Detailed information on how to format and structure your prospectus can be found in The Southern Seminary Manual of Style, pages 15-19.

Broadly, the prospectus should include the following sections:

1. Introduction
2. Thesis
3. Background
4. Methodology
5. Proposed outline or tentative table of contents
6. Bibliography
7. Vita

For more help developing a prospectus, see below a number of exemplary prospectuses across a range of concentrations that have been approved:

School of Theology

• Systematic Theology: Phillip Bethancourt, “Christ the Warrior King: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Analysis of the Divine Warrior Theme in Christology”
• Church History: John Aloisi, “Augustus Hopkins Strong and Ethical Monism as a Means of Reconciling Christian Theology and Modern Thought”
• New Testament: Andy Hassler, “Justification and the Individual in the Wake of the New Perspective on Paul”

Billy Graham School

• Evangelism and Church Growth: Kenneth B. Albert, “Dawson Trotman’s Theology and Methodology of Disciple-Making in Light of New Testament Disciplship Principles”
• Christian Missions: Jeff Walters, “‘Effective Evangelism’ in the City: Donald McGavran’s Missiology and Urban Contexts”

School of Church Ministries

• Leadership: Daniel Ryan Broyles, “An Analysis of S.B.C. Youth Ministry Programmatic Values Investigated Through Financial Expendiatures and Ministerial Activities”
• Leadership: Brenna Whitley, “Applying a Comprehensive-Internal Model for the Evaluation of Social-Scientific Research to the Identity Crisis Stage of Erik Erikson’s Developmental Theory”
• Family Ministry: W. Ryan Steenburg, “Effective Practices for Training Parents in Family Discipleship: A Mixed Methods Study”