ULS Master of Sacred Theology Instructions

ULS Master of Sacred Theology Instructions

ULS MISSION STATEMENT AND PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

STM Mission Statement: The STM program of United Lutheran Seminary offers those with a first professional theological degree the opportunity to engage in advanced work in an aspect of, or an area within, theological inquiry in service of the church and the world.

The Master of Sacred Theology (STM) is an advanced academic degree that enables one to continue studies beyond the Master of Divinity or equivalent degree. Its purpose is to provide a more advanced mastery of one area or discipline of theological study than is normally provided at the basic degree level.

ULS expects that graduates of the STM program will have the following Learning Outcomes, which are based upon the ULS Mission Statement:
Unifying, Learning, Serving: United Lutheran Seminary is a welcoming and diverse learning community equipping people to proclaim the living Gospel for a changing church and world.

STM Learning Outcomes:

A. Unifying – Developing advanced skills in academically rigorous research that contributes to bringing people together in the diverse unity enabled by the Triune God

1. Actively articulates diverse perspectives, including from biblical and theological disciplines, and scientific, ecumenical, and interfaith points of view
2. Clearly documents awareness of perspectives of marginalized in research, writing, and application
3. Advocates consistently for the development of a shared vision in groups of diverse learners

B. Learning – Developing advanced skills in lifelong critical thinking, research, and application through the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit

1. Demonstrates excellent problem-solving abilities within a concentration and general competence across theological disciplines
2. Clearly articulates critical and constructive engagement with a living theological tradition, and capacity to engage that tradition with academic integrity
3. Evidences advanced abilities to interpret historic religious traditions, including their sacred scriptures, historical development, and cultural forms, engaging contextual analysis
4. Shows capacity to complete an extensive thesis on a topic of significance

C. Serving – Developing advanced skills and confidence in participating in academic communities, with teaching and leading as appropriate for an advanced degree graduate

1. Presents a clear and consistent message in public leadership, grounded in the risen Christ, across contexts
2. Shows high level abilities to use tools necessary for academic inquiry in one’s fields
3. Evidences advanced skills to address the systems that cause and perpetuate marginalization and division, including drawing upon biblical, theological and other academic disciplines

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Degree Requirements
The STM consists of seven courses of three credits each, plus a six-credit thesis. The courses must include:

• RSM 700 Research Methods, preferably completed in the fall of the first year
• At least 3 courses in the student’s chosen Major, which will also be the focus of the student’s thesis
• At least 3 courses that have been designated specifically for the STM degree, as noted in the course description. This is to assure the academic focus of the program, according to our accreditation standards (ATS 4.11).
• At least 3 courses that are “residential;” that is, involving face-to-face student-instructor contact for at least 22 contact hours.

Possible Majors include:
Bible, Black Church Studies, Christian Education, Church History, Church and Society, Congregational Studies, Homiletics, Inter-faith Studies, Liturgy/Worship, Lutheran Studies, Pastoral Care, Theology, and World Christianity

A full listing of course offerings in any year may be found on the ULS Registrar’s page at MyULS (https://my.uls.edu/).

Guidelines for the Thesis are below (See “Detailed Guide to Preparation of the Thesis”).

Program Duration
The duration of the program will vary with each candidate, depending on whether study is full-time or part-time, the scope of the candidate’s professional responsibilities (if any), and the pace of progress toward the stated goals of the program. However, the program is to be completed in no less than one year and no more than six.

Students that are still completing coursework but fail to register for a semester would be considered to be on leave. Four consecutive semesters would exhaust the eligibility for leave, and student would be subjected to removal from the roll. Once removed from the roll, the student could reapply after a year but would be subject to any program changes that had gone into effect and would lose any coursework over 10 years old.

Once all coursework is completed, students have 4 semesters to register their thesis. Once the thesis is registered, students have 2 years to complete it. If it is not completed, students may request an extension.

Students can rarely expect to complete the degree in a nine-month academic year. Full-time students who hope to complete the work in one calendar year should expect to use at least the summer to complete course work or write the thesis.

Please note that eligibility for full-tuition financial aid (see below) is limited at this time to no more than two courses per term (August/Fall and January/Spring/Summer), totaling four courses (or 12 credits) per academic year.

Program Extensions
The maximum period within which the degree may be earned is six years from inception of study (the semester in which the first course is taken in the STM program). Requests for extension of the six-year limit are addressed to the faculty through the Director of Graduate Studies. The seminary will assume that a student wishes to remain in the program until the sixth year, unless otherwise informed that the student wishes to withdraw from the program.

