Undergraduate
Department of Theology
Introduction
Uimyeong School, established in South Pyeongan Province in 1906 to train workers at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is the beginning of the Theology Department at Sahmyook University. Today, the Department of Theology, which has been with Sahmyook University for 114 years, teaches a wide range of cultural literacy necessary for pastors, enables character building through spiritual and academic growth, provides academic and practical training to future missionaries and ministers to prepare them for the fast changing information age.
Educational Purpose
The educational purpose of the department is the produce competent ministers by providing a balanced, holistic education of mind, body, and spirit, teaching Bible-based faith, instilling theoretical and practical knowledge for future professionals, providing missionary education for the salvation of the world, and planting the spirit of service for the betterment of the world.
Educational Objectives
- 1. Mission:
- 1) Through spiritual training and lifestyle education on health and etiquette, the department cultivates courteous and healthy Christians with godly faith.
- 2) Based on the principles of non-violence and love, students strive for world peace.
- 2. Vision:
- 1) All curriculum establishes the identity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is based on the Bible.
- 2) Cultivate a wide range of cultural literacy required as future religious leaders. Conduct specialized training in each field to develop each student’s creativity.
- 3) As part of internationalization education, foreign professors conduct language training to cultivate competent ministers for world evangelism.
- 4) To better minister and evangelize in the advanced industrial age, students learn practical skills necessary for the age of information.
- 3. Passion:
- 1) Various volunteer opportunities are provided to the students in order to cultivate humanitarian-minded individuals who serve the country, community, and church.
- 2) As future religious leaders, students are provided with volunteer opportunities in the church.
- 3) Various opportunities are presented to students to help them become proactive in overseas volunteer work and evangelism.
Required credits for graduation
| General Education | Core Courses | Double Major | Credits for Graduation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required/Electives | Track | Core | Core Electives | Major Courses | ||
| 40 (Spiritual12+Theology 12(11)+Electives16(17)) | Single Major | 15 | 60 | 75 | X | 130 |
| Oversease Mission | 15 | 60 | 75 | X | ||
| Double Major | 12 | 35 | 48 | 39+(기타 3) | ||
Career Paths
Pastor, Adventist institute worker, middle school teacher (class 2), Christian cultural minister, worker for missionary agencies, etc.
이수기준별 교육과정
Ⅰ. 교양 과목
| I-1. General Education – Spiritual Education (12 credits) | |
|---|---|
| Course Name | Credits (theory + practice) |
| Spiritual Discipline I, II | 2(2+4) |
| Manual Labor I, II | 2(2+4) |
| Spiritual Discipline Ⅲ, Ⅳ | 2(2+4) |
| Campus Ministry Ⅰ, Ⅱ | 2(2+4) |
| Pastoral Work Practice I, II | 2(2+4) |
| Pastoral Work Practice Ⅲ, Ⅳ | 2(2+4) |
| General Electives (23 credits) | |
|---|---|
| Theology courses (12 credits) | |
| Other courses (11 credits) | |
| Course Name | Credits |
| Natural Sciences (Religion and Science)* | 3 |
| Social Sciences (Pastoral Counseling)* | 3 |
| Cultural Arts (Worship and Church Music)* | 3 |
| Humanities (Christian Philosophy) | 3 |
Ⅱ. Core Courses
| Required Courses (15 credits) | |
|---|---|
| Course Name | Credits (theory + practice) |
| Biblical Doctrine Ⅰ*, Ⅱ* | 4 |
| The Spirit of Prophecy* | 2 |
| Evangelism and Practice | 3(3+2) |
| Homiletics I* | 3 |
| Book of Daniel* | 3 |
Theology students who are double majors or enrolled in teacher education are exempt from taking Evangelism and Practice. (However, if the course is completed, student can be recognized as theology practicum track student.)
