Master of Divinity (MDiv)
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Master of Divinity (MDiv Degree)

“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15

The Department of Theology offers the Master of Divinity (MDiv) as an integrated approach to Christian theological graduate education. The program is specifically designed to prepare students for enhanced ministry in their churches. Accordingly, the degree program is highly focused on personal formation and practical experience in ministry settings, in addition to more traditional classes in order to prepare you for serving in a church or parachurch ministry.

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Learn more about the typical MDiv program of study, or continue reading for the specifics of our program.

Undergraduate 5-Year Fast Track
If you don’t yet have a bachelor’s degree, you may be interested in our Five Year BA-to-MDiv program.

Key Features

  • Holistic and Culturally Relevant

    Whether your specific classes focus on biblical, systematic or practical theology, our goal is to help you integrate these so that your ministry is holistic – faithful to God’s word and relevant to our culture.

  • Discipleship Focused

    The idea and practice of discipleship drives the heart of the program. As many have noted before, faith is caught, not just taught, and this principle drives our MDiv degree program.

  • Seminar-Based Instruction

    Integrating a seminar-style education in our small 10-15 person classes ensures that our students learn to think for themselves while practicing the art of discipleship and growing in relationship with one another.

  • Spiritually Formed and Informed

    Our courses are designed to take students deeper in their own personal relationships with God and provide them with the skills they need to engage others in deepening their own relationships.

Degree Structure

Ministry in a multifaceted world requires multifaceted preparation.  As a preparation for vocational ministry, our classes focus on giving you the core skills needed to understand and apply the Bible in your particular cultural context. Our 75-hour Master of Divinity (MDiv) program is built upon study in these core areas (Practical Theology, Biblical Studies, and Systematic Theology). However, our degree also offers students the flexibility they need through the choice of elective courses, which can be in the core study areas or drawn from our other MA program areas: biblical languages, apologetics, classics and philosophy.

Our Master of Divinity degree program is shorter than most to make it easier and more cost effective for students. We also offer the majority of our classes in the evening, in classes that meet one night per week, so you can easily wrap your studies around your work commitments.

Internship and Ministry Formation

Discipleship is not just learning about ministry; it happens most fully when you can practice the skill and lead others in it. Our intention is that you don’t lose your focus on the Church while engaging with theology academically. As a result, we have a large number of ministry classes in the program, and all students work in an internship throughout the program. This way, you are constantly connecting what goes on in the classroom with real ministry experience.

Denominational Affiliation

We value and draw from our Baptist heritage, but our faculty and students represent a range of evangelical traditions and denominations. Thus, we welcome anyone who would wish to study in the MDiv degree program.

Degree Plans

Review English Track requirements
Review Biblical Languages Track Requirements

