Combining Liberal Arts and Christian Training: Programs at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Theology Degree Programs Online.
The goal of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to train and equip graduates for professions outside of the church. The school offers Associate of Arts degrees that are two-year programs providing a liberal arts foundation for church studies. They are 67-hour programs requiring 37 hours in general studies like English Composition, Western Civilization and Introduction to Computers. The AA degree requires three hours in college-level algebra, natural science, introductory physics or a course called The Neuroscience of behavior. The AA degree also requires 24 hours in Christian studies and two free electives. SEBTS offers an Associate of Bible and Theology, AA ( Spanish) and an Associate of Arts in Divinity which is an online program.
Bachelor of Arts degrees at this school require students to select a major and to minor in Christian studies. They may also select a second major or minor. The general studies core is 48 hours of study, the minor contains 24 hours and there are also electives. The school offers a BA in Biblical Studies, A Ba in English, BA in Global Studies which is offered online, BA in History, BA in History ( Pre Law Track), BA in Humanities, a BA in Pastoral Ministry and a BA in Christian Counseling. The Christian Counseling BA is intended to give foundational knowledge to people involved in church counseling but also to pre[part students for graduate-level study. It contains the core curriculum plus a Christian studies minor plus 30 hours in the counseling major. The major includes courses such as Abnormal Psychology, Biblical Counseling, and Counseling Theory. Students are required to select one of the following: Marital and Premarital Counseling, Counseling Parents and Children, Counseling and the Church or Cross-Cultural Counseling.
There are nineteen minors available which include Apologetics, Business, History, Teaching English as a Second Language and others.
Bachelor of Science programs at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary require students to major in select a major from a prescribed list. The 45-credit-hour major must be accompanied by 36 hours in general studies and 45 hours of vocational electives. The vocational elective requisite can be met by transferring into the College at Southeastern with an associate degree from a community college, by dual enrollment at Southeastern and a community college or by completing the College at Southeastern business minor and adding free electives to meet the required credit hours.
Bachelor of Science degrees include a BS in Biblical Studies, BS in Christian Ethics, BS in Christian Worldview and Apologetics, BS in Pastoral Ministry, BS in Student Ministry or BS in Global Studies.
The Bachelor of Science in Global Studies introduces students to the diversities in world culture. Some of the courses in the major are Anthropology for Cross-Cultural Understanding, Judaism, Islam and Contexts, an International or a North American missions practicum and others.
Graduate degree programs include the Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies. This is a 54-hour program offered online, through extension or in a hybrid format. The two-year program contains 37 hours in core studies, 12 hours in intercultural studies and six hours of electives.
The Master of Divinity is offered in fourteen tracks plus a five-year BA-to-MA program and includes concentrations in Church Planning or Advanced Biblical Studies. The Vocational and General Master of Arts degree includes an MA in Biblical Counseling that is intended to prepare students for a career in counseling through churches or in a para-church environment. While the Master of Divinity program is intended for pastors, this degree is for those who intend to enter the vocational counseling ministry. The MA in Biblical Counseling contains 37 hours of core courses, 21 in Biblical Counseling courses and six in counseling electives.
Other Vocational and General Master of Arts degrees at SEBTS include the MA in Christian Education, MA in Christian Education with Biblical Counseling, MA in Christian Marital, Family and Individual Counseling, MA in Ministry to Women and six other majors. The school also offers a Research Master of Arts degree in seven areas and a Master of Theological Studies. There are also doctoral programs at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary along with two undergraduate certificate programs and three graduate certificates.
About Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
This is a private not-for-profit school in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It was created in 1950 to fill a need for Christian education in the area, but classes didn’t begin until the next year. Also called SEBTS, the goal of the university is to educate students who will either minister through the church or demonstrate a Christian worldview in their areas of endeavor.
Southeastern is a seminary but has established a college that offers associate and baccalaureate degrees as well as the Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies. Altogether there are more than 40 degree programs offered through SEBTS and its college.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Accreditation Details
- Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Application Requirements
Students applying to the school as freshmen should complete the online application form and submit it along with a $40 non-refundable application fee to the school. They must arrange to have their high schools submit their official transcripts, GPA and class ranking to the university, and the agency which administered the SAT or ACT submit those scores as well. Additionally, they will need to complete and submit a medical information form, immunization history, two character references, a pastoral reference, church reference, a spousal statement if they are married, and complete a criminal background check. Graduate students must also complete the online application and arrange to have their official undergraduate transcripts sent to the school.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate tuition at SEBTS is $8,224. Room and board add another $2,196. Graduate tuition is about $300 to $340 per credit hour for Southern Baptist students or military personnel. Tuition for all others is significantly higher. In addition, there are fees such as the enrollment fees, audit and other charges. There are also costs associated with personal expenses that must be included in the budget.
Most students need assistance paying for their educations. Southeastern has several in-house scholarships based on academic merit and financial need. There are accommodations made for students from Southern Baptist churches as well. Students are automatically considered for these by completing the SEBTS financial aid application. There are certain external scholarships that may be found through an Internet search as well. Students who do not receive enough financial aid to meet their responsibilities may consider taking out loans, however graduating with a large financial burden creates a hardship. Part-time employment is another option for paying for a degree program at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.