Grade Requirements for the Degree
All courses taken toward the STM program are to be taken for letter grades, whether at ULS or elsewhere.

For successful completion of the STM degree and to remain in good standing, the student must maintain a cumulative grade average of not less than 3.0 in all supervised instruction and grades of at least B (3.0) in all coursework applied to the major.

Receiving an F, designating failure, requires the student to take additional equivalent course work.
However, any F continues to remain part of the transcript and will be counted in the student’s GPA, even if the identical course was repeated.

COURSE OPTIONS

Courses offered by ULS may be in any of the following formats:

• Semester-long courses (3-hour blocks, scheduled morning, afternoon, or evening one day per week). Courses may be fully on-campus, but most are also available to off-campus students via Zoom.
• Graduate Intensives (usually one week of in-class time, scheduled in October, January, March/April, and June), plus both pre-intensive week and post-intensive week requirements
• Asynchronous online courses, typically over a full semester
• Hybrid courses that may feature elements of on-campus, Zoom, and/or asynchronous online instruction, per the course syllabus
• Independent Studies (see below)

MA-Level Courses for Upgrade
In some instances, it may be appropriate to seek permission to take a course being offered at the MA level. In such cases, it is important that the course requirements be “upgraded” to meet STM requirements. Criteria for upgrades of first theological courses for STM credit are as follows:

1. Courses for graduate upgrades should normally be electives.
2. The student should normally not take more than two such courses in the STM degree program. (In special circumstances, more may be allowed, provided that “at least one-half of the work required shall be in courses in advanced, academically oriented degree programs” [ATS 4.11].)
3. Upgraded courses may not have been used for credit towards another degree.
4. It is the responsibility of the student to request a faculty member to provide upgrade equirements prior to taking a course. Faculty members have the right to refuse if they consider a particular course to be unsuitable for this purpose.
5. The requirements of an upgraded course will normally be at least ten sources in the bibliography and writing equivalent to a 30-35 page paper.

Independent Study
An independent study may be undertaken by a student or group of students in any degree program to explore a particular area of interest. Normally no more than two courses in the student’s program should be independent studies.

The student is first to consult their advisor concerning the desire for independent study. For the sake of meeting deadlines, the conversation should take place early in the semester preceding the term proposed for the study. The advisor, in consultation with the Dean, if needed, shall suggest one or more appropriate ULS members who might supervise the study. The student shall then seek to enlist one of those suggested Faculty members as an instructor for the independent study.

The student will register for the independent study by preparing and submitting to the registrar, in consultation with the instructor, a ROSA statement which describes:

(R) The Rationale for the independent study: Why you want to undertake this study; how this study will serve the degree outcomes.

(O) The Outcomes of the study: What you should be able to demonstrate, articulate, or accomplish at the end of the course.

(S) The Strategies used in the study: How you will study the material, including reading assignments and meetings with the instructor.

(A) The Assessment instruments to be used in the study: How you will demonstrate your mastery of the promised outcomes; what instruments will be used by the instructor, including tests, papers, projects.

The ROSA statement must be approved and signed by both the instructor and the Dean and submitted to the registrar. A sample ROSA that may be used as a template is available on the registrar’s home page at MyULS. If the approved ROSA statement is not received by the end of the drop/add period for the term, the student will be withdrawn from the independent study.

Taking Courses at Other Institutions
The Seminary’s educational programs are enhanced through a variety of domestic and international institutional relationships that enable the student to maximize educational resources available. In particular, ULS has cross- registration with the schools of the Washington Theological Consortium.

Courses available through the Consortium may be researched via the ULS registrar’s home page at My ULS, where students will also find the appropriate registration form.

Students seeking to take courses at schools with which ULS does not have cross-registration are responsible to make sure that the school is fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Students are to adhere to the policies and practices of the host school when registering and are responsible for all tuition and fees incurred.

Transfer Credits from Prior Coursework and Prior Earned Degrees
The total number of credits from a previously conferred degree and/or from transfer credits all together can total no more than nine credits. Such courses will normally be considered as “electives” and not as part of the STM Major.

Up to three courses of a conferred DMin (or equivalent advanced level) degree may be counted towards the STM.

To be eligible for transfer toward the STM degree, a course completed at another school shall meet the following requirements:

1. The course was taken for credit at a fully accredited institution.
2. The course was taken in an advanced-level degree program.
3. The student had completed the MDiv or equivalent degree before taking the course
4. The course is clearly relevant to the student’s STM degree and is approved by the student’s advisor.
5. The course was taken within ten years prior to the student’s admission to the ULS STM program.
6. The student received a grade of B or better (or a grade of “pass” in the case of a pass/fail course).

