Graduate Residency
CORE COMPONENTS
Classroom
Gain the biblical and theological expertise you need to design and engage in ministry programs that help young people develop a deep, life-changing Christian faith. Unlike traditional degree formats, classroom learning for the MAYM degree takes place over Intensives where students travel to the Austin Seminary campus or Nashville extension a few times a semester.
Cohort
Join a group of fellow residents from the same area and move through the program together. Your fellow classmates will support and walk alongside you during your 3 years at CYMT and beyond. Gain a richness and depth to your learning as you experience the multiple, diverse perspectives of your peers.
Coach
Receive consistent, personalized coaching from a CYMT-trained, veteran minister. Your coach will help you develop your ministry skills, challenge you to grow, and hold you accountable while supporting you. They will help you manage the day-to-day challenges of ministry like how to disciple difficult kids, how to balance ministry, school, and life, and how to best lead your volunteer team.
Communities of Faith
When we say communities of faith, we mean parts of the Church universal. CYMT partners with the communities of faith who are a part of the Body of Christ, to place residents to serve as a youth minister. CYMT Residents serve the Church through a variety of ministry settings, ranging from camp ministries to nonprofits, to traditional church settings. Regardless of the ministry setting, it will be an avenue for teenagers to experience the love of Jesus Christ, be formed in faith, and serve God.
Care
Receive the spiritual and pastoral support you need to live and lead effectively. Learn how to fill your tank so that you are not serving on empty. CYMT knows that ministry is hard so we want to teach you self-care so that you can stay in ministry for the long haul.Theological Education + Practical Training
All CYMT residents earn their Master of Arts in Youth Ministry (MAYM) through Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (APTS). All residents, regardless of their placement, attend Austin seminary through our hybrid classroom model. Through this model, residents are not confined to being in a classroom every day like traditional seminary, but instead, attend Intensives. More about Intensives below.
The Master of Arts in Youth Ministry degree provides foundational studies in Biblical Studies, Theology, Ethics, Pastoral Care, and Missions & Evangelism. In your first year, you will participate in Practicum I and II where you will learn 24 skills that every youth minister must have. In your second and third years, you will dive deeply into practical theology through your graduate-level youth ministry courses. Additionally, the degree has room to choose from among many elective options including denominational coursework for those interested in pursuing ordination.
*The degree requires completion of 88 APTS credits (equivalent to 44 standard Carnegie credit hours). Each required class is worth 6 APTS credits. Each elective is worth 4 APTS credits. You will take a total of 12 required classes (2 per semester), and 4 elective classes.
3 Phases
Phase 1: Register
Phase 1 is comprised of a short registration process that will allow our Admissions Team to be in touch with you. Registration takes less than 5 minutes to complete.
Phase 2: Application
During Phase 2, you will upload your resume, complete our theological survey, submit your references, upload your transcript, and complete short essay response questions. You will also read excerpts of a book and write a short theological reflection to demonstrate your writing ability. A $50 application fee (or submission of a referral code) is required with your application. After submission of all Phase 2 requirements, CYMT will contact you within 10 business days with a decision about advancement to Phase 3.
Phase 3: Interview
Phase 3 is a one-hour interview with some of our leadership staff. After the interview, CYMT will be in touch within 10 business days about your acceptance to the program.
Admissions Team
Nick Guerra
Admissions & Services Director
Tiffany Malone
Recruiting Coordinator
Join us for Exploratory Weekend!
Our CYMT ‘Exploratory Weekends’ are exciting opportunities for interested individuals to learn more about CYMT by experiencing the residency in real-time during one of our academic intensives. These weekends help individuals discern whether CYMT is the right next step in their journey and to connect with current residents, professors, and alumni. Click below to explore the upcoming dates, schedules, and to register!