Non-theology students minoring in theology are exempt from taking Evangelism and Practice. (However, if the course is completed, student can be recognized as theology practicum track student.)
| III-2. 전공선택 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Name | Credit | Course Name | Credit | ||
| Old Testament (12 credits) | Pentateuch I | 3 | Systematic Theology (6credits) | Systematic Theology | 3 |
| Pentateuch II | 3 | Doctrine of Salvation | 3 | ||
| Historical Books | 3 | Christian Ethics | 3 | ||
| Wisdom Literature | 3 | Doctrine of the Holy Spirit | 3 | ||
| Prophetic Books I | 3 | 실천신학 (18학점) | Church Growth Studies | 3 | |
| Prophetic Books II | 3 | Pastoral Ministry | 3 | ||
| Languages (6 credits) | Hebrew Grammar I | 3 | Preaching Methods II | 3 | |
| Hebrew Grammar II | 3 | Lay Training and Small Groups | 3 | ||
| Greek Grammar I | 3 | Liturgics | 3 | ||
| Greek Grammar II | 3 | Church Organization and Administration | 3 | ||
| New Testament (12 credits) | Life and Teachings of Jesus | 3 | Comparative Religions | 3 | |
| Acts of the Apostles | 3 | Introduction to Missiology | 3 | ||
| Paulin Epistles I | 3 | Evangelism and Culture | 3 | ||
| General Epistles II | 3 | Life and Ministry of a Missionary | 3 | ||
| The Book of Revelation | 3 | Health Principles | 3 | ||
| Church History (6 credits | Adventist Church History | 3 | Youth Leadership Training | 3 | |
| Korean Church History | 3 | Introduction to North Korea Mission | 3 | ||
| Christian Church History | 3 | Frontier Mission and Practicum I | 2(2+2) | ||
| History of Christian Thought | 3 | Frontier Mission and Practicum II | 3 | ||
| 기타 | Frontier Mission and Practicum III | 12 | |||
( ) denotes number of credits by category
Double majors and teacher education students, exempt from taking 3 credits, must take a minimum of 42 credits.
Students cannot take Biblical Hebrew II and Biblical Greek II without completing Biblical Hebrew I and Biblical Greek I.
Biblical Hebrew II and Biblical Greek II are categorized as Old Testament Studies and New Testament Studies, respectively.
Frontier Mission and Practicum II: Students who dedicate more than 1 year to overseas mission work with the 1,000 Missionary Movement, which singed an agreement with the Department of Theology, will receive academic credit upon submission of required documents.
Frontier Mission and Practicum III: Students, fully enrolled in the Theology department, who dedicate more than 1 year to overseas mission work with the 1,000 Missionary Movement, which singed an agreement with the Department of Theology, will receive academic credit upon submission of required documents. (12 credits will be given as part of major studies.)
Graduation Requirements
- Starting 2014, the department offers three tracks (pastoral track, overseas mission track, and general/double track), and courses and regulations for each track are determined by the department’s bylaws.
- Single majors must choose the pastoral track or overseas mission track, and must complete at least 75 credits of core courses and major electives in addition to general education courses.
- Students double majoring in Theology must complete a total of 42 credits, 12 credits of core courses (marked*), 30 credits of major electives (Old Testament: 6 credits, New Testament: 6 credits, Systematic Theology: 3 credits, Church History: 3 credits, Practical Theology: 9 credits, Languages: 3 credits)
- Students minoring in Theology must complete a minimum of 21 credits, 6 credits of core courses (Biblical Doctrine I, II, Spirit of Prophecy), 15 credits of major electives (1 course from each category excluding Languages).
- Transfer students must take a minimum of 65 credits, including a minimum 2 credits of Spiritual Discipline and 45 credits of core courses (major courses: 15 credits, Old Testament: 6 credits, New Testament: 6 credits, Systematic Theology: 3 credits, Church History: 3 credits, Practical Theology: 9 credits, Languages: 3 credits).
- Early graduates must complete all core and elective courses (except for the last semester’s Pastoral Practice) with a minimum of 130 credits.
- Students who apply for the teaching profession must complete at least 7 courses and at least 21 credits from Systematic theology, Adventist Church History, Introduction to Missiology, Comparative Religion, Church History, Christian Ethics, Mission and Culture, and Korean Church History. [Teacher Education core courses and fields for Religious Studies: Religious Education, Introduction to Religion, Religious Phenomenology, Religious Philosophy, Korean Religion, Sociology of Religion (or Religious Anthropology), Religious Psychology, World Religion (or History of Religion, or Comparative Religion), Modern Religion, Religion and Science, Bachelor of Religion]
- Credits are only given for coursework. Outside the class, independent learning is not recognized.
