The Master of Arts in Apologetics and Evangelism degree program is designed to prepare students for ministry involving the defense and proclamation of the Christian faith.
Learn to defend and proclaim the Christian faith and come alongside those struggling with intellectual doubts. Develop practical skills in writing, presentation, and debate conducted from a posture of kindness and character.
The Curriculum
The 2-year MA programs at DTS have a common core of Bible and theology coursework along with specific training in your preferred area of ministry.
Biblical Exposition
BE5101 Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics
BE5102 Old Testament History I
BE5103 Old Testament History II & Poetry
BE5104 Old Testament Prophets
BE5105 The Gospels
BE5106 Acts & Pauline Epistles
BE5107 Hebrews, General Epistles, and Revelation
BE5109 Ruth, Psalms, Jonah, and Selected Epistles
Systematic Theology
ST5101 Theological Method and Bibliology
ST5102 Trinitarianism
ST5103 Angelology, Anthropology, and Hamartiology
ST5104 Soteriology
ST5105 Sanctification and Ecclesiology
ST5106 Eschatology
Apologetics and Biblical Studies
ST5605 Foundations of Apologetics
ST5606 Approaches to Evangelism and Apologetics
ST5610 God and Evil
OT5640 Old Testament Reliability and Historicity
NT5645 New Testament Reliability and the Resurrection
ST5650 Cultural and Theological Engagement in Apologetics
Spiritual Formation and Electives
PM5101 Christian Life and Witness
INT5110 Ministry Formation Internship (Two Credit Hours)
SF5100 Spiritual Formation
Apologetics and Evangelism Electives* – 6 credit hours
MAAE Approved Electives
Biblical Exegesis Electives
BE5310 Introduction to Biblical Archaeology
BE5547 A Biblical Theology of Suffering, Disability and the Church
BE5555 Messianic Prophecy
OT5210 The Old Testament in Contemporary Culture
OT5710 Knowing God through the Old Testament
NT5305 Exegesis of Gospel Narrative
NT5400 The New Testament in Contemporary Culture
NT5405 New Testament Study and the Life of Christ
NT5410 Historical Jesus
Theology Electives
ST5415 Theology and World Religions
ST5505 Theology and Society
ST5515 Theology of Ethnic Concerns
ST5520 Issues in Science and Theology
ST5525 Theology and Popular Culture
ST5535 Introduction to Political Theology
ST5615 Ethics
ST5620 History of Philosophy
ST5625 Philosophy of Religion
ST5630 Postmodernism
ST5635 Logic
HT5218 Early Christian Apologists
HT5250 History of Gospel Preaching in America
Pastoral Electives
PM5361 Bioethics and Pastoral Care
PM5405 Theology and Apologetics in Advanced Evangelism
PM5605 Ministry in Pluralistic Context
MIM5210 Intercultural Communication
MIM53XX Any 53XX level “Context” Course
MIM5525 Spiritual Warfare
MIM5530 Cross-cultural Apologetics and Worldview Evangelism
MIM5540 Applied Biblical Contextualization
CM5610 Sexuality and Ethics
*Students must select 6 hours from the approved MAAE electives in the chart.
Program Details
Program Goals
Students in the MAAE program will:
- Evidence a general knowledge of Christian theology, including an ability to support their theological views;
- Demonstrate a general knowledge of the Bible, including an understanding of the message and arguments of specific books of the Bible;
- Display Christlikeness in their pursuit of knowledge and relationships within the seminary community.
- Demonstrate the ability to respond thoughtfully to intellectual objections to the faith and to construct a truthful case for the essential tenets of Christan belief;
- Engage respectfully and charitably with those who hold differing perspectives;
- Display an effective strategy for evangelism in keeping with sound theological preparation and cultural sensitivity;
Course Requirements
Sixty-nine semester hours of coursework are required as a minimum for graduation. Of those hours, 22 are in prescribed Bible Exposition courses, 18 are in prescribed Systematic Theology courses, 18 are in Apologetics and Biblical Studies, 5 are in Spiritual Formation (including INT5110 Ministry Formation Internship), and 6 are approved electives in apologetics and evangelism. The MAAE requires 4 courses (i.e., 4 3-hour courses for a total of 12 hours) be completed in real-time. A thesis is not required. For information about the maximum amount of transfer credit available for the degree, see the Graduate Transfer Information page.
Spiritual Formation
The mission of Spiritual Formation at DTS is helping servant-leaders pursue Christlikeness. Because DTS values Christlike character and spiritual maturity, MAAE students are required to register for and participate in Spiritual Formation groups for two consecutive fall and spring semesters at the Dallas, Houston, Washington, DC, or Atlanta campuses. (Students who are not planning to be in residence in Dallas, Houston, or Washington, DC, for two consecutive fall and spring semesters must contact the Spiritual Formation Office for other options to meet their Spiritual Formation requirement.)
In the Spiritual Formation curriculum, small groups of four to five students focus on issues of identity, community, integrity, and fidelity. The groups provide an atmosphere for prayer, fellowship, and the integration of learning with life and ministry.
Because students participate with the same group during two consecutive semesters, they should plan their schedules so they may meet on the same day and at the same time each semester. Spiritual Formation is a noncredit, transcripted experience. Internship prerequisites include successful completion of SF5100.
Financial Aid
Through our donors and Foundation, we are able to offer hundreds of scholarships to students every year.
Logos Bible Software
Every student at DTS receives a copy of Logos Bible Software customized with additional commentaries and resources, and DTS courses integrate Logos into assignments and learning.