NUTS AND BOLTS

MyULS
A great deal of information is available to you at MyULS (my.uls.edu). You will find links there that provide answers to many of the questions you will have. Be sure to bookmark this page for handy reference.

Computer Literacy and Ownership
All students are required to have regular access to appropriately equipped computers; therefore, it is strongly advised that all students purchase computer systems (laptops preferred) and software according to the suggested guidelines found in the Student Handbook, available at MyULS, my.uls.edu. Students may include computer hardware and software expenses in the cost of attendance for purposes of seeking financial aid and/or student loans.

ULS Email Account, Henry Student Portal, and Canvas
Upon matriculation into the STM Program, students will be given a username and password for their ULS email, Henry (the web portal for registration, grades, financial aid, etc.), and Canvas (the course management site). These interfaces will be the primary method of communication between the seminary and the student.

It is the student’s responsibility to maintain these accounts. For guidance on routing your ULS email account into an already existing email server, please go to http://my.uls.edu/informationtechnology/emailuls/.

Registration Changes, Late Registration and Course Withdrawals
Information about registration changes following the start of a semester can be found in the Student Handbook, available at MyULS (my.uls.edu). Students are required to consult with their Faculty Advisor prior to registering for classes. In order to register, a student must have their advisor’s approval and PIN number to log into the Henry Online Student Information System. Note that PIN numbers change each semester.

Extensions for Coursework
With the permission of the instructor, a student may seek additional time in which to submit final coursework for a course. A form for this purpose is available on the Registrar web page, found at MyULS (my.uls.edu). It must be submitted no later than the last day of the term.

NOTE: Other institutions will have their own policies on extensions. Students who take courses for transfer credit should check the policies at each institution.

Housing during Intensive Courses
Students attending one-week intensives will need to have suitable nearby accommodations. Requests for on-campus housing must be made no later than one month prior to the start of your course. Room requests submitted later than this cannot be guaranteed. See MyULS (my.uls.edu) for more information.

Leave of Absence
Students may petition for a Leave of Absence for a full academic year, renewable for a second year. The Leave of Absence year will not count toward the six-year limit for the degree. The petition must be in writing and submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies. The Faculty has the right to grant or refuse such petitions

Financial Aid
ULS is able to offer up to full-tuition scholarships for up to two courses per semester (August/Fall and January/Spring/Summer) for STM students. Students need to file the FAFSA and ULS financial-aid application to be eligible for such scholarships. A student wishing to take more than two courses in a given semester will be responsible for tuition for any courses beyond two.

NOTE: Fees for courses taken at other institutions for transfer credit or as part of an independent study are the responsibility of the student and are paid directly to the institutions at which the courses are taken.

Loan Eligibility or Loan Deferment Eligibility During the Thesis-Writing Stage
STM students engaged in writing the thesis may elect to declare themselves as either part-time or full-time for purposes of deferring loans or obtaining loans, grants or scholarships while not enrolled in courses. Students are eligible to declare themselves as active part-time or full-time based on the following criteria:

• Students must have completed all their program-required course units.
• Students must have registered their thesis with the Registrar.
• Students must be in academic good standing and may not be on financial hold.
• Students must submit the appropriate form, available from the Graduate Studies Office, during each academic year of eligibility.
• Forms must be filed before the end of the Add/Drop period of the semester.
• Students may not have reached the maximum time limit on eligibility for part-time or fulltime writing status (one full academic year listed as full-time or two full academic years listed as half-time).

Contact the Graduate School Office for a request form.

THE ADVISOR AND EVALUATION PANEL

An Academic Advisor will be assigned to the student when they enter the STM Program. When the student has completed roughly half of their coursework, the Director of the Graduate School in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee, will assign a thesis advisor, based on the student’s proposed Major.

If an Advisor is “on leave,” “on sabbatical leave,” or leaves the faculty of the school, the need for replacement should be discussed by the candidate with the Director of the Graduate School.

The Director of the Graduate School in consultation with the Dean will appoint one more faculty member who, together with the Advisor, will form a committee or panel before which the student will defend the thesis. (A third faculty member may be added to the panel at the request of the Advisor to the Director of the Graduate School.) The panel will be chaired by the Advisor. The panel, after examining the candidate and his/her academic record, as well as the quality of the thesis, will recommend to the faculty whether the candidate shall be approved for the degree.

