[1] Cowan was educated at Friends' School Lisburn and went on to study philosophy at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Queen’s University Belfast.
He was a student on the Cornhill Training Course and trained for ordination at Oak Hill Theological College (MTh Distinction), and Union Theological College (PG Cert Min).
He subsequently completed doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge with a dissertation entitled ’The prophetic preaching of John Owen from 1646 to 1659 in its historical context'.
[2][3] He served as Assistant Minister in First Presbyterian Church, Saintfield, and Assistant to the Vacancy Convener in First Presbyterian Church, Portadown.
[4][5] He was appointed Lecturer in Historical Theology at Union College in June 2016 and ordained in December 2016.