper level courses in this area of study are taken as two-week intensive classes, Christian Ethics and Constructive Theology.
4) Applied Theological Preparation for Ministry (30 hours electives)
It is in this area where students are able to select courses according to their particular interests in ministry. Students are encouraged to select a variety of courses in order to gain a broad experience in applied ministry. Some of these courses are offered in the on-line formst, such as Introduction to Pastoral Care, Pastoral Spirituality, Pastoral Care with Family Systems, and Preaching. Other electives are available during the two-week intensive periods, such as Work of the Pastor, Emergency Pastoral Care, Prayer, Group Spiritual Direction, Quaker Spirituality, Quaker Beliefs, etc.
5) Formation Core Courses (21 hours)
Near the beginning of the program, students take Introduction to Spiritual Formation during the August intensive period. Another required course is Introduction to Peace & Justice, which is offered on-line. The May two-week intensive class, Discernment of Calls & Gifts, assists students in their process of formation and discernment of ministry. After meeting the prerequisite courses and being admitted to degree candidacy, students arrange with the Director of Supervised Ministry an internship within their locale. Accompanying this is a year-long on-line course, Supervised Ministry. The final course in this area is another year-long on-line course, Comprehensive Seminar.