Thesis/Dissertation Requirements

After successfully completing all courses, students will be required to complete and submit a final thesis. This thesis will require a significant amount of thought and research and will require a minimum of 150 pages. Topics for a thesis will be assigned by the professor. The chosen topic will address doctrinal issues, as well as the roles and responsibilities of a vocational calling.

Formatting, Spelling and Grammar

Each paper (typed) is to follow the MLA format; otherwise, the paper will be instantly docked 5 points and immediately returned to the student. Spelling and grammar are also expected to be at a master's level. Overall, the professor expects that Master level students are proficient with MLA formatting standards, grammar and spelling. Therefore, the professor's grading time should not be occupied with such rudimentary matters. As a refresher, we have included the MLA formatting instructions to our post-application syllabus for your convenience.

Assignment Matrix

In each assignment, the student is to identify a "major concept" of his or her own choosing, so long as the concept is clearly relevant to the main theme of the lecture series or required reading for the course. Once a major concept is chosen, the student is not allowed to use that same concept in a subsequent assignment, except as, perhaps, a brief reference to the concept in order to solidify a theological point. In doing so, the student is to cite his or her paper as "a source" pursuant to MLA citation standards.

Submission Schedule and Class Acceleration

The student is permitted to work and submit assignments for grading at a pace conducive with his or her lifestyle schedule. However, upon completion of a full session, the student MUST TEST WITH 30 DAYS OF COMPLETION OF EACH SESSION. Conversely, the student may not submit more than two (2) assignments in any given calendar month. For administrative reasons, any further acceleration of Th.M. classes or sessions is prohibited.

Defense of Paper

At any time during the grading process of a student's paper, the professor may elect to have the student defend any part of their work, in writing, under proctor supervision, either by phone, or by video conference. The student will be notified in advance of the defense session.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Requirements

Students are required to utilize Modern Language Association (MLA) formatting and maintain a level of quality as required for all EMET Programs. Written research assignments must reference sources when utilized in research assignments. References must include title of manuscript, page location, book author name, and name of publisher and date of publication. The student must write a research paper for each course of study. The usual length of an essay is 3000-4000 words based on courseware provided.

Writing a Thesis/Dissertation or Research Paper

For college courses that require a (Essays - 2000 to 3000 words/Thesis and Dissertations – 30,000-50,000 words) research paper, the student is permitted to select the topic for research and discussion based on the assigned courseware provided. Students will be assigned the title of publication that is required for each course of study. EMET allows students to choose their own additional reading material for their research assignments. The student must successfully complete written assignment demonstrating scholarly competence, including the formulation of the research topic relevant to the field of study, critical understanding of the field, demonstration of appropriate methods, and the ability to make a sustained and critical scholarly contribution to the field.