The panel’s meeting with the candidate for oral evaluation of the candidate’s work will be held no later than three weeks prior to the date when the faculty meets to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees for the awarding of the degree in any given year. (Normally this would mean the oral evaluation would be before mid-March, but it may be as early as mid-February in some years. Contact the Director of the Graduate School for the date in any given year.) A recommendation from the panel will go before the faculty for consideration, approval, and recommendation to the Board of Trustees for awarding of the degree.

STUDENT LEARNING AND PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

ULS is committed to the regular assessment of the effectiveness of its teaching and student learning. At the end of each academic year, the Director of the Graduate School, in partnership with the Office of Student Learning Assessment, will utilize the following data (which includes both direct and indirect evaluation) for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of the STM Program based upon the stated ULS Master of Sacred Theology Program Learning Outcomes (ATS 2.5 – 2.8; MSCHE V)

1. STM Intake Questionnaires
2. STM Graduating Questionnaires
3. ULS STM Student Learning Goals
4. Course Assessments
5. STM Thesis Registration Form
6. STM Panel Action Form
7. ATS Graduating Student Questionnaire

A report will be made to the Faculty to suggest any necessary adjustments, corrections or additions related to course offerings, pedagogy, methodology, advising, evaluation procedures, as well as institutional and student services.

DETAILED GUIDE TO THE PREPARATION OF THE THESIS

Nature, Purpose, and Scope

The STM thesis is a major research paper through which the student demonstrates the ability to engage in significant scholarship. It is to embody the results of original research and to substantiate a specific view.

A typical STM thesis is around 100 pages in length (exclusive of bibliography), but the number of pages alone is not a sufficient measure of adequate scope. It needs to be long enough to provide the specificity and depth appropriate to the study, and short enough to maintain the requisite focus.

Supervision and Evaluation

Each candidate is guided in this phase of the program by a faculty Advisor appointed by the Director of the Graduate School. The Advisor chairs the panel that will evaluate the thesis.

The student is to take the initiative in arranging conferences with the Advisor. Conferences may be arranged at any time, and ordinarily should be requested at least once monthly. This will assure that the student has prepared for and been engaged in adequate consultation at those stages which are especially important in the development of the thesis.

The final draft (also known as the Review Copy) is presented electronically to the Director of the Graduate School, who in turn, will distribute the copies to the faculty panel if the panel agrees to receiving electronic copies. If a panel member prefers a paper copy, it is the student’s responsibility to deliver it to them. The panel reads the document and meets with the candidate for formal discussion and final adjudication of the thesis.

Note that the Advisor may request the Director of Graduate Studies to add a third faculty member to the panel.

Sequence and Calendar

The sequence of steps in the thesis preparation is set forth in section IV below. The timing (calendar) of the steps will vary according to the candidate’s circumstances. It is helpful in planning for a thesis to begin with the end date and consider the steps in reverse order to establish a candidate’s individual calendar.

The awarding of degrees occurs at the annual Commencement in May. For award of the STM degree in a given May, the complete review copy of the thesis (see IV D) must be submitted to the Graduate Studies office by February 1 at the latest, prior to the expected May graduation. The timing of the preceding steps will vary according to the time available for study, research, and writing. In all cases, the limit is six years from inception of the program until award of the degree; program extensions are available only with faculty approval.

Steps in the Process

A. Selection of Subject
The candidate for the degree is expected to take the initiative in selecting the subject area for the Thesis. The subject is delineated by the student in consultation with the Advisor, with consideration given to the following queries:

1. Is the subject significant? This is a judgment in which the Advisor and the student must concur since the subject should be meaningful to the student.
2. Is the scope of the subject sufficiently limited to allow adequate treatment within the allotted time and with the facilities at the student’s command?

B. The Proposal
Once the student and Advisor have agreed concerning the subject and provisional title, the student prepares a Thesis Proposal according to the guidelines below. Consultation with the Advisor in this stage is crucial. It will be helpful to consult the criteria for evaluation of a thesis.

