Request InfoApply
2026-2027 Academic Draft Catalog

Master of Arts in Ministry

Overview

The Master of Arts in Ministry (MAM) at Portland Seminary is a 42-credit professional degree built from the seminary’s MDiv curriculum. It equips pastors, ministry leaders, and lay leaders for faithful, theologically grounded, practical leadership in today’s church. It delivers theological depth and practical ministry skills while keeping spiritual formation at the center of the journey.

The MAM offers a focused, accessible pathway for those called to preaching, pastoral care, discipleship, and leadership in the local church. Students can remain active in ministry while they study, completing online coursework and two required BridgeWeek intensives that provide formative experiences in worship, community, and vocational clarity. A cohort model supports community-based learning, mentoring, and deep formation that prepares students for sustainable, long-term ministry.

The program is designed for emerging pastors, bi-vocational leaders, second-career students, and those seeking commissioning or ordination. Students receive vocational advising that supports their development as pastoral leaders and strengthens their capacity for lifelong ministry.

Graduates will be prepared to serve in a wide range of pastoral roles with theological depth, spiritual maturity, and practical ministry skills rooted in congregational life. The program provides a faster, more focused, and more affordable path than most peer degrees, offering a clear curriculum from start to finish with no filler electives.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be equipped and formed to think with clarity as they:

Apply Scripture using sound hermeneutics and draw from the Christian tradition for faithful leadership in the life of the local church and other ministry contexts.

Students will be equipped and formed to live with integrity as they:

Deepen awareness of God, self, and others through formative practices in preparation for life-long personal and vocational flourishing. 

Students will be equipped and formed to serve with the heart of God as they:

Demonstrate integrated pastoral skills that nurture the formational life of a congregation and equip God’s people for faithful service.

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Arts in Ministry program must hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university†, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

  • Submit Portland Seminary application
  • Submit one official transcript from each college/university attended
  • Resumé
  • Personal mission statement and statement of faith
  • One letter of reference (as specified in admissions materials)
  • Group interview with a Portland Seminary faculty member

†Applicants who do not hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university may apply to the seminary and will be required to submit additional documentation to be considered for admission.

Transfer Credit

Transfer of up to 21 hours of credit is allowed toward the Master of Arts in Ministry program from ATS-accredited graduate schools. Students must have earned a grade of B or better for a course to be considered for transfer. In addition, only courses taken elsewhere within 10 years of the date of matriculation to the MAM program will be considered for transfer. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Residence Requirements

Residence, as described in this section of the catalog, does not refer to the time a student spends on campus. It refers to the portion of a degree program that students are required to earn with Portland Seminary, as compared to transfer credits and credit applied as advanced standing. With regard to the Master of Arts in Ministry program, students are required to complete half of the degree (21 semester hours) directly with Portland Seminary. A leave of absence is valid for up to one year, after which the student must reapply to the program. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the degree.

Course Requirements

The Master of Arts in Ministry program is generally three years in length with 42 semester hours of coursework required as a minimum for graduation. Of those hours, 9 are in biblical studies courses, 3 in biblical languages, 12 in Christian history and theology, 6 in spiritual formation, 6 in pastoral studies, and 6 hours in professional development.

The program also requires participation in two ‘BridgeWeek’ face-to-face intensives.

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate with the Master of Arts in Ministry degree students must:

  • Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 42 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Achieve no grade lower than a C- in all courses. If a grade lower than a C- is received, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).
  • Fully participate in all required ‘BridgeWeek’ intensives. 
  • Successfully complete each milestone.
  • Be recommended by the seminary faculty for graduation from George Fox University.

Other Degree Requirements

Students are required to complete coaching in the final year of the program. The seminary assigns each student a coach from an approved pool. Students meet with the coach three times each Fall and Spring Semester. The coach provides the seminary documentation of student progress. Coaching expenses are covered by a fee attached to SPDV 550 Stewarding Leadership I and SPDV 551 Stewarding Leadership II.