- For Biblical languages (Hebrew and Greek), students may request a language proficiency test to the dean of the department at the beginning of the semester. A professor of the language course will evaluate and report the score to the dean. If the score meets the requirement, the dean will submit it to the Academic Affairs Office, where due credit and grade will be given.
- If a course is moved to a different course category during the academic year, it must not affect to the student’s academic progress.
- For returning students, if credit requirements are different from the time of enrollment due changes in the curriculum, the new curriculum will be followed. If there is a problem, a petition must be submitted to the Credit Adjustment Committee (Chairperson: Department Head) for approval.
- Students, enrolled in the combined (Bachelor’s and Masters) degree program, may take a maximum of 12 credits of Master’s degree courses (6 credits per semester) if the total number of credit hours do not exceed the curriculum limit.
- Transfer of students from other departments is decided through the faculty meeting of the department.
- Aspiring ministers should prepare the following requirements in advance.
- ① Complete Spirit of Prophecy Reading Course required by the Department of Ministry, Korean Union Conference (see separate regulations).
- ② Submit sermon text required by the Department of Ministry, Korean Union Conference.
- ③ Complete 200 hours of literature evangelism required by the Publishing Ministries, Korean Union Conference.
- ④ Complete the AY leadership course required by the Youth Ministries, Korea Union Conference
- ⓹ Starting 2014, BA graduates of Theology must complete a minimum 100 theological credits.
- Aspiring ministers must be recommended by a “Pastoral Review Committee” composed of theology professors. The committee evaluates the following.
- ① Satisfactory completion of academic curriculum
- ② Comprehensive character and qualification evaluation
- ③ Matters requested by other hiring organizations
- 100 credits required for graduates to enter ministry
- ① General Education: Bible and Character Education (12 credits)
- ② General Electives: Preselected courses by category (6 credits from Religion and Science, Pastoral Counseling, Worship and Church Music, and Christian Philosophy)
- ③ Core courses (15 credits)
- ④ Core electives (67 credits or more)
Departmental Bylaws
Students enrolled in 2014 and then after must complete the below courses, specific to each track, and credit hours.
Course requirements specific to track and credit hours (Students enrolled in 2017 and then after)
| Major | Pastoral Ministry Track | Overseas Mission Track | General/Double Track | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| credit | General Education | Spirituality | 12 or 11 | General Education | Spirituality | 12 or 11 | General Education | Spirituality | 12 |
| Theology | 12(4) | Theology | 12(4) | Theology | 6(2) | ||||
| General | 16 or 17 | General | 16 or 17 | General | 22 | ||||
| Sub Total | 40 | Sub Total | 40 | Sub Total | 40 | ||||
| Core | Core | 15 | Core | Core | 15 | Core Theology | Core | 12 | |
| Old Testament | 12(4) | Old Testament | 9(3) | Old Testament | OT9+NT6 or OT6+NT9 | ||||
| New Testament | 12(4) | New Testament | 9(3) | New Testament | |||||
| Systematic | 6(2) | Systematic | 6(2) | Systematic | 3(1) | ||||
| History | 6(2) | History | 6(2) | History | 3(1) | ||||
| Practical | 18(6) | Practical | 24(8) | Practical | 12(4) | ||||
| Languages | 6(2) | Languages | 6(2) | Languages | 3(1) | ||||
| Sub Total | 75 | Sub Total | 75 | Sub Total | 48 | ||||
| Other | 12 | Other | 12 | Double Major | Major | 39 | |||
| Other | 15 or 3 | Other | 15 or 3 | Other | 3 | ||||
| Total | 130 | Total | 130 | Total | 130 | ||||
| * Frontier Mission and Practicum III (12 credits) is included in the other category. * If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is not taken, 19 credits from other category may be substituted. * Languages (Hebrew or Greek) II, if completed, is considered as OT or NT courses. |
* Frontier Mission and Practicum III (12 credits) is included in the other category. * If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is not taken, 19 credits from other category may be substituted. * Languages (Hebrew or Greek) II, if completed, is considered as OT or NT courses. |
* Evangelism and Practicum (3 credits) is excluded from core Theology courses. * Languages (Hebrew or Greek) II, if completed, is considered as OT or NT courses. |
|||||||
| 특기사항 | * If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is completed, one course from Pastoral Practice is exempt. * Minimum of 2 core Theology courses must be completed for general education. |
* If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is completed, one course from Pastoral Practice is exempt. * Minimum of 2 core Theology courses must be completed for general education. |
Minimum of 2 core Theology courses must be completed for general education. | ||||||
To become a minister upon graduating BA in Theology, 100 credits hours must be completed.