Writing the proposal

• State the title. Keep the title short and descriptive of the Thesis.
• Describe the rationale of the Thesis. This involves setting forth the origin and background of the study, its implications, the reason for interest in it, and the need for it.
• Give a general statement of the Thesis. It is from this general statement that the specific formulation of the Thesis will be derived. Define the area and scope of the study, and indicate the basic proposition, situation, question, or technique that the Thesis will examine.
• The formulation and limitation of the Thesis. This involves a precise statement of what the student proposes to do. State clearly the desired goal or outcome of the Thesis. In some instances, it will be helpful for the student to clarify the intentions by adding to the positive statement an explanation of matters that lie beyond the limits of the study.
• Indicate in a preliminary way the theological/biblical issues/foundations that are relevant and will be developed in the Thesis.
• Indicate previous studies relating to the Thesis. This is often called a “literature review.” The student shall present a brief description of earlier studies that have bearing on the proposed investigation. This description should contain a statement of what earlier studies have revealed and should carry reference to areas of the general problem that remain unexplored or which have been inadequately explored. In the event that the student finds no studies relating to the investigation proposed, note shall be made of that fact. The findings in this step ought to indicate why the student feels justified in carrying out the investigation.
• Identify sources and prepare a preliminary bibliography. When sources are contemporaneous with the investigator, a relatively full description is required. The student shall indicate how source materials are to be handled. With the proposal, include the bibliography compiled to this point.
• State the procedures or method of investigation. This would be the Methodology. Describe fully the procedure(s) to be followed in making the study. This should include a clear explanation of the steps one expects to follow in carrying out the investigation. This is not a preview of conclusions, but a statement of the processes to be used in the various phases of the Thesis. If there are procedures of questionnaire or experimentation type, the greatest care must be observed to shape the instrument for obtaining data. It is particularly important to work out such matters with the Advisor in advance of presenting the proposal to the committee.
• Include a tentative outline of the document. This should show at least the larger sections, such as chapters and major subdivisions. It should indicate how one intends to articulate the work and should reflect careful preliminary investigation and planning.

Expect to revise the draft proposal several times under the guidance of your Advisor/Supervisory committee before it is developed into the final form. The time spent is worthwhile because the proposal will be used as the yardstick by which you develop the Thesis and by which the committee will eventually evaluate the final product.

Submitting the proposal

The Advisor will review the Proposal and may request a meeting(s) with the student as part of this review.

If the proposal is accepted, the Advisor will sign the registration form to indicate acceptance and present the form to the Graduate Studies Office. The Graduate Studies Office will forward the original on to the Registrar.

If not accepted, the proposal will be returned with the registration form to the student for revision and resubmission. When the proposal is accepted, the steps of the above paragraph above will apply.

Only after your Advisor has agreed that the Thesis Proposal may move forward, submit one copy of the completed proposal to the Advisor along with a Thesis Registration Form (see APPENDICES). There is no deadline for the Thesis Proposal. It is only governed by the February 1 deadline for submission of the complete review copy in the year in which the candidate hopes to graduate. In general, students are well-advised to submit a proposal one year in advance of the expected date of graduation.

C. Drafts
The number and nature of preliminary drafts will depend upon a combination of the advisor’s expectations, the student’s capacities and the nature of the topic. In some cases, submission of material chapter by chapter may be requested; in others, it may be appropriate to develop a series of complete drafts at varying levels of refinement. Follow the direction of your Advisor.
It will be helpful at this stage to have previewed the requirements of style and presentation which apply to the final version of the Thesis document.

D. The Review Copy
This is the complete Thesis document, including abstract, title page, table of contents, chapters, headings, and bibliography. It is prepared according to the style and formatting requirements of the final archival copies (see below), except that it is submitted to the Graduate Studies Office before the February 1 deadline. Electronic copies may be utilized if agreed to by the Committee.

The following considerations regarding the Review Copy should be kept in mind:

1. Write so that the reader can readily gather your ideas about the subject. Write for the reader.
2. Pay special attention to accuracy in the choice of words and to variety in both vocabulary and sentence structure. The student is responsible for typographical corrections; copy read meticulously. Use a spell-check and grammar check. Copy editing is not the responsibility of your advisor.
3. The Introduction should contain:
   • a statement of the specific issue to be studied
   • a review of previous studies of the subject (“literature review”)
   • a brief description of the sources, the materials, and the methods employed in the investigation
   • the limitations of the present study (geographical, chronological, topical, institutional, and the like)
   • background information to assist the reader’s understanding; and
   • an indication of the order in which the main divisions of the subject are to be treated in the body of the document
4. Pay special attention to logical development and to connections between the divisions. The divisions, subdivisions and subordinate heads must be so chosen and stated that each will lead to an exhaustive treatment of its part of the subject and at the same time contribute to the progress of thought. Special care must be taken to indicate the relations of each part by means of topical and transitional sentences. Each division and subdivision should begin with a paragraph, which will link it to the preceding paragraph and introduce the next stage of the argument, and it should close with a paragraph which will summarize its contents and indicate its bearing on the report thus far.
5. After the data of the document have been presented clearly and logically, the conclusion of the whole should be stated succinctly. The final interpretation, solution, or statement of findings is the culmination of the study

E. Review and Defense
When the Committee has read the Review copy, a meeting will be scheduled for student and Committee. This is the occasion for a sharing of the Committee’s analysis and the student’s defense of the Thesis. The Oral Defense of the Thesis will normally be no more than two hours.