Curriculum Plan

Expand All
Complete the following:
This course introduces students to the literature of the Old Testament in its socio-historical, literary, and theological contexts. Students will explore the contents of the Old Testament, the history of ancient Israel, historical geography, and interpretive approaches that explore the literary features of the Old Testament and its historical and cultural contexts.
This course introduces students to the literature of the New Testament in its socio-historical, literary, and theological contexts. This course will discuss the history that leads up to the New Testament; the voices in early Christianities represented in the Gospels, Pauline, and other letters, and the churches and/or persons who first received them; as well as the voices of those who read them today. Besides introducing the general information on each book, this course will also highlight different themes in the books of the New Testament.
This course introduces a variety of analytical and critical approaches, from the development of biblical exegesis and hermeneutics in early Jewish and Christian tradition to modern-day readings of the Bible. Topics include: textual witnesses, reception history, issues of translation, historical-criticism, reader-response criticism, canonical analysis; postcolonial, feminist, womanist, intersectional, and other minority readings.
Complete the following:
This course introduces a basic knowledge of biblical Hebrew and Greek with an emphasis on equipping the students to use commentaries, lexica, Bible software, and other language resources. Additional course fees may be required.
Complete the following:
"Examines historical and theological developments in the Christian tradition during the early period and the Middle Ages. "
Examines historical and theological developments in early modern Christianity, with particular attention to the Protestant and Catholic Reformations and the early Methodist movement.
This course offers a comprehensive examination of how Christian beliefs, practices, and traditions intersect with, respond to, and influence contemporary societal, cultural, and global trends. Through a combination of theological, historical, sociological, and anthropological perspectives, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between Christian faith and the ever-changing tapestry of human cultures.
Discusses the historical development and contemporary global expressions of core Christian beliefs and their relation to Christian practices. The course enables a well-informed, lifelong creative engagement with theology, whether through studying, teaching, preaching, writing, or counseling.
Complete the following:
This course explores the ministry of pastoral care and how clergy, spiritual directors, chaplains and other spiritual care providers can respond to various needs that arise in ministry settings. Students will engage in a theologically informed relational paradigm that supports a framework for conceptualizing pastoral care responses. Recognizing that pastoral care is an embodied and contextual practice, students will also examine how the self and community enact care as a vessel for mutual healing and justice.
Often worship and preaching have been seen as two separate components of the spiritual life of a congregation. This course will explore how the two must be connected for a more holistic and formative experience for a congregation. Students will examine the purposes of worship and its biblical, theological, and historical roots. It also focuses on evaluating current trends in worship, learning how to plan and lead worship, including overseeing the sacraments/ordinances, and planning weddings and funerals. Students will also be introduced to the theology of preaching and to the principles of sermon construction and delivery, as well as the various sermon types and communication techniques used to convey the timeless message of Scripture within a contemporary setting.
Complete the following:
This course is facilitated by a Formation Guide and is designed to provide students an opportunity to develop awareness of self-in-connection as a pathway to explore the triune God’s presence in their preparation for vocational flourishing. Students will reflect critically and constructively on their identity, spiritual histories, sociocultural contexts of formation, and sites of (un)belonging. Reflective practices and discernment skills will help students sift through their interior and exterior experiences to explore their origin and the movement of the Spirit for an increased awareness of shared humanity as a sacred site of God’s transforming work in the world.
A Formation Guide facilitates this course and invites students to deepen their awareness of God and self through the prayer practices of the Great Tradition of the Church. Students will explore the Christian faith’s contemplative, liturgical, and sacramental dimensions as pathways for experiencing the sacred in the ordinary. Recognizing that spiritual practices hold meaning in varied ways, this course will be an opportunity to assess how prayer originates from the context of the one who prays. Finally, students will engage with the rich heritage of historic Christian spirituality, drawing insights from Scripture and the mystics from around the world and across the centuries to consider how their images of God can expand and enrich a life of prayer.
Complete the following:
This course will prepare the student for lifelong practices of scaling leadership through self-awareness/self-management and engaging a constellation of mentors for lifelong growth. Through coaching, assessments, and 360 feedback each student will gain a mindset and resources for a lifestyle of continued growth as an adaptive leader. Additional course fees may be required.
This course continues preparing the student for well stewarded lifelong leadership practices through a supervised practical experience (e.g., practicum, internship, etc) related to the vocational calling of the student. This practicum will be designed to integrate SPDV 550 Stewarding Leadership I learning into the student's context for reflective practice. Additional course fees may be required.
Complete the following:
This course records student participation in the first program intensive, an in-person Bridgeweek gathering that introduces the seminary’s culture, establishes cohort community, and offers formational learning experiences. The intensive includes cohort-based interaction and reflection, worship and spiritual practices, engagement with faculty and guest speakers, and shared meals. Accommodations are included in program fees unless otherwise noted. Pass/No Pass. Additional course fee applies.
This course records student participation in the second program intensive, an in-person Bridgeweek gathering that strengthens the seminary’s culture, deepens cohort community, and offers formational learning experiences. The intensive includes cohort-based interaction and reflection, worship and spiritual practices, engagement with faculty and guest speakers, and shared meals. Accommodations are included in program fees unless otherwise noted. Pass/No Pass. Additional course fee applies.