Certificate Programs

• Traditional Certificates:
  Certificate in Theological Studies,
  Certificate in Lay Ministry, and
  Certificate in Biblical Studies
• Certificate in Community Ministry Leadership
• Certificate in Spiritual Formation
  
• Post-Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy

Bethel Seminary is dedicated to the training of men and women for Christian ministries. Many students will be ordained and will spend all their working time in church and related vocations. Increasingly, however, large numbers of capable and committed Christians express the need for more depth and background in knowledge and experience in order for them to serve Christ more effectively in their churches and communities. They also want to understand and appreciate the dimensions of their own faith to a greater extent. In addition, many college graduates are not certain about their future vocations. A limited course of study gives them a basis for deciding whether a church vocation might be what God desires for them.

Certificate in Theological Studies is awarded upon completion of 48 credits taken in any or all areas of curriculum. Only Hermeneutics is required. All other courses are selected according to student interest and need after consultation with an advisor.

Certificate in Lay Ministry is awarded upon completion of 48 credits designed to produce understanding and skills in basic areas of the curriculum. Leadership, involvement, and outreach are stressed. A typical pattern of courses would be as follows:

BT501	Hermeneutics	4
SP505	Disciplines of Spiritual and Personal Formation	2
TS505	Christian Social Ethics	4
GC501	Introduction to Global & Contextual Ministries	4
GC505	Evangelism for Discipleship	4
	Elective in Discipleship in Community	4
	Elective in Biblical Studies	4
	Elective in Theology	4
	Other electives	4
Total Credits		48

Certificate in Biblical Studies is awarded upon completion of 24 credits. The program requires four biblical studies courses, one theology or ethics course, and one course from the applied area.

Certificate in Spiritual Formation is awarded upon completion of 24 credits. The program requires one course each in multicultural studies and systems theory, and 4 courses in the area of concentration.

Certificate in Community Ministry Leadership is awarded upon completion of 8 credits. The program requires four courses (two credits each) in Community Ministry Leadership, selected based on student interest and ministry demand, as determined by the program director.

Post-Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy

The Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy is awarded upon completion of up to 53 credits including marriage and family concentration courses, formation courses, and supervised clinical experience. This certificate is designed for professionals with master’s degrees from counseling and psychological services programs or Master of Divinity graduates with concentrations in Marriage and Family Studies who desire further academic specialization in the area of marriage and family therapy. This certificate program is designed to meet the academic requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in most states, but additional supervised clinical practice and the taking of a licensing examination would typically be needed to obtain actual licensure.

Certificate students would also participate in assessment and formation activities required of M.A.M.F.T. students.

MFT Concentration Courses

MF501	Foundations of MF Studies	4
MF551	Families in Context: Gender, Class and Culture	4
MF561	Dynamics of Family Interaction	4
MF502	Ind. Development within the Family	4
MF552	Challenges over the Life Cycle	4
MF562	Individual and Family Psychopathology	4
MF503	Theories of Marriage and Family Therapy	4
MF553	Marriage and Family Assessment	4
MF563	Advanced Clinical Issues	4
MF555	Professional and Ethical Issues In MFT	2
MF654	Research Design and Evaluation in MFT	4
MF653	Diagnosis and Treatment Planning	3

Formation Courses

SP502	Disciplines of Spiritual/Personal Formation	1
SP602	Disciplines of Theological Reflection	1

Clinical Experience

	Practicum Readiness Process	0
MF70x	Clinical Experience I	3
MF70x	Clinical Experience II	3
MF70x	Clinical Experience III	3

In addition to regular seminary application materials, certificate applicants would need: two references from supervisors or professional work experience; a personal profile; and a 1,500-2,000 word paper discussing personal family experience. A group interview is also required of all qualified applicants. The application deadline is April 1.

The Bethel Seminary Catalog is provided online as a convenience for those who desire course information in electronic form. The printed version of the Bethel Seminary catalog is the official version, and it will be treated as the document of record in all seminary business.