Online Graduate Degree

Master of Arts in Christian & Classical Studies (MACCS)

The Great Conversation of the Western tradition, read through a Reformed lens.

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Total Hours
48
15 elective
Format
Online or Residential Hybrid
Year-round enrollment
Time to Complete
2–3 years
Bachelor's Degree
Tuition
$670/credit
See tuition page
Enrollment
Open
Apply year-round

What Sets MACCS Apart

The Three Marks of Master of Arts in Christian & Classical Studies

The convictions that shape every course in this program.

The Western Tradition

The Great Conversation — Augustine through Tolkien — read through Reformed eyes and contemporary ministry.

Saturated in Scripture

Every course begins and ends with the inspired, inerrant Word of God — the supreme rule of faith and practice.

Rigorous Scholarship

Academic precision in service of the Church: research, writing, and exegetical craft for a lifetime of ministry.

About This Program

Master of Arts in Christian & Classical Studies

The Great Conversation of the Western tradition, read through a Reformed lens.

The Master of Arts (Christian and Classical Studies) is an academic degree program designed for Christian, classical, and home educators and teachers, lay leaders, and pastors who desire to take part in the Great Conversation of the Western Tradition. This curriculum is indispensable for those who seek to appreciate how God has used the sharpest minds and noblest ideas of the past 2,500 years to point to timeless Gospel truth.

TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:

  • Four classic literary genres: Epic, Tragic, Comic, and Lyric literature ranging from ancient Greeks to modern authors.
  • Classic Ideas: Influential ideas and developments in Western Tradition including culture, philosophy, and science.
  • Historical Perspective: History of the Christian Church from the apostles to modern times.
  • Pedagogical Practices: A philosophy of Christian education.

SELECT LIST OF WORKS READ & DISCUSSED:

  • The Holy Bible
  • Homer Iliad
  • Pindar Odes
  • Aristophanes Clouds, Frogs, Birds
  • Aeschylus The Oresteia
  • Sophocles Theban Trilogy
  • Plato The Republic, Apology of Socrates, Symposium
  • Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, Rhetoric, Poetics (selections)
  • Plautus Bacchides
  • Virgil Aeneid
  • Augustine City of God and Confessions (selections)
  • Beowulf
  • Song of Roland
  • Aquinas Summa Theologiae (selections)
  • Chaucer Canterbury Tales (selections)
  • Dante The Divine Comedy
  • Shakespeare Macbeth, King Lear, Taming of the Shrew, Merchant of Venice, Sonnets
  • Cervantes Don Quixote
  • Milton Paradise Lost (selections)
  • David Hume and John Locke (select writings)
  • Austen Pride and Prejudice
  • Brontë Jane Eyre
  • Wordsworth, Byron, Coleridge, Brontë (select poems)
  • Melville Moby-Dick
  • Tolkien The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings (selections)
  • Steinbeck East of Eden (selections)
  • Hemingway The Old Man and the Sea
  • Wendell Berry This Day
  • And much, much more.

By graduation, you'll be able to:

An MACCS graduate will be able to:
  • Articulate the Gospel message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.
  • Explain the inspiration and authority of all of Scripture and its relationship to the Gospel.
  • Articulate the relationship of the Gospel to sanctification in the life of the believer.
  • Critically and thoughtfully engage with the greatest ideas and classic texts of the Western literary tradition.
  • Articulate the development of Christian thought based on careful readings of primary and secondary texts of the Christian tradition.
  • Faithfully relate the wisdom of the Christian and Classical traditions to contemporary culture.

Course Requirements

48 credit hours
CHRISTIAN AND CLASSICAL STUDIES
  • CC502 Classic Epic Literature
  • CC504 Classic Tragic Literature
  • CC506 Classic Comic Literature
  • CC508 Classic Lyric Literature
  • CC602 History of Science
  • CC604 Philosophical Foundations
  • CC606 Pedagogical Practices
  • CC608 Christianity and Classic Culture
HISTORICAL STUDIES
  • CH502 History of Christianity 1 – Ancient and Medieval
  • CH504 History of Christianity 2 – Reformation to Modern Era

How to Apply

Admission Requirements & Process

Year-round enrollment. No rigid deadlines.

Academic Requirements

  • Accredited bachelor's/undergraduate degree
  • Cumulative GPA of at least 2.75
  • Applicants with an unaccredited degree, or whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.75 may still be granted provisional admission. After 12 credits, an academic review will be conducted toward the possibility of full admission (therefore all are encouraged to apply).

Application Process for MACCS

  1. Complete and submit an online application with fee.
  2. College-level transcripts sent officially and directly to Knox Seminary from any and all institutions where you have taken courses for credit.
  3. Print, fill out, and return your pastoral, academic, and personal reference forms.

Take the Next Step

Ready to apply to MACCS?

Join a community shaped by Scripture, the Reformed tradition, and a passion for the local church.

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Other Knox Programs

MDiv Master of Divinity MABTS Master of Arts in Biblical & Theological Studies DMin Doctor of Ministry CCM Certificate in Christian Ministry CBL Certificate in Biblical Languages CCCS Certificate in Christian & Classical Studies CBS Certificate in Biblical Studies CTS Certificate in Theological Studies