Master of Religious Education ( M.R.E.) Program
Religious education - to communicate ideals, beliefs and practice - is a central task of religious leadership. The Master of Religious Education Program is a two-year professional program that provides students with the skills, knowledge and methods necessary for effective educational and ministries. Students choosing to enroll only part-time will require an extended time frame to graduate.
The M.R.E. program will be discontinued as of August 2023.
The program has two concentrations:
Graduation Requirements
To be awarded the M.R.E. degree, students must fulfill the following requirements:
Concentration in Religious Education:
Religious education is a vital component of the life of any church or faith community. An effective religious education program will support the on-going religious development and spiritual growth of its members as well as its guests. The concentration in Religious Education focuses on this need as it prepares students to be effective religious educators. The concentration will allow students to develop appropriate and effective strategies for teaching and designing educational programs that will also take into consideration the diverse contextual needs of the learners in the congregation. Students will also study important theological and scriptural concepts together with an appreciation of the leading figures, events and institutions of the Christian Church. In addition, students in this concentration will also acquire a basic familiarity with the practices, texts and beliefs of the world’s religions.
The following course requirements apply to all students taking this concentration. Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
Thelogical Curriculum:
Two courses in Scripture / primary texts:
SCR 5131 Hebrew Bible
SCR 5141 New Testament Foundations, SCR 5142 New Testament in Context, SCR 5412 Life and Teachings of Jesus, or SCR 5413 Life and Letters of Paul
THE 5621 Teachings of Sun Myung Moon or THE 5631 Divine Principle
THE 5131 Systematic Theology
LTR 5131 Church History I
One Church History elective:
LTR 5132 Church History II
LTR 5301 American Religious Experience
LTR 5302 History of the Black Church
LTR 5311 Parallels of History
LTR 5151 Unification Movement
Any denominational history course
LTR 5141 World Religions
Religious Education Curriculum:
EDU 5101 Foundations of Religious Education
EDU 5111, 5112 or 5113 Models of Teaching
Two Religious Education electives:
EDU 5301 Educational Planning and Administration
EDU 5302 Programming and Curriculum Design
EDU 5311 Spiritual Development
EDU 5321 Brain Based Teaching and Learning
EDU 5411 Children’s Ministry
EDU 5421 Ministry with Youth and Adolescents
EDU 5431 Ministry with Young Adults
EDU 5441 Adult Learning and Development
EDU 5501 Character Education and Development
EDU 5502 Sexual Ethics and the Bible
EDU 5511 Ministry for Marriage Preparation
EDU 5512 Marriage and Family Enrichment
EDU 5601 Practicum in Teaching
EDU 5611 Teaching the Bible as Liberating Word
EDU 5672 Online Ministries
MIN 5431 Foundations of Interfaith Leadership
MIN 5722 Cultural Diversity and Conflict Transformation
EDU 5190 Religious Education Colloquium
Field Education:
MIN 5190 Field Education Internship (2 credits)
Concentration in Interfaith Peacebuilding
At UTS, peace education in the religious education context is fundamentally inter-religious, that is, transcending any single religion, race, nation or culture. Furthermore, the knowledge that the religious educator imparts does more than just promote tolerance of the other; it contains within it the impulse towards harmony and peace among all members of the human family.
The curriculum within this concentration includes components, which enable the students to examine critical opportunities and challenges, both generally and within their tradition, for interfaith encounters. The curriculum also includes courses that will allow students to recognize the impact faith communities have had on ecumenical and interfaith activities and to understand the central principles of peace building within their own faith tradition and in other traditions in moving forward in this work. A unique dynamic of this concentration is that students will become literate in a faith tradition beyond their own. The ability to communicate and implement guidelines for peace and justice will also be emphasized.
The following course requirements apply to all students taking this concentration. Courses listed are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
Thelogical Curriculum:
SCR 5151 World Scriptures and World Peace
THE 5132 Theology of Peacebuilding
THE 5141 Ethics and Social Justice in the Age of Globalization
LTR 5513 World Religions and Global Conflict
One elective course each in two different religious traditions other than the student’s own, e.g.:
SCR 5131 Hebrew Bible
SCR 5141 New Testament Foundations
THE 5131 Systematic Theology
LTR 5131 Church History I
LTR 5402 Jewish-Christian relations
LTR 5411 Islam
LTR 5421 Confucianism
LTR 5431 Buddhism
LTR 5441 Hinduism
LTR 5151 Unification Movement
THE 5631 Divine Principle
Religious Education Curriculum:
EDU 5101 Foundations of Religious Education
EDU 5111, EDU 5112 or EDU 5113 Models of Teaching
Two Religious Education electives
(See the list for the Christian Education concentration) or
One Religious Education elective plus one Management elective of the following:
MIN 5105 Congregational Development
MGT 5302 Management of Non-Profit Organizations
MGT 5303 Leadership and Organizational Planning
MGT 5304 Leadership in the Social Sector
MGT 5311 Principles of Marketing
MGT 5312 Entrepreneurship
MGT 5331 Human Resource Management
MGT 5401 Financial Management for Non-Profit Organizations
MGT 5501 Brand Management
EDU 5190 Religious Education Colloquium
Field Education:
MIN 5190 Field Education Internship (2 credits)
