The Master of Arts (M.A.) program is Bethany's academic degree. Its goal is to prepare people for reflection and research in biblical, historical, theological, and ministry fields of study. The Bethany faculty is committed to continuing the quality of the M.A. program through a rigorous admissions policy (M.A. applicants must have a higher GPA than M. Div. applicants) and a strong curricular process. As outlined in the Bethany catalog, the M.A. goals and objectives revolve around academic rigor and scholarly research, culminating with the production of a master's thesis. The required distribution of 54 semester hours builds a broad foundation in theological, historical and biblical study from which students are encouraged to engage in focused, scholarly research.

COURSE WORK

Selecting courses for your M.A. program involves careful planning. In order to finish the degree in two years, you must carry a full load every semester and take one intensive each year (either January or May). This is the equivalent of a 4-1-4 schedule. As you choose your schedule, keep the following in mind:

1. Initial Courses
In the first semester, it is wise to sample a variety of the areas and faculty so you can have some sense of what it would be like to do a thesis in the different areas and with different faculty. Choosing a thesis topic and area of concentration will come very quickly during the second semester, so do as much of your distribution requirements early in order to see what the whole school offers. The attached "Master of Arts Academic Inventory" outlines the course distribution requirements you will need to complete for the degree.

2. Area of Concentration
Your area of concentration is the disciplinary or interdisciplinary area in which you take the most courses in order to ground your thesis research. As you explore thesis topics and advisors, keep in mind the courses that you want to take to support your research and build your bibliography. You need to take five courses in your area of concentration; you can also count those courses towards an area distribution requirement (see "Double Dipping" below). Currently the Bethany faculty can support concentrations such as New Testament, Hebrew Bible, Church History, Brethren Studies, Peace Studies, Theological Studies, Worship, Preaching, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and Christian Education.

3. Peace Studies Emphasis
To have a Peace Studies Emphasis in the M.A. program, there are two routes you may go. One is to add a Peace Studies emphasis to your program overall by taking two courses in Peace Studies (just one more than is required for all M.A. students), attending the Peace Studies Forum for two semesters, doing the two travel/conference requirements, and submitting to the Director of Peace Studies two papers on peace-related topics for his/her approval (they may be papers that you have done in your Peace Studies classes). The second way is to make Peace Studies your area of concentration. By doing this you have to take five courses in the Peace Studies/Peace and Justice Studies field, do your thesis in that area, and complete the other requirements (Forum and travel/conferences). Most likely the Peace Studies Director would be your thesis advisor.

4. Youth/Young Adult Ministry Emphasis
To have a Youth/Young Adult Ministry Emphasis in the M.A. program you must make Youth/Young Adult Ministry the area of concentration for your thesis. You are required to complete a basic course in Christian education, plus three additional courses related to ministry with youth and young adults. Your fifth course in the area of concentration should be one that complements your area of research. Most likely the Youth/Young Adult Ministry Director would be your thesis advisor.

5. Language and Research Skills Courses
It is possible to take courses at Earlham College to enhance your research skills (such as statistics or language courses). If you choose to take such courses, you should try to take them as early in your program as possible so that the course work will augment your thesis research. Students who plan to pursue doctoral work should strongly consider beginning language studies because most doctoral programs require proficiency in at least two languages. There are, however, some things to watch for when registering for an Earlham College course. The college and seminary academic calendars are not entirely the same, nor are the daily schedules, so check your dates and times. Also, registering for an Earlham College course requires additional paper work (see "Petition to Register for a Class at Earlham College" attached).

6. Semester Two, First Year [when going full-time]
During this semester you will be required to take the M.A. Research Seminar (I-103) to work on your thesis proposal and bibliography. It would be ideal to concurrently take a course with the faculty member with whom you are exploring a thesis topic. S/he would then get to see your work through class assignments as well as through the outside proposal and bibliographic work. You might also find that your class work could contribute to the building of your bibliography.

7. M.A. Independent Study
M.A. students are allowed to fill 3 semester hours of their area concentration with an M.A. Independent Study. The independent study can be taken either in the summer between your junior and senior year or during the fall semester of your senior year. The goal of the independent study is to dedicate structured time specifically to thesis research. You, working in conjunction with your thesis advisor, establish your learning objectives for the independent study. To register for an M.A. Independent Study, you must submit an "M.A. Independent Study" form (see attached) to EPC accompanying or after you submit your thesis proposal. There is a definite advantage to taking the independent study in the summer: it frees your schedule so that you can dedicate your January intensive to thesis work rather than needing to take a course.