After the Oral Defense, the Committee may:

• approve the Thesis document as submitted, without changes
• approve with minor typographical corrections required
• approve with substantive revisions
• fail

The Thesis can be submitted and reviewed at any time throughout the academic year.

F. Revisions

1. If required revisions are minor, the student will make the corrections and move directly to the final submission copies (see below). The Advisor will make a final inspection before ratification.
2. If revisions are to be substantive (matters of organization or argument, or even a large number of typographical errors), the student will be asked to submit a second (revised) review copy, and step (1) above then applies.

Note about timing:
Review Copies may be submitted at any time throughout the year, with approval of the student’s Advisor. However, February 1 is the last possible date for submission for those students wishing to graduate the following May. In addition, students must submit the “Application to Graduate” by January 3 to the Registrar’s Office.

Consult with your Advisor or the Director of the Graduate School so that you are clear on dates.

H. Final Submission (Archival Copies)
Prepare two unbound copies of the thesis document and submit them to the Graduate Studies Office by May 1 preceding graduation.

1. Before submitting your final, printed copies to the graduate studies office, email your final draft to the library staff so they can confirm that your formatting conforms to institutional requirements and any quoted material falls under fair use (listed below). You will not be approved for graduation until the library approves of your final copy.

2. To ensure the long-term preservation and access to your work, the seminary requires your thesis be printed single-sided on high-quality, white, acid-free, 8 ½ x 11-inch paper. This paper should consist of at least 25% cotton.

3. The quality of print needs to be clear and dark. Color images, charts, and photographs may be included, but only if they are of a high enough quality to be legible. We recommend you utilize a print shop to print the document, such as Staples or a FedEx Office.

4. Two copies of the final submission must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Office by May 1 of the year you plan on graduating.
   a. Do not punch holes in the pages
   b. Do not bind the document in any way
   c. Print on one side of the page, only
   d. Additional copies for yourself can be submitted to be bound, upon payment of any library fees for binding.

5. With each copy of the thesis, provide the following separate documents:
   a. The Abstract
   This is a summary document of not more than five hundred words. It should enable one who does not have time to read the whole thesis to take in at a glance the specific issue to be studied, the method, the principal facts and the solution or findings. Single space on separate sheets numbered in Arabic numerals. Numbering is separate from the thesis itself, since the Abstract is not considered a part of the thesis.

6. Assemble in the following order: Abstract, thesis (Title page, TOC, Chapters, Bibliography, Appendices)
   a. Appendices
   If you have one or two short appendices, continue page numbering to the end. If the Appendix/ces are more than a few pages, number separately starting with Appendix A. If you have more than three appendices, include a Table of Appendices before Appendix A, formatted as you would a table of contents.

Criteria for Evaluation of the Thesis Document

1. Accuracy. Have the data, quotations, and references been checked, and are the facts on which the conclusion is based stated clearly and accurately?
2. Objectivity. Do the conclusions largely depend on the writer’s own opinions or opinions quoted from others? Where opinions are given, are they supported by factual data? Are the opinions of reputed authorities accepted as fact without further investigation or criticism? Is the significance of the findings judiciously discerned and stated?
3. Impartiality. Is there a sincere search for the truth regardless of whether or not it may require the revision or even the abandonment of a hypothesis? Is any evidence omitted which speaks against the conclusion drawn by the writer? Is any evidence omitted which speaks in favor of it? Are the data fairly interpreted, so that merely possible fact is distinguished from probable or certain fact?
4. Logic. Is the document developed logically, and is it free from fallacies? Does it avoid ambiguous and shifting terms, reasoning from analogy, reasoning from silence, begging the question and all forms of irrational evidence?
5. Literary Style. Is it written in language that is accurate, suited to the theme, interesting and cultured?
6. Length. Normally around 100 pages of text (excluding appendices if any and bibliography). There is no virtue in “padding.” Quotations from secondary sources should be kept to a minimum, and all extraneous and repetitious matter should be rigorously excluded.
7. Clarity. Can the reader understand exactly what the writer has done and said?
8. Creativity. While the Thesis document is not required to be a new contribution to knowledge, it should show imagination in the various steps of selecting and defining the subject, assembling the material for the body of the report and drawing conclusions. Such things as a fresh approach to the subject, new interpretation of data, raising questions that arise in the course of the study, and suggestions for further investigation add to the value.
9. Theological Integrity. Has the author accurately and thoughtfully engaged the Scriptures and the theological tradition of the church (either historical or contemporary)?

