A typical week for a full-time MI seminary student involves an average of nine hours academic teaching plus fifteen hours of leadership training at a local church, and approximately fifteen hours of class homework and twelve hours of spiritual and character formation (including one-on-one mentoring, small group interaction, personal devotions, and guided reading).

There are approximately thirty-two (32) class seminars in the course of a school year, held on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. A seminar is taught on one subject by one teacher each week. The curriculum rotates each year in carousel style (years A,B,C), and all students study the same curriculum.

The courses cover a wide range of seminar topics from Biblical Studies to Church History to Practical Theology to Leadership and Ministry skills. The school year begins end of August and ends in mid May.

Click here for current Seminar Schedule

Whether we are teaching on stress management or homiletics, the Scriptures are the foundational sourcebook. We desire that our students be people of the Word. One of our highest goals at MI is that our students "be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 timothy 3:17). That means that we must let the Word of God show its usefulness in "teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..." (v.16).

The Master’s Institute takes a leading approach to accreditation.  We find our accreditation in:          

• the close relationships we have with (and our responsiveness to) the churches and church networks we have been called to serve.
• being held accountable by our students, Board, and those churches we are in relationship with, to remain faithful to our God-imparted mission, core values, philosophy of education, and philosophy of leadership development.
• the breadth, depth, and credibility of the men and women who serve as professors at MI.
• the quality and proven track records of our graduates who are now in the field doing Kingdom ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit as competent leaders; our commitment to train students  - at the highest level - in the areas of pastoral abilities, leadership skills, and theological acumen prepares them for the kingdom call on their lives.
 

Benefits of this approach to accreditation: 

• flexibility in structuring an effective approach to transformational learning, allowing us to build the program to meet the needs of the students.
• flexibility in making necessary changes quickly, allowing us to adapt to changing cultures and seasons as needed. 
• freedom to focus financial and personnel resources on the mission of the school.
• a better opportunity to send graduates out to do the ministry God has called them to with little or no financial burden hanging on them or the congregations who call them.
 

Why MI has chosen this approach to accreditation: 

• We want to be able to hire professors who are currently “doing the work” of ministry, doing it well, and can teach at a seminary level - whether they are passionate practitioners or someone who has been awarded a PhD or DMin.
• As a seminary that does not have tenured professors, we are better able to maintain control over theological content of the courses.
• We want to free up our professors and staff from demands of accreditation agencies in order to invest their time and energy to the mission at hand of spending time with the students, studying, and writing new classes or publications, and doing ministry. 
• We want to be able to say “yes” to second career students who do not have a bachelor’s degree, but do have the maturity, character, giftedness, and calling from God to be a healthy and effective leader in the Body of Christ.
• We want to be good financial stewards and utilize the partnership we have with existing seminary libraries, in addition to drawing on the wealth of library resources available via the internet.  Not having to build an expensive theological library helps us keep our tuition low and allows students a better chance to graduate with little or no debt.

A staff of adjunct professors. Some are pastors in the Twin Cities who have a gift and passion for communicating the Christian message. Some are seminary professors whose values and gifting fit well with our program. We teach from the Lutheran perspective on Reformation perspectives (Word alone, Grace alone, Faith alone).

Although MI does not use letter grades, the Faculty or, in some cases, the Leadership Team, will evaluate academic papers for "clarity of thought" and "comprehension". MI is equally concerned for excellence in character as it is in academics. If a student were to get an A in theology and a D in character, we would have missed our goal. We are training leaders who think Biblically, but we also want students whose character is conformed to the image of Christ.

• Read the material assigned by the teacher in preparation for each seminar. 
• Following each seminar, write a post-class reflection of the seminar according to the class syllabus.
• For Spiritual and Character Formation components, complete the reading and writing assignments.
• Complete an inductive Bible study assignment each week for Scripture Practicum.

This event begins our year with three days together. The event is for all students and is a time for students to begin building relationships with each other and the staff.

Elements of the event include faith stories, teaching, prayer ministry, worship, fun, building trust and bonding.

First Year Seminary Students (Local Outreach)
Participate in classroom and experiential inter-cultural training seminar for ten days at a local outreach in the Twin Cities. This will include staying on-site in the ethnic community during the outreach. The seminar content will address issues such as world views, cultural value systems, contextualization, and the impact of the gospel on culture change. Also exposure to ethnic and immigrant communities in the Twin Cities.

Every person preparing for ministry benefits from studying and working in a variety of settings and cultures. MI students have the advantage of education and training from experienced coaches in mission work.

All trips/activities include preparation, personal involvement, and a written evaluation. The schedule is announced in the fall and the outreach activities take place in the Spring. The cost is included in your tuition.