8. Double Dipping
Once you have declared your area of concentration, the courses you have taken in that area for distribution credit can also be counted in the five needed for your concentration. For example, if you decide to do your thesis in New Testament, you may count two courses in the Biblical Studies area toward both the area distribution requirement and your area of concentration. Although this does not reduce the total number of semester hours you must take for the degree, it allows you greater scheduling flexibility.

9. Faculty Sabbaticals and Load
EPC oversees each faculty's load and limits the number of theses each faculty member may advise. Check early with any faculty member to see if they can take on your thesis and when they are scheduled for a sabbatical. A faculty member who is on sabbatical is not asked to carry senior-year thesis students which will affect your thesis advisor choice.

10. TAP Hours
Brethren students in the covenant grant program need to pay attention to the TAP hour requirements for the M.A. program. The standard number of hours per course apply to all early semesters of the M.A. program. However, when an M.A. student is enrolled in "Thesis Seminar" (I-350) or "Thesis Completion" (I-500), s/he is only required to work 1 hour per credit hour (e.g., 3 hours per each 3-credit hour course) during those two semesters. Also, check with the M.A. Director to see if there is some work that can be done for the program for TAP hours.

THESIS RESEARCH AND WRITING

1. Proposal
In your thesis proposal, you will propose your research problem and how you plan to investigate it. As the program guidelines state: "The thesis is an academic research paper that develops an original argument." At the proposal stage, you are not presenting your argument, but you are presenting the issue that you will be investigating and your rationale for investigating it. To aid you in this process, please see the attached "M.A. Thesis Proposal Preparation." A collection of both professional research proposals and other Bethany M.A. proposals can be found in the study room. See the M.A. Director for copies of the most current Bethany M.A. proposals.

2. EPC Proposal Approval
The Educational Policies and Assessment Committee stands as the gatekeeper for academic rigor and scholarly integrity. The quality of one's proposal influences the quality of one's thesis which in turn reflects the quality of your program as a whole. EPAC must approve the thesis proposal you produce in the Research Seminar (I-103) in order for you to continue in the program.

3. Research Topics That Include a Creative Element
"The possibility exists for a student to choose an M.A. project that is not singularly a research project" (Bethany Catalog). What does this mean? The best answer to this question is an example. The possibility exists for a student to compose a musical score (or some other artistic work) as part of their M.A. project. But in order for that to be acceptable, he or she must demonstrate competency within a body of literature (such as music and theology, the history of the theater and the church, or the role of dance in worship) in a field represented by the current faculty. The student must also make a theoretical argument, demonstrated in writing, for what he or she is doing. Since Bethany is not a performance school and this is not a performance masters, the performance of an artistic work, alone, is not sufficient for a thesis project. The Bethany faculty do not have the training to evaluate such a performance on the merits of its performance alone, nor can it pretend to have trained the student in such work. Such creative aspects of a thesis can be done only if they are informed by an area of concentration and supported by an area of research available at Bethany.

4. Summer Work
The bulk of your thesis research needs to happen prior to Semester One of your senior year. In a two-year program, this means that it must happen in the summer between your junior and senior years. Do not assume that thesis work can happen in your extra time. You will need good, concentrated time set aside specifically for this work. Writing must begin by early fall to meet the spring deadlines and to meet the requirements of the "Thesis Seminar" in which you will be enrolled.

5. Note-Taking
When facing a large research project such as a thesis, organizing information and maintaining dependable bibliographic information is essential. Misplaced references and poorly organized notes will quickly send a research project into chaos. Although by the masters level many people have developed both note-taking and organizational systems that serve them well, attached are some note-taking strategies from people within the scholarly community on the subject. Also, there are a few computer programs that are designed to manage bibliographic information and data.

6. Semester One, Senior Year
During this semester you will be required to take the M.A. "Thesis Seminar" (I-350) to work on your writing and argument. This class is made up of all M.A. students who have had their thesis proposal approved by the EPAC committee, have completed the bulk of their research, and are actively writing their thesis. It required that the student set a schedule for his/her writing and stay accountable to the writing task, and that the student present his/her work in progress to M.A. peers. The course is designed for the M.A. student who is seeking to complete his/her thesis in the following semester.

7. Deadlines
Bethany takes its deadlines for thesis work seriously. The deadlines for drafts and the final version of your thesis are published well in advance on the academic services website and extensions are simply not granted if you want to graduate on time. M.A. deadlines are published every spring, but as a rule of thumb, a complete draft is due to the thesis advisor around February 1, a revised copy is due to the advisor and reader around March 1, and they must approve a final copy by around April 1. In fact, if a final, edited copy of your thesis is not in the hands of the Coordinator of Academic Services by the Monday before commencement in May, you cannot participate in the spring graduation.

