The purpose of the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is to prepare men for competent pastoral ministry. Upon completion of the program, the student will be able to interpret the Scriptures from a historical, grammatical and literal perspective and to serve the church skillfully and faithfully.

Competency in the Scriptures is accomplished through an academic program that concentrates on the use of the biblical languages, on the application of sound theology and on an appreciation for the history of the church.

Competency in service is gained through classroom instruction from qualified faculty within the context of the local church and through supervised ministry experience.

Requirements for the Master of Divinity
An undergraduate degree or a Master of Arts is required for entrance into the Master of Divinity program. To qualify for the Master of Divinity, 93 semester hours must be earned with a grade point average of 2.5 or better. The student must also be present at the Commencement Exercises in order to receive the degree unless excused by the Dean.

Transfer of Credit
Transfer of up to 40 hours of credit from accredited graduate schools is allowed toward the Master of Divinity. The student must have earned a grade of C or better for the course to be considered for transfer. Biblical language courses must be taken either in residency or transferred from another graduate level accredited school. Transfer of credit must be approved by the Registrar’s office.

Admissions to Candidacy
Students may be admitted to candidacy for the M.Div. degree by action of the faculty after the student has completed a minimum of 60 hours of course work with a minimum 2.0 grade point average. Also, students must show evidence, to the satisfaction of the faculty, of proven Christian character and adherence to the doctrinal statement of the Seminary. Students in the M.Div. program must provide a written statement of their involvement in ministry.

Mentored Practice Program
The Mentored Practicum, Internship and Apprenticeship programs provide an experience-based program enabling students to gain confidence and competence in the practice of ministry and leadership. Details of the Mentored Practice Program can be found in the General Information section of this catalog.

Thesis
As part of the requirements for the Master of Divinity, the student may choose to use two electives for a scholarly thesis under the leadership of a faculty member. Those students who desire to pursue further study for an advanced degree are encouraged to write a thesis to sharpen their research and writing skills. The thesis demonstrates the student’s ability to perform biblical and theological research at a scholarly level. It must involve the exegesis of Scripture, employing the original languages as appropriate. The thesis must also demonstrate breadth of research.

The thesis should be completed over a one-year period of time. After gaining approval from a faculty member in the chosen field of study, the student will work with the professor in finding and articulating a topic of study. During the first semester, research will be done and reported. At the professor’s discretion, the student may be asked to begin writing or to continue doing research. The second semester consists of completing the writing and revising of the paper as well as presenting the paper to the faculty for approval. Further detailed guidelines for the Master of Divinity thesis can be obtained from the Director of the Master of Divinity program.

Master of Divinity Course Requirements