The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the most widely recognized and accepted degree for religious professionals. The M.Div. emphasizes foundational principles necessary in the practice of ministry. Candidates are expected to gain understanding in the Christian faith and in the capacity to interpret that faith to the contemporary world; to grow as persons of faith while exercising the responsibilities of the pastoral office; to become aware of social processes that bear upon pastoral leaders and the interactions of the church and society; and to develop professional competencies important to an effective ministry.
The following learning outcomes are anticipated for Master of Divinity students:
1. the ability to see the holy in all life –in the entirety of creation
2. the ability to read and interpret scripture and other sacred texts with cultural sensitivity, ethical awareness, and a critical understanding of their histories, interpretations, and applications in church and society
3. the ability to think theologically with imagination, openness, and analytical insight
4. the ability to interpret histories of Christian thought and practice critically and creatively, engaging the otherness of the past while also rendering it relevant to current contexts and emerging possibilities
5. the ability to hear God’s call to recognize and address injustice and inequality in the social structuring of gender, ethnicity, race, class, disabilities,and sexual identity
6. the capacity to exercise effective leadership in both ecclesial and public contexts through, for example, preaching, teaching, pastoral care, worship, and justice ministries
7. the development of communal and personal practices that nourish spiritual and moral well-being.
8. transformative engagement during the seminary years with religious pluralism and cultural difference in the classroom, on cross cultural trips, and in community life
The M.Div. is awarded at the satisfactory completion of 84 credits, 51 required and 33 elective. Students are encouraged to use elective credits to shape the curriculum to their own professional goals, to fulfill specific denominational requirements for ordination, and to become more proficient in areas where future ministry needs may have been identified.
- BIBST 101 Introduction to the Old Testament
- BIBST 111 Introduction to the New Testament
- CHIST 202 Church History 1
- CHIST 203 Church History 2
- THEPH 301 Systematic Theology
- THEPH 308 The Challenge of World Religions to Christian Practice (or another course in world religions)
- THEPH An advanced elective in theology
- CHSOC 400 Christian Ethics
- CHSOC 401 Religion and the Social Process
- PASTH 501 The Public Practice of Theology
- PASTH 503 Introduction to Educational Ministries
- PASTH 504 Introduction to Pastoral Care
- PASTH 505, 506 The Church at Worship (2 semesters)
- PASTH 521,522 Supervised Ministry (2 semesters)
- A cross cultural experience
Students with no prior experience in Philosophy are also required to take THEPH 300 Philosophical Resources for Theological Study.