8. Finishing a Thesis Out of Residence
We greatly discourage M.A. students from leaving Bethany having completed their courses but not their thesis; in the past, too many who have done this have never completed the thesis. Moving away to start a job or to return to a previous occupation frequently has the effect of moving you away from the focus and concentration needed to complete your writing. Do not assume that relocation has a minimal effect. The surest way to complete your degree is to complete your degree before you leave.

9. Program Extension Fee
Any M.A. student who is not registered for course work in a given academic year but is still working on a thesis and thus using faculty advisor time must pay a program extension fee for each semester they extend. This fee is figured yearly, based on the tuition for that year. It is approximately one-third of the cost of tuition for a single course. See the current catalog for the exact amount you will be charged.

THESIS ADVISOR, READER AND EDITOR

1. The Thesis Advisor
Your thesis advisor will serve as your main resource person for your thesis. He or she will advise you from the initial stages of your proposal through research and writing to the final signing of your thesis. Both the M.A. student and the advisor make large commitments when they enter into this arrangement. The advisor commits a good deal of time and energy, and the student commits to a professional relationship that will shape and form the outcome of his or her thesis. It is essential that you choose a thesis advisor that has the proper depth and training in your field of study and that your professional relationship is such that it will enhance the quality of your work.

2. The Thesis Reader
Selecting a thesis reader is important. Your reader should be someone who is well established in your concentration field. The reader's responsibilities include a timely reading and response to your final thesis. A reader should not take on an advisory role; he or she simply reads and responds to your completed work. When searching for a reader, you are free to explore any connections you have to the academic and professional community. Faculty from Bethany, ESR and Earlham College as well as other institutions can serve as your reader. However, your reader must be approved by your thesis advisor and by the Director of the M.A. program. The only compensation Bethany can offer the reader is a by-line in their resume ("Master's Thesis Reader for . . ."). If possible, include your suggestion for a reader within your thesis proposal to EPAC.

After your reader has read the thesis, it is generally recommended that you, your advisor, and the reader get together for a conversation to hear the reader's comments and discuss the problems he or she notes. It is important that as an outside reader, you hear all that s/he have to say in relation to your argument and your writing. The reader's work is to be taken into full consideration as you negotiate changes and strategies with your thesis advisor.

3. Style Editor
Bethany requires students to submit their work to a style editor. The editor's job is to make sure the thesis follows the guidelines set forth for humanities theses in A Manual for Writers of Term Paper, Theses, and Dissertations, by Kate L. Turabian (6th edition). The M.A. Director coordinates the sending of both an initial first chapter and the whole thesis to an approved style editor. However, it is your responsibility to pay all editing fees. There may be funds available to help with the cost. Check with the Director in order to apply for these funds. Why Turabian? The Turabian Manual of Style has proved to be one of the most universally used ways of structuring academic papers in the humanities and one of the most research and reader friendly. It is a method that encourages academic conversation (through the full footnote system) and clarity of reference. Other methods are widely used in other fields, but not taught at Bethany. Do follow Turabian's style for humanities theses in all cases; in the instances where she gives you an option or choice, check with the Director of the M.A. program for guidance. See also the attached "Academic Style for the M. A. Thesis."

END-TIME ITEMS

1. Thesis Approval Form
The Thesis approval form must be filled out during the various stages of the final editing process (see attached). This form then accompanies the three copies presented to the M.A. Director and Academic Services offices when you are done.

2. Oral Presentation
An oral presentation of your thesis is an opportunity for you to present your research to the community. It is a teaching moment for you to demonstrate to the community as a whole what you have been up to in these months of research and thinking. In the past, this has happened at Common Meal, Peace Forum or at a separately called community gathering. In consultation with the M.A. Director, you will be able to decide how you want to structure the presentation. This is not a time of formal evaluation of your thesis.

3. Final Thesis Disposition
A bound copy of your thesis will be added to the collection at Lilly Library, the Bethany Archives at the Church of the Brethren Archives in Elgin, IL, and the collection of recent M.A. theses in the study room of the Bethany Center. You will need to provide three copies of your final thesis to the Academic Services Office so they can bind and distribute it accordingly. We hope this guide helps you see your way through the program and gives flesh to some of the bare bones of the catalog. Any questions you have are best answered by the Dean, the M.A. Director or other M.A. students who have figured their way through the program. If you have any suggestions of additions or addenda to this piece, please let us know!

Tricia Sadd
Leslie Billhimer Frye
Nadine Pence Frantz, M.A. Director

Attachments:
Master of Arts Academic Inventory
Bethany M.A. Advising Sheet
Petition to Register for a Class at Earlham College
Note-Taking Strategies
M.A. Thesis Proposal
M.A. Independent Study Proposal
M.A. Thesis Deadlines
Thesis Approval Form
Academic Style for the M.A. Thesis