OBU Announces Agreement with Phoenix Seminary for Graduates to Earn Advance Standing in MDiv Studies

November 19, 2020

Oklahoma Baptist University has reached an agreement with Phoenix Seminary to offer graduates of OBU’s Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry the opportunity to apply up to 30 hours of credit from their undergraduate studies toward a Master of Divinity at Phoenix Seminary. This agreement will help students save at least a year of the time needed to earn an MDiv, as well as the associated tuition and costs needed to take those equivalent hours at the seminary level.

OBU graduates from the following programs are eligible to apply to the Phoenix Seminary Advanced Placement MDiv: BA in Biblical and theological studies with concentrations in Bible and theology, biblical languages, biblical studies, history and theology, or practical theology; BA in Christian ministry with emphases in Christian ministry or pastoral ministry; and BA in Christian and cross-cultural ministry with cross-cultural emphasis.

To apply to the program, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a grade of B or higher in applicable OBU courses. Applicants must earn their OBU BA degree within five years of entering the Phoenix Seminary MDiv program. The maximum number of OBU hours allowed for application is 30, which is spread between the OBU BA core and concentration/emphasis courses.

Dr. Matthew Emerson, dean of the Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry and Floyd K. Clark Chair of Christian Leadership, is excited to partner with Phoenix Seminary in this latest BA to MDiv agreement.

“Under the leadership of Dr. Brian Arnold [Phoenix Seminary President], Phoenix Seminary is quickly becoming one of the best evangelical seminaries in the country, and we gladly support their work,” Emerson said. “Our hope is that this agreement will provide financial stability and a clear academic path for our graduates, as well as a pipeline for church planting, strengthening and pastoring in the Southwest.”

Dr. Arnold is likewise looking forward to partnering with OBU.

“Oklahoma Baptist University is one of the nation’s top Christian colleges, and under the leadership of President Heath A. Thomas and Dean Matthew Emerson, I am confident that OBU will continue to prepare trustworthy Christians who shape the future of the church,” Arnold said. “As we seek to build healthy churches here in Phoenix, the Southwest, and beyond, we see an urgent need to get students into ministry quickly without compromising a strong theological foundation. We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with OBU to train their graduates at the M.Div. and Th.M. levels.”

OBU has similar agreements in place with seven other seminaries, including Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Gateway Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Denver Seminary.

Phoenix Seminary is a Protestant, evangelical seminary that shapes men and women for ministry with essential foundational tools so that, as pastors, missionaries, or counselors, they can carry out their biblical calling and significantly impact the world through the Church on its mission.

Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, the seminary offers a class size of 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio in programs including M.Div., M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies (available fully online), M.A. in Ministry, M.A. in Counseling, Th.M., and D.Min. The seminary houses the Text and Canon Institute, which produces academic research and church resources that illuminate the origin of the Bible through publications, mentoring, academic colloquia, church conferences and digital resources.

A key feature of Phoenix Seminary is the mentoring program, where each student is paired with a mentor throughout their degree. The seminary also offers a church-based theological training program called the Ministry Apprenticeship Alliance that allows students to obtain 18 hours of credit through local church ministry.

The Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry at OBU exists to empower and inspire future leaders for Kingdom impact. The mission of the Hobbs College is to inspire and equip students for Christ-centered, transformational, practical leadership and ministry. The Hobbs College shapes leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to transform the world for Christ and His Kingdom. Degrees in the Hobbs College are biblically rooted, theologically faithful, and practically relevant.

Learn more about BA to MDiv options in the Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry.