THEOL-MAM - Theology

One course from CE (Christian Education), WO (Christian Worship), XS (Christianity and Society), CA (Church Administration), CM (Church Music), EV (Evangelism), MN (General Ministries), PC (Pastoral Care), PS (Prayer and Spirituality), PR (Preaching), or others by approval of the Associate Dean.

• 15 hours of unrestricted electives

The M.A.M. program requires the satisfactory completion of a supervised internship carrying three credit hours of academic credit. M.A.M. students may request completion of a thesis in place of the internship requirement, produced on a topic within the student’s chosen area of ministerial/practical theology emphasis.

The purpose of the Internship Course is to enable students to reflect upon themselves, their ministry experience, and their contexts, and integrate them in a way to provide resourceful, faithful Christian leadership in the world. The internship course curriculum specifies a set of required competencies under each of three categories: be aware, think theologically, and lead faithfully. The Perkins Intern Program Faculty partners with pastoral staff and laity at congregations and agencies and with mental health professionals experienced in church family systems to provide supportive supervision for students during internship.

During internship, students engage in ministry under supervision and reflect theologically on their experiences. As the Interns become more competent and self-confident in carrying out the tasks of ministry and gain theological, emotional, and spiritual maturity in their understanding of it, they prepare themselves to provide resourceful, faithful Christian leadership in the world.

The M.A.M. student registers for three hours of internship course credit during the fall semester. ST 6303 - Interpretation of the Christian is recommended prior to the internship course.

M.A.M. student internships are completed in the Fall term, averaging 20 hours per week of work (inclusive of the internship seminar). All internships are coordinated through the Perkins Intern Office. Internship placements include church, agency, and hospital chaplaincy settings. During the placement process, serious consideration is given to the student's denominational preference. Interns in churches or agencies receive a stipend. Students who are already employed in a ministry setting may request this as their internship placement. If the intern is already on staff, their salary satisfies the required internship stipend.

M.A.M. students may complete the Perkins internship requirement by successful completion of a Clinical Pastoral Education residency that consists of one unit of CPE. An Intern Faculty member will be assigned to the CPE Intern and will consult with the CPE certified educator regarding satisfactory completion of the internship requirement.

If at any point during the placement process, the student exhibits patterns of behavior that suggest that the student needs further preparation prior to participating in an internship, the Intern Faculty may conclude that a student is not ready for an internship. The Intern Faculty will engage in a consultative process to determine appropriate measures to help the student become prepared for internship.

Pre-Internship Screenings

As a condition of participation in any off-site internship or clinical experience, Perkins requires any student enrolled in a degree program that requires an internship experience to provide written consent to a pre-placement screening for any criminal record/history. Students must complete the criminal background screening process during the internship application process. The background screening process is administered by the Perkins Internship Office via a University-approved third-party vendor. The process will be administered in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws as well as the SMU Policy Manual and SMU Student Handbook.

In the event a criminal background check report is returned with information indicating any history or pending matters beyond minor traffic offenses, the Director of the Internship Program will contact the student and may request the student to submit additional information regarding the listed offense. The Director may then consult with other appropriate SMU offices and personnel in order to determine appropriate next steps. SMU reserves the right to defer or deny enrollment in any experiential-based course, including placement at an internship site, to any student whose criminal background screening process indicates items of concern, including but not limited to previously adjudicated matters, or pending matters.

Third-party internship placement sites may also require an additional criminal background check. Payment and processing of these background checks will be determined by the internship placement site.

Students preparing for ordination should become aware as early as possible of any specific educational requirements their denomination or judicatory may expect them to satisfy in the course of their M.A.M. work. They should explore, with their academic advisers, how best to deal with these expectations. Students who are preparing for ordination as deacons in the United Methodist Church should take as their electives HX 7365 - United Methodist History, ST 7034 - United Methodist Doctrine, CA 7013 - United Methodist Polity, WO 6313 - Introduction to Christian Worship, PR 6300 - Introduction to Preaching, and EV 7307 - The Theory and Practice of Evangelism.