Prospective Students

Spring 2008 Registration Information

It is your responsibility to read the information on this page carefully. If you skip this page and go right to registration, you will miss important information about fees and about specific courses.

The Spring 2008 course schedule is now available. Online registration for the Spring quarter will open on Monday, January 21, at 8:00 a.m. Registration will close on Monday, February 4, at 11:59 p.m. If you fail to register by the February 4 deadline, you will incur a $50 late registration fee.

After February 4, you may change, add, or drop courses until two weeks into the Spring quarter - Friday, February 29 at noon.

However, all papers and independent studies must be registered by February 4 at 5:00 p.m. See instructions below.

If you need technical assistance in accessing the schedule, contact Seminary IT. If you have questions regarding course eligibility or other non-technical matters, please contact The Registrar's Office.

General Information

All students may want to review the updated "Electives Schedule for the 2007-2008 academic year.

First year MDiv students will want to consult the suggested three year course schedules. Please note that there is one schedule (pdf) for those who need to take Greek and one schedule (pdf) for those who have completed their Greek. If you did not complete your Hebrew this past fall, your schedule will need to be adapted. These schedules will not be as helpful for returning students.

First year MTS students will want to review the two year course schedule (pdf) (this schedule assumes you've had Greek). If you did not complete your Hebrew this past fall, your schedule will need to be adapted. This schedule may not be as helpful for returning students.

We will register concurrent field education in our office as it has been approved by Director of Ministry Formation Don Byker.

Those students who are in the MA Missions/New Church Development program can find the online course offerings by going to the Course Schedule page and using the filter for your program at the top of the page.

Academic Advising

Ph.D. students should consult with Dr. Feenstra, Director of Doctoral Studies.
Th.M. students should communicate with their faculty advisors to discuss course selections, independent studies, major research papers, and thesis proposals.
MDiv, MTS, and MA students should communicate with Joan Beelen, Registrar and Academic Program Adviser. To serve you best, appointments are preferred. Stop by her office or send an e-mail to set up an appointment.

Registration of Papers, Independent Studies, and Thesis

ThM students who need to register an independent study (_98) can download a copy of the appropriate form. There are two different forms available on the Registrar's Office webpage. One is for a basic independent study (pdf). The other is for taking an MDiv level course (pdf) for your ThM program, which indicates that you will have extra work to do for that course. You should not register for the course, but instead, submit one of these forms. Please choose the right form by title, because the numbers are the same. You will need to bring the necessary paper work, complete with the signature of your study/paper supervisor, to Dr. Leder's office. These forms must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on February 4 in order to avoid a $50 late fee.

ThM students who intend to graduate this year and who have not yet registered their major paper (_99) (pdf) or their thesis (_98) (pdf) can download the appropriate forms online on the Registrar's Office page. You will need to bring the necessary paper work, complete with the signature of your paper or thesis supervisor, to Dr. Leder's office. These forms must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on February 4 in order to avoid a $50 late fee.

First degree program students (MDiv, MTS, MA) can click on the appropriate link to download the form needed to register an Independent Study (_98) (pdf) or a Major Research Paper (_99) (pdf). Studies and papers cannot be registered online. You will need to bring the necessary paper work, complete with signatures of your supervisor and Dr. Henry De Moor, to the Registrar's office. These forms must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on February 4 in order to avoid a $50 late fee.

Limited Enrollment Courses

  • Imaginative Reading for Creative Preaching (cross listed as SYTH451 and PRTH658)

    Because this is a high demand course, because the course is limited to 30 students, and because the course is focused on preaching, registration will be determined according to the priorities listed below. Registration for this course will happen via e-mail with the Registrar. E-mails should be sent no earlier than Monday, January 21 at 8:00 a.m. I will not consider e-mails sent before that time.

    I will determine registration for this course according to the following priorities:

    First Tier:
    • Graduating seniors in the MDiv program who need to meet an admission requirement in Literature before they can graduate.
    • Graduating ThM students with a concentration in Systematic Theology or Preaching.
    The rest in this order of priority:
    1. All others graduating in the MDiv program this year
    2. All other MDiv students who need to meet an admission requirement in Literature*
    3. All other MDiv students and other ThM students concentrating in Systematic Theology or Preaching*
    4. All other students

    *Students must also have the prerequisites required for the course- see course description.

    Note: Students in the MTS and MA programs who need to meet an admission requirement in Literature will have opportunity to take SYTH450- The Minister in Literature in the fall of 2009.

  • Heidelberg Catechism (SYTH491)

    This class is limited to those students in any program who need this course in order to graduate this Spring. If there is additional room in the class, the Registrar will open it up for general registration.

  • Advanced Preaching (PRTH657)

    This class is only for those MDiv students in their last year who need this course in order to graduate. There may be a very limited number of spots open for additional MDiv students. If so, the Registrar will send out an e-mail to inform those students.

Specific Course Explanations

  • The Minor Prophets (OT129): MDiv and MTS students need to take either The Minor Prophets (OT129) or The Major Prophets (OT128)- as part of their Old Testament study sequence. Major Prophets will be offered in the Spring of 2009.
  • The Psalms: From Text to Sermon (OT162) and Jeremiah and the Church (OT176) can serve as Old Testament exegetical electives.
  • First Corinthians (NT248) and Studies in the Gospel of Mark (NT251) can serve as New Testament exegetical electives.
  • Church History Survey (HSTH310) is a core course in the MA programs.
  • The Historical Theology Seminar: Models of Salvation in Early Christianity (HSTH387) is described below.
  • The Seminar Reading and Approaches to Ministry and Ecclesiology (SYTH487 and PRTH787) is described below. For those students who want to use this as a Theological Division Elective or a Systematics course (ThM), register for SYTH487. For those students who want to use this as a Ministry Division elective or as an Educational Ministry course (ThM), register for PRTH787.
  • The Christian Hymnody and Choral Music (PRTH676) course is for those who have participated in choir for at least two years. Choir members do not register for this course themselves. We will contact the Choir Director to determine who should get credit.
  • The Worship Planning course (PRTH678) is for those students who have served on the Chapel Planning Committee for at least two years. Students do not register for this course themselves. We will contact the Professor to determine who should get credit.
  • Theological Education as Formation for Ministry (IDIS902) is for those students in the MA programs who are graduating this year.

Seminar Descriptions

  • Seminar in Historical Theology (387): Models of Salvation in Early Christianity
    Taught by Dr. James Ernest (specialization in Patristics and the history of Scripture interpretation);
    Academic Editor- Baker Publishing Group
    "A survey of patristic soteriological themes, beginning with a brief recapitulation of biblical models then moving through various authors of the first five centuries, including selections from the Apostolic Fathers and gnostic authors, Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, and Augustine. Through careful reading of primary texts we will attempt to discern the questions the Fathers were asking and answering, attending to how salvation interacts with understandings of God, creation, Christ, Spirit, and humanity. The focus will vary from narrow (how does atonement work? is salvation by faith alone?) to broad (what does salvation look like in a model Christian life?). The aims will be to expose the sources of medieval and Reformation theology and to make the resources of patristic theology available for contemporary Christian biblical interpretation, theology, proclamation, and life."
  • Seminar in Systematic Theology OR Practical Theology (487/687): Readings in Emerging Approaches to Ministry and Ecclesiology
    Taught by Professors Bolt and Glassford
    "A seminar that explores the latest emerging trends in ministry and ecclesiology in light of a Reformed doctrine of the church".