2003-04 Greenville College Catalog

Graduate Program - LAMP

Leadership and Ministry Master's Program

The Master of Arts in Leadership and Ministry (LAMP) seeks to prepare persons for effective service in the Body of Christ by offering graduate education that is theologically sound, practically oriented, and spiritually centered.

LAMP students earn the Master of Arts degree by progressing through the program at a pace which best fits their needs. Two courses are taught in the summer (August) and two in the winter (January). Each course requires an average of 40-45 hours of study and preparation prior to on-campus instruction, and additional study and writing following the conclusion of classroom work. Students who take both courses in August and January can complete LAMP in three years.

Courses are designed to “stand alone” allowing students to enter the program at any point in the instruction cycle. The only exception is the practicum. LAMP students must have completed a minimum of six courses to begin the practicum.

Admission Requirements
Applicants must have completed a minimum of one year in Christian ministry or comparable work as a volunteer in a local church or Christian organization, and possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate institution. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, two letters of reference, and a completed LAMP application are required. An interview with the LAMP Director (either in person or by phone) is also required. Up to six (6) hours of graduate credit from other institutions may be transferred into LAMP upon approval by the Lamp Director. All transfer courses must directly correspond to the specific course objectives and criteria for the LAMP course they are to replace.

Apply online at www.greenville.edu/lamp, or call toll free 888-818-4625 for further information. The student’s application must be received at least eight weeks prior to the beginning of a new instruction session.

Registration
Once application paperwork is on file and an acceptance letter is sent, pre-registration forms are set to students. For subsequent sessions, students are automatically sent pre-registration materials. Students will be required to pre-register by June 15 for the fall term, and by November 15 for the spring term. A list of required texts, reading, and study assignments will be sent once the student is pre-registered.

Registration is held from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM on the Monday prior to the first class session of each course. All students are required to attend registration.

Program Costs
Tuition fee is $293 credit hour. The costs of texts and materials vary from course and course. Students are responsible to acquire their own texts. Occasionally texts may be provided by the program for a minimal fee. Housing and meals are independently arranged by the student.

Grading
A grade point average (GPA) is calculated on all graded work, including transfer credit, applied toward all graduate degrees. A 4-point system is used to calculate the GPA:

Grades of Incomplete, Withdraw, or Transfer Credit from other approved graduate programs are not used in calculating the GPA.

Incomplete Course Work
Students are given 30 days following the completion of course instruction to finish any course work. Time extensions must be arranged with the instructor of the course and a “LAMP Grade Completion Contract” must be submitted. Upon completion and approval of the form, an Incomplete ( I ) will be recorded. Incomplete coursework must be completed within 90 days from the end of the LAMP session. If after 90 days no further work is submitted, a grade will be assigned based on previously submitted coursework.

Withdrawal
Students who need to withdraw from a LAMP course due to a personal or professional emergency may do so by completing a “Request to Drop from the Leadership and Ministry Program” form available from the Office of Adult and Graduate Studies. Students who drop a course have the option to:
1. request a refund according to the Tuition Refund Schedule (Consult the LAMP Student Handbook)
2. request the tuition paid be applied to a future course
3. delay completion of course requirements by submitting the “LAMP Grade Completion Contract” form available from the Office of Adult and Graduate Studies.

Transfer Credit
Students may apply to transfer a maximum of six credits into the Master of Arts Program in Leadership and Ministry, provided the following conditions are met:
1. the course were taken at an accredited seminary, divinity school, or graduate program
2. the course has a reasonable counterpart in LAMP
3. the student earned a minimum grade of “B” in the course.
All applications for transfer credits are subject to the approval of the Greenville College Graduate Academic Affairs Office.

Graduation Requirements
LAMP students must complete 39 hours of course work, including six credit hours of research/practicum in applied ministry, and must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Required courses include:

BIB 500 Introduction to Biblical Studies (3 cr)
BIB 510 Biblical Foundations for Leadership (3 cr)
CM 500 Spiritual Development (3 cr)
CM 501 Effective Communication in the Local Church (3 cr)
CM 503 Letting the Church Work (3 cr)
CM 505 The Worshiping Community (3 cr)
CM 510 Reaching a Culturally Diverse World (3 cr)
CM 515 The Ministry of Mercy (3 cr)
CM 593 Practicum in Applied Ministry (3 cr)
CM 594 Practicum in Applied Ministry (3 cr)
THE 500 The Wesleyan Theological Heritage (3 cr)
THE 502 Theological Ethics in the Christian Tradition (3 cr)
THE 503 Pastoral Theology (3 cr)

Final Honors
Graduating students in the Master of Arts program with outstanding scholarship qualify for honors recognized at Commencement. Students who qualify for honors receive honors cords at Commencement, are noted in the commencement program, and are recognized during the ceremony.

Students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher are eligible for graduation with honors. To qualify, graduates of the Master of Arts program must complete all required courses within the major at Greenville College. The honor ranks are as follows:

• Cum Laude (with honors) requires a grade point average of 3.50
• Magna Cum Laude (with high honors) requires a grade point average of 3.70
• Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors) requires a grade point average of 3.90
  

Last updated: July 16, 2003