Divinity, MDiv

The Master of Divinity program is the normative degree to prepare persons for ordained ministry and for general pastoral and religious leadership responsibilities in congregations and other settings. It is the required degree for admission to a Doctor of Ministry degree program and the recommended first theological degree for admission to advanced programs oriented to theological research and teaching. The Bachelor of Arts degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university is required for admission to the program. Conferring of the degree is contingent upon the successful completion of seventy-eight (78) semester hours.

Master of Divinity Degree Requirements

Every candidate for the Master of Divinity degree is required to complete a total of 78 semester hours of credit. Twenty-two required courses (66 hours) and electives (12 hours) are required to complete the requirements for the Master of Divinity degree.

Students may take a maximum of three courses on Saturday and may take additional courses during the week. It is strongly recommended that full-time pastors or bi-vocational students who are employed 35 or more hours per week limit their course load to three courses or nine hours per semester. Any decision to do otherwise must be approved by the Dean.

Graduation Requirements

To receive the Master of Divinity Degree, students must satisfy the following requirements:

Completion of 78 semester hours.
Maintain a cumulative average of 2.0 or better.
Resolution of all Incomplete (“I”) grades.

Completion of the Degree Program

The maximum length of time to complete the degree programs is nine years for the MDiv. If a student withdraws from a degree program and is later readmitted to that same degree program, the time the student was out of the program does not count towards this time limit. Please note, however, that if a student withdraws and later is readmitted and resumes her/his degree program, only credits that are ten years old or less can be counted towards the degree. Credits that are older than ten years at the time the student resumes the degree will not be counted.

Master of Divinity (MDiv) Program

Requirements: 78 Credit Hours

Christian Heritage (7 courses, 21 hours)

Take five required courses and two elective courses chosen from BIB, HIS, NTS, OTS and THE electives.

Cultural Context (3 courses, 9 hours)

Take two required courses and 1 elective course chosen from MIC or RSO electives.

Personal, Spiritual, and Ethical Formation (5 courses, 15 hours)

Take one additional MIN course. The new course MIN-501 Middle Year Spiritual Formation is recommended.

Capacity for Ministerial and Public Leadership (7 courses, 21 hours)

Free Electives (5 courses, 15 hours)

Students may select any five additional courses that are not specifically listed as required.