- 1. General Education Courses: Spiritual education (12 credits): All courses.
- 2. General Electives: 6 credits from theology courses by category (Religion and Science, Pastoral Counseling, Worship and Music, Christian Philosophy, Christian Relationships).
- 3. Core Courses (15 credits): All courses.
- 4. Core Electives: All courses (Teacher Education related subjects such as Subject Education Theory, Subject Textbook Research, and Pedagogy are excluded.)
Course requirements specific to track and credit hours (Students enrolled in 2014-2016)
| Major | Pastoral Ministry Track | Overseas Mission Track | General/Double Track | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| credit | General Education | Spirituality | 12 or 11 | General Education | Spirituality | 12 or 11 | General Education | Spirituality | 12 |
| Theology | 12(4) | Theology | 12(4) | Theology | 6(2) | ||||
| General | 12 or 13 | General | 12 or 13 | General | 18 | ||||
| Sub Total | 36 | Sub Total | 36 | Sub Total | 36 | ||||
| Core | Core | 15 | Core | Core | 15 | Core Theology | Core | 12 | |
| Old Testament | 12(4) | Old Testament | 9(3) | Old Testament | 9(3) | ||||
| New Testament | 12(4) | New Testament | 6(2) | New Testament | 9(3) | ||||
| Systematic | 6(2) | Systematic | 6(2) | Systematic | 9(3) | ||||
| History | 6(2) | History | 6(2) | History | 3(1) | ||||
| Practical | 18(6) | Practical | 24(8) | Practical | 12(4) | ||||
| Languages | 6(2) | Languages | 6(2) | Languages | 3(1) | ||||
| Sub Total | 75 | Sub Total | 75 | Sub Total | 54 | ||||
| Other | 12 | Other | 12 | Double Major | Major | 42 | |||
| Other | 24 or 12 | Other | 24 or 12 | Other | 3 | ||||
| Total | 135 | Total | 135 | Total | 135 | ||||
| * Frontier Mission and Practicum III (12 credits) is included in the other category. * If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is not taken, 19 credits from other category may be substituted. * Languages (Hebrew or Greek) II, if completed, is considered as OT or NT courses. |
* Frontier Mission and Practicum III (12 credits) is included in the other category. * If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is not taken, 19 credits from other category may be substituted. * Languages (Hebrew or Greek) II, if completed, is considered as OT or NT courses. |
* Evangelism and Practicum (3 credits) is excluded from core Theology courses. * Languages (Hebrew or Greek) II, if completed, is considered as OT or NT courses. |
|||||||
| 특기사항 | * If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is completed, one course from Pastoral Practice is exempt. * Minimum of 2 core Theology courses must be completed for general education. |
* If Frontier Mission and Practicum III is completed, one course from Pastoral Practice is exempt. * Minimum of 2 core Theology courses must be completed for general education. |
Minimum of 2 core Theology courses must be completed for general education. | ||||||
To become a minister upon graduating BA in Theology, 100 credits hours must be completed.
- 1. General Education Courses: Spiritual education (12 credits): All courses.
- 2. General Electives: 6 credits from theology courses by category (Religion and Science, Pastoral Counseling, Worship and Music, Christian Philosophy, Christian Relationships).
- 3. Core Courses (15 credits): All courses.
- 4. Core Electives: All courses (Teacher Education related subjects such as Subject Education Theory, Subject Textbook Research, and Pedagogy are excluded.)
