You don’t have to want a master’s degree just to join Nazarene Theological Seminary
I understand that not everyone wants to go on to higher education to get a master’s degree. Honestly, after paying off your college debt, thinking about having to pay another $20,000-$40,000 might make you shudder. Why would you want to risk getting into debt again? And in this day and age, there is no promise that a master’s degree will get you the job you desire. Many people with a master’s are overqualified for the jobs that are searching for workers. The careers that are actually looking for a master’s degree holder are few and far between. So, as someone who is an English Education major and dreams of becoming a high-school English teacher, I was 100% certain I didn’t want and didn’t need a master’s degree.
However, if you’re like me, and you don’t want to pursue a master’s degree but desire more training and experiences to better prepare yourself for your career, you might want to consider going to NTS! This week, I learned more about Nazarene Theological Seminary after meeting with a couple students from NTS who came to SNU to recruit and answer questions of any interested students. After meeting with Preston Goff and Hannah Beers, I found out soon enough that you don’t have to want a Master’s Degree to join NTS!
Here is a play-by-play of what I mean by this:
Say you are an Human Relations major or an Early Education major and you don’t want a master’s degree, but you want the chance work abroad and learn more about other cultures, missions work and how to work with people from a multitude of backgrounds. You desire the chance to have more life experiences that will prepare you for a specific ministry, whether it’s teaching ESL in another country or working alongside struggling families as a social worker. There is a special program NTS is offering that will prepare you for this higher calling, and it’s called 365m.
Imagine being able to obtain cross-cultural experiences and get a diploma, all the while earning 24 cred graduate hours in just 365 days?
That’s what the 365m program is all about. According to the NTS website, it is a “year long global mission experience that couples together graduate-level intercultural studies with hands on experience in cross-cultural settings around the globe.”
In this program, you will be trained in a secure environment and assigned a mentor to help guide you on your cross-cultural journey. What does this program mean for you? If you’re thinking about working with multi-cultural people or working overseas to use your career as a ministry, this program gives you the chance to grow your talents, have hands-on training, build relationships, all the while taking care of your spiritual, physical and mental well-being.
The process of applying may seem complex and long, but as Beers put it, “It may sound complicated, but once you go through it, it’s so easy!”
The process of applying consists of:
- paperwork (the application itself)
- an interview (the purpose of the interview is to get to know YOU as a person and make sure you are serious about your calling. This interview will also help you find the specific field you would like to work in)
- A health assessment and training session (to help prepare you for culture shock and to address any concerns according to your spiritual, physical and mental well-being).
Personally, I am interested in this program because as a future educator, I would love to work on the mission field and teach ESL, all the while acting as a missionary by sharing the love of God. This program would allow me to gain some higher-education learning without the cost of expenses, time and maybe even my sanity! The best part is, however, if I do choose to go back and get my master’s degree, I already have 24 hours of credit in my back pocket, and I can continue to further my education.
So, maybe NTS is for you, or maybe it’s not. However, I do encourage you to look to broaden your horizons and be open to the many opportunities that await you in your future!
If you’re interested, check out their website!
[author image=”http://echo.snu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Celeste-Forrest-Bio-Pic.jpg” ]Celeste Forrest, Staff Contributor
Celeste is an English Education major with a passion for writing. She dreams of becoming a high-school English teacher and author. She enjoys sleeping, reading while its raining, spending time with her amazing friends, and drinking Puerto Rican coffee. [/author]