Master of Theology

Master of Theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary

The Master of Theology (Th.M.) program invites students into 30 hours of advanced, focused study designed to deepen scholarship and strengthen ministry practice. You’ll complete Research Methods, a Th.M. seminar, and a year-long collegial colloquium, all of which support you as you craft a thesis or summative project and develop your final portfolio. Some students concentrate in a particular field—such as New Testament or Christian history—while others draw from the breadth of Union’s faculty and departments. Students complete the Th.M. program through Richmond’s hybrid format, featuring online study and a 4-day residency each semester.

Apply by February 1 to join the Fall 2026 cohort.

Financial aid: 80% tuition assistance is available and students may also apply for need based aid covering up to 100% of tuition costs. 

Apply

  • How to Apply

    • To get started with your application process, reach out to our Director of Admission, Annie Franklin Arvin (call/text 804-291-8314) for further conversation about your area of research interest and to connect with a potential faculty advisor. Applications are hosted in SONIS. Need assistance? Check out our SONIS application guide, or reach out to us with questions.

      Transcripts

      To complete your admissions packet, request all transcripts from each accredited institution you have attended. A final transcript showing a bachelor’s degree and the date conferred must be on file before a student may enroll. Official (signed and sealed) transcripts, showing courses and grades, from ALL previously attended academic institutions are required. Institutions can email eScripts to admissions@upsem.edu or mail paper transcripts to:

      Union Presbyterian Seminary
      Office of Admissions
      3401 Brook Road
      Richmond VA 23227

      Do not send transcripts to the Charlotte campus.

      Background check

      A background check is required of all applicants who are US Citizens, Resident Aliens, and International Applicants who have lived in the US for more than two years. To order your background check, go to the CastleBranch website (link), enter “ua37” into the Package Code field and click go. Review and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Use, then click continue to proceed to payment and confirmation.

      Personal Disclosure Form

      Complete your Personal Disclosure Form.

      Complete your interview

      Th.M applicants complete two faculty interviews. We will contact you when we are ready to interview – interviews take place after the Th.M director and departments have reviewed applications. Interviews take place in person or virtually on Zoom. If you have questions, please email Admissions Assistant Bonnie Hoffman or call 804-278-4221.

      International applicants

      International applicants should follow the instructions on the International Applicants page.

  • Course Requirements

    • All Th.M. students will successfully complete 30 semester hours, including a Research Methods course, a Th.M.-specific seminar, and a year-long colloquium. These and all other courses and directed studies are designed to prepare every Th.M. student to write a thesis or summative projects and to construct a final portfolio. Some Th.M. students may choose to concentrate their studies in a particular field (e.g. New Testament, Christian History), while others may draw upon the resources of various departments.

  • Faculty Advisory Areas

    • Th.M. studies are coordinated by the student’s faculty advisor and the director of graduate programs. Th.M. faculty advisors and their areas of interest include:

      Samuel L. Adams
      Death and the Afterlife in the Bible and Ancient Judaism
      Wealth and Poverty in the Biblical World and Today
      Wisdom Literature
      The Bible and Film
      The Bible and American Political Discourse
      Apocalypticism Past and Present

      Rubén Arjona
      Pastoral care of men
      Pastoral care of couples and families
      Pastoral care of LGBTQ+ individuals
      Pastoral theology
      Erik H. Erikson’s life and work
      John Calvin and pastoral theology
      Latin American & Latinx liberation theologies

      Rachel Sophia Baard
      Systematic theology
      Constructive theology
      Public theology
      Feminist theologies
      Political theologies
      The intersection of theology and ethics

      John T. Carroll
      New Testament Gospels
      Parables of Jesus
      Luke-Acts
      Romans
      Theology of Paul
      Bible and Culture
      Bible and Social Justice
      New Testament Ethics
      Disability Studies and the New Testament
      Jesus in World Religions

      Frances Taylor Gench
      Gospels
      Women in the Biblical World and Feminist Biblical Criticism
      Global and Intercultural Perspectives on the Bible
      Issues of Biblical Authority and Interpretation

      Melanie Jones Quarles
      Womanist Thought
      Christian Social Ethics
      African American Religious History
      Black Popular Culture
      Millennials and Religion
      Faith and Social Entrepreneurship


      Lakisha Lockhart
      Womanist Theology and Leadership
      Black Popular Culture
      Christian Education
      Practical Theology
      Youth Ministry & Faith Formation
      Theological Aesthetics
      Embodied Faith
      Intersections of Art, Play, & Theology/Spirituality

      Christine Luckritz Marquis
      Early and Late Ancient Christianities
      Violence and Religion
      Memorialization and Erasure
      Ascetics, Monastics, Mystics
      Race and Ethnicity
      Food and Body in the Ancient/Late Ancient World
      Jewish, Christian, Muslim Relations before the Enlightenment
      Place, Space, and Pilgrimage

      Safwat Marzouk
      Monsters in the Bible and the Ancient Near East
      Migration in the Bible, the Church, and the World
      Biblical Hermeneutics and History of Interpretation
      Intercultural Churches and ministries
      The Religious Other in the Bible
      The book of Exodus
      The book of Ezekiel
      Biblical Foundations for Peace and Justice

      James Taneti
      Ecumenics
      Christianity’s Interface with Other Religions
      Women and Children in Missionary Literature

      Richard W. Voelz
      Contemporary Homiletic Theory
      Ethics of Preaching
      Preaching Identity
      Preaching and Context(s)
      Preaching & Youth

      Karen-Marie Yust
      Children, families and faith formation
      Digital culture and spirituality
      Popular culture and spirituality
      Contemporary Christian practices

  • Details and Deadlines

    • Requirements

      Applicants for admission to the Master of Theology program must hold a bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from a four-year college or university accredited by one of the nationally recognized regional accrediting agencies or the international equivalent, and must have received a master’s degree in an appropriate discipline from a seminary or university accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada or its international equivalent.

      Please reach out to the Richmond Director of Admissions, Rev. Annie Franklin Arvin and the Th.M. Program Director, Dr. Samuel Adams before applying to the Th.M. program

      Program Contacts

      Rev. Annie Franklin Arvin

      Application Deadlines

      • February 1

      References

      • 3 references (one academic, one professional, one pastoral)

      Official Transcripts

      • February 1 deadline

      Background Check & Disclosure Form

      Required.

      Faculty Interview

      Required.

      Essay

      Required.