Style

1. General layout, format, and style
   a. Leave a one and one-half inch margin at the left on each page and at least three quarters of an inch on the other three sides. The same margins apply to charts, graphs, tables, and maps.
   b. Use a ½” indentation for paragraphing.
   c. Double space the body of the manuscript.
   i. Long quotations, footnotes, and other similar material should be singlespaced and indented ½ inch
   d. The Title Page should follow the template included in the Appendices
   e. The thesis should otherwise follow the standard style-manual: A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, by Kate L. Turabian (Chicago: University of Chicago Press)—the 7th (2007) or newer edition.

2. Newer editions of Turabian contain a section composed of Booth et al.’s The Craft of Research.

3. For issues of style and rhetoric, see The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000 edition or newer) or The Elements of Style Illustrated, by Strunk, White, and Kalman (2007).

4. A convenient online abridgement of Turabian is available at https://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html %20

5. Citation of sources
   Students are expected to conform to one style of referencing sources and must use the chosen method consistently.
   a. Notes and Bibliography Style See Turabian, chapters 15, 16, and 17.
   Note format:

6. Rebecca Smith, Lifelong Education: Reflections of a Teacher (Philadelphia: Bell Press, 2009), 54.
   Bibliographic format:
   Smith, Rebecca. Lifelong Education: Reflections of a Teacher. Philadelphia: Bell Press, 2009.

7. Bibliography/reference list
   The bibliography or reference list at the end should include all books, articles, and other works used in preparing the thesis (but only those works actually used). If the thesis is dependent on a major author, the bibliography may be divided into two sections, one for the primary (the major author’s) works, the other for the secondary works. Most theses will not require this distinction in the bibliography. If there are any important works on the subject which were not available to the writer, they may be listed separately and the fact that they were not consulted should be mentioned.
   Every item in the bibliography or reference list should contain the following information:
   (a) the full name of the author and/or editor; (b) the exact title of the work as it appears on its title page; (c) the name of the translator, if there is one; and, (d) publication information (books would include place, publisher, and date; journals would include journal title, volume, issue, year, and pages).
   The order of these items will vary according to the choice between bibliography and reference list for citations.
   Bibliographic citations for electronic media should include the same information as the print version, but also: name of site found on, URL, and date accessed. It may look like these:
   Paine, Thomas, Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution, Part 1, ed. Moncure Daniel Conway (London: G.P.
   Putnam, 1894), Google Books,
   http://books.gooogle.com/books?id=GrYBAAAAYAAJ (accessed November 16, 2009).
   Paine, Thomas, Common Sense, Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine (New York: Signet Classics, 2007), Kindle edition
   Petranovic, Danilo, “The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Rigth and Left.” First Things 241, 53-54. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials (accessed August 16, 2009).

8. Font
   If possible, use Times New Roman, 12 pt throughout the thesis, and 10 pt for footnotes. Similar, acceptable, serifed fonts include Cambria, which is a commonly-available font.

9. Pagination
   Pages should have the page number centered at the bottom of the page. The title page is not numbered, nor is the table of contents if it is a single page. If the table of contents is more than one page, number in small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.)

10. Do not justify the right margin. Only the left margin should be justified.

11. We strongly recommend hiring a proofreader as well as utilizing the spell-check and grammar-check programs in your computer to ensure accuracy and consistency throughout the document.

12. Boldface and italics should be used rarely. Boldface may be used in headings only. Italics are to be used for foreign words, book titles, and journal titles.

13. In general, the use of the first person to refer to yourself, while acceptable, should be used sparingly and in consultation with your advisor.

14. All research subjects should be protected and their identities held in confidence. All names should be changed, utilizing pseudonyms or, for example, “Mr. A” and “Ms. B.” For the full policy, please see the institutional policy on Research on Human Subjects.

15. The student is responsible for obtaining written permission to include any materials, artwork, maps, music, etc. from published or unpublished sources, including verbal material from interviews, questionnaires, surveys, sermons, etc. cited in the thesis. The advisor will help in deciding when permissions are necessary. The student is responsible for paying any permission fees that may be incurred. As the author of the manuscript, you will be asked to certify that any previously copyrighted material used in your work, beyond acceptable fair use, is with the written permission of the copyright owner.

STM Thesis Format

Typical Length: around 100 pages (exclusive of bibliography)

Font
Times New Roman, Cambria, or similar serifed font at 12 pt. size
Times New Roman, Cambria, or similar serifed font at 10 pt. size for footnotes

Paper
High-quality, white, acid free, 8 ½ x 11 inch paper containing 25% or more cotton Print only on one side of paper

Margins
Left: 1.5 inches
Right, Top, Bottom: 0.75 to 1 inch on all 3 sides Same margins for charts and appendices

Page numbering
Except for the Table of Contents, all numbered pages must have their page number centered on the bottom of the page

Paragraph Style
Double-spaced body of the manuscript
Single-space long, indented quotations, footnotes, and special material Paragraphs should be indented ½ inch Left-justified (right margin should not be justified)

Headings
For the ease of the reader, utilize only one level of headings.
Headings should be sentenced-cased and bold.
Triple-space before a heading
Headings should be left-justified

Bold, Italics, and Underline
Bold should only be used for headings Italics can only be used for foreign words, book titles, and journal articles Underline only for emphasis of a word or phrase

Order of sections
Precis (unnumbered)
Abstract (unnumbered)
Title page (unnumbered)
Copyright or blank page (unnumbered)

Front Matter (continuously numbered in Roman numerals)
Table of contents (1st page is page “i” but not placed on page, 2nd page numbered “ii”)
List of tables
List of illustrations
Abbreviations
Glossary

Text (numbered in Arabic numerals)
Endnotes (only can be used if not using footnotes or parenthetical references)
Bibliography (continuously numbered from previous section)
Appendix (continuously numbered or numbered independently in Arabic numerals)
1-2 appendices continuously numbered from text 3 or more appendices should be numbered continuously, beginning at “1” 3 or more appendices require a Table of Appendices.

GRADUATE SCHOOL POLICIES

ULS Protocols Regarding Human Subjects in Research
United Lutheran Seminary, in conformity with “The Common Rule” guidelines established by the U.S. government Office of Human Research Protections and general practice in academic research, requires all research1 that is formally conducted under Seminary auspices be reviewed to protect human subjects and minimize potential risks or harm.2 In order to do so the Faculty has established an Institutional Review Board (“IRB”) and an institutional review process. Details of the ULS IRB policy and the required forms can be found at MyULS (my.uls.edu). See “Institutional Review Policies” under “Faculty & Staff” in the left-hand menu. (https://my.uls.edu/facultystaff /institutionalreview-policies).

Other Policies
ULS students are required to comply with other ULS policies governing appropriate conduct including the Plagiarism Policy, Inclusive Language and Hate Speech. See the relevant section in the Student Handbook, available at MyULS (my.uls.edu) for these policies and for disciplinary procedures related to conduct.

United Lutheran Seminary is committed to providing an environment in which all students have full access to educational opportunities and community life. Information on Accommodations for Students with Disabilities can be found in the Student Handbook at MyULS.

Student Complaint and Grievance Procedure
The ULS policies concerning grievances are also found in the Student Handbook at MyULS.

1. “Research means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge,” (Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 46.102[d]).
2. The Common Rule, formally titled “Protection of Human Subjects” is part 46 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations (“45 CFR 46”). See also American Association of University Professors, “Protecting Human Beings: Institutional Review Boards and Social Science Research,” http://www.aaup.org/statements/Redbook/repirb.htm.

Office of Graduate Studies
STM Thesis Registration Form
For the degree of Master of Sacred Theology (STM)
[To be submitted after proposal has been approved by the advisor]

STATEMENT AND ATTACHMENTS
I attest that I have prepared a proposal for the above-mentioned project in conversation with my Faculty Advisor and according to the guidelines in the STM Manual. I further attest that my Advisor Fully approves of and has agreed to supervise my project proposed.

Return with all required attachments to the Graduate Studies Office, Attn: Graduate Studies Director, Dr. Allison deForest, 7301 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119. Submit Project Registration at least one year prior to anticipated graduation date.

The Project Registration Fee ($600) will be assessed to your student account upon receipt of this form in the Graduate Studies Office.

Authorization to confer the Master of Sacred Theology degree is granted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Higher Education.

Periodic evaluation and accreditation are the province of:

The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS)
The Commission on Accrediting 10 Summit Park Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1110
Tel: 215-662-5606

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) 3624 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-2680
Tel: 412-788-6505

The Dean and the Director of the Graduate School exercise administrative responsibility.

Registration and management of student files are handled by the Office of the Registrar. The Business Office is responsible for the administration of fiscal matters.

This Manual describes policies and procedures of the Master of Sacred Theology program that are in effect as of the time of publication. Later revisions of the Manual may affect your program, so check with the Director of Graduate Studies as to how any changes may affect your program.

When used, the title “Dean” refers to the Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean.

United Lutheran Seminary
Gettysburg + Philadelphia
www.uls.edu

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