Master of Arts (M.A.) in Religious Studies Program
The M.A. in Religious Studies is a broad-based degree program suited for students who wish to gain extensive knowledge of the Christian tradition and its impact on society, supplemented by wide-ranging knowledge of the world’s religions. The program enables students to integrate their own faith perspective with in-depth knowledge of the broader Judeo-Christian tradition and its manifestations in contemporary social and cultural realities. This prepares them to be more effective witnesses for their faith in today’s multi-faith environment and to practice in a wide variety of ministries. It also equips them for positions in non-governmental bodies dealing with the religious issues that are often at the root of conflict.
The program’s foundation courses are a theological curriculum that provides a broad knowledge of scripture, theology and history in the Christian tradition. The MA in Religious Studies Program has four concentrations, each with distinct purposes: The Concentration on Unificationism equips students with an in-depth understanding of its teachings, theology, scriptures and history, such as is required of aspiring leaders in the Unification movement. The Concentration in Public and Non-Profit Leadership equips students with skills needed to work effectively in civil society and non-governmental organizations. The Concentration in Interfaith Peacebuilding provides a theological and intercultural understanding in several religious traditions with focused examination on the nexus of religion and peacebuilding. The Concentration in Theological Studies is suitable for students who wish to pursue a general study of Christian theology, biblical studies and church history. Students may choose one or more of these concentrations.
Students who do not select a concentration may use elective courses to prepare for specific vocations such as counseling, education, church leadership, or those calling for specialization in a particular religious tradition. The M.A. in Religious Studies is also a natural entrance point for further graduate studies in religion, ministerial professions and the social sciences.
The program can be completed in two years of full-time studies, however, students choosing to enroll only part-time will require an extended time frame to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
To be awarded the M.A. degree, students must fulfill the following requirements:
· 42 credit hours
· A minimum grade point average of 2.50
· Mid‑Program Review
· A Masters Thesis or Project, presented in the Masters Colloquium in the final term prior to graduation, or for student with the Public and Non-Profit Leadership Concentration, an Internship with a substantial theological reflection and report
FOUNDATION COURSES
Students are required to take four required foundation courses:
SCR 5131 Hebrew Bible
SCR 5141 New Testament Foundations
LTR 5131 History of Christianity I or LTR 5132 History of Christianity II
THE 5635 Introduction to Divine Principle or THE 5631 Divine Principle in Depth
and a choice of two of the following three:
LTR 5141 World Religions and the Encounter with Christianity
THE 5131 Systematic Theology
THE 5141 Ethics and Social Justice
MASTERS PROJECT
Masters Thesis, Project or MIN 5190 Field Education Internship (for students with the Public and Non-Profit Leadership or the Interfaith Peacebuilding concentration only) (3 credits)
MIN 5804A & MIN 5804B Masters Colloquium (not required for students using Field Education as capstone) (0 credit)
Any one course cannot satisfy both a Master of Arts in Religious Studies foundation requirement and the concentration requirement.
Concentration in Unification Studies
As one of the two academic concentrations, Unification Studies guides students to a more focused and in-depth understanding of the theology, philosophy, guiding principles and history of the Unification Movement. Unification students in particular will have the opportunity to study and investigate their own faith more deeply. Students will be able to choose from a wide range of courses including the History of the Unification Movement, the Life and Thought of Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han Moon, and the Divine Principle. This concentration prepares students for various ministries in the Unification Movement, including church leadership, education, public relations, and ecumenical and interfaith ministries.
The following course requirements apply to all students taking this concentration. Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
Three courses from:
LTR 5151 The Unification Movement
LTR 5503 Unification Worldview and Society
LTR 5622 Life and Thought of SMM and HJHM
EDU 5604 Unification Apologetics
MIN 5601 Unification Ritual and Traditions
THE 5601 Unification Theology
THE 5602 Towards a Theology of the Only-Begotten Daughter
THE 5611 Unification Philosophy
Three 1-credit practica in Teaching:
EDU 5601 Practicum in Teaching Divine Principle (1 credit)
EDU 5605 Practicum in Teaching VOC (1 credit)
EDU 5606 Practicum in Teaching Unification Thought (1 credit)
Concentration in Public and Non-Profit Leadership
Since the end of the Cold War, the role of civil society and nongovernmental organizations has grown dramatically. Multilateral Institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations, and regional organizations are increasingly reliant on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs) to provide leadership in addressing natural disasters, health crises, human trafficking, and other social problems. The HJI Public and Non-Profit Leadership concentration focuses on professional competencies in public leadership, in governance, in conflict analysis and resolution, in financial management, and in human resource development. Besides theory, students can gain a practical and experiential perspective in this concentration through an internship experience. The Concentration in Public and Non-Profit Leadership prepares students to assume leadership roles in the faith-based as well as the public non-profit sector.
The following course requirements apply to all students taking this concentration. Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
Four courses, including but not limited to:
MGT 5101 Conflict Analysis and Transformation
MGT 5302 Management of Non-Profit Organizations
MGT 5303 Leadership and Organizational Planning
MGT 5304 Leadership in the Social Sector
MGT 5311 Marketing
MGT 5331 Human Resource Management
MGT 5401 Financial Management for NPOs
MGT 5501 Brand Management
MIN 5107 Leadership and Congregational Development
Field Education:
MIN 5190 Field Education Internship (counts as capstone requirement, replacing the Thesis/Project)
Concentration in Interfaith Peacebuilding
This concentration takes students through a process whereby they gain a valuable understanding of “the other” in today’s world with the goal of developing a more harmonious and peaceful world and an identity as a human family. As one a professional concentrations, students will undertake both a theoretical and experiential study of interfaith peacebuilding.
This concentration prepares students for various professional roles in religious organizations, NGOs and the public sector, including ministries of peace and justice, ecumenical and interfaith ministries, education and teaching, peacebuilding ministries, public service at the interface of religion and public policy, and consulting and other specialized roles to facilitate conflict resolution and cross-cultural understanding.
The following course requirements apply to students taking this concentration. Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
Two courses in the area of Peacebuilding from the following list:
THE 5132 Theology of Peacebuilding
LTR 5503 Unification Worldview & Society
LTR 5513 World Religions & Global Conflict
PST 5101 Conflict Analysis and Transformation
PST 5131 Peace & Conflict Studies
PST 5141 Diplomacy & Faith-based Diplomacy
PST 5143 Unification Approaches to Peace
PST 5301 Restorative & Transitional Justice
PAS 5701 Multicultural Counseling
Two courses in the area of Religion and Interfaith Relations from the following list:
MIN 5106 Ecumenism and Interfaith
LTR 5515 Interfaith Peacebuilding and the UN
MIN5724 Interreligious Prayer in Ministry
SCR 5151 World Scriptures & World Peace
Or a course in a religious tradition other than one’s own, for example:
LTR 5402 Jewish-Christian Relations
LTR 5411 Islam
LTR 5412 Muslim-Christian Relations
LTR 5431 Buddhism
SCR 5701 The Qur’an
Unification Studies courses do not count for this requirement.
Field Education:
MIN 5190 Field Education Internship (counts as capstone requirement, replacing the Thesis)
Concentration in Theological Studies
Theological Studies is an academic concentration in which students broaden their academic background in Religious Studies by embarking on a more indepth look at the Bible, Christian Theology, Church History and Living Traditions. This concentration effectively prepares students for doctoral studies or further studies in Christianity. It also prepares students for education and teaching in the Christian church and for ecumenical and interfaith ministries.
The following course requirements apply to all students taking this concentration. Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
Four courses in the area of Scripture, Theology or Church History, including but not limited to:
SCR 5302 The Prophets
SCR 5311 Genesis
SCR 5412 Life and Teachings of Jesus
SCR 5413 Life and Letters of Paul
LTR 5131 History of Christianity I or LTR 5132 History of Christianity II (if not taken as foundation course)
THE 5311 Modern Theology
Korean Track
The Korean Track is designed for Unificationist students who want to integrate their study at HJI with developing facility in the Korean language. Students in this track take 6 credits of Korean language at HJI and can receive up to 6 transfer credits for subsequent Korean courses taken at Sun Moon University or Sunhak UP Graduate University in Korea.
The following course requirements apply to all students taking this track. Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
LAN 5161 Korean 1
LAN 5162 Korean 2
6 transfer credits for Korean language courses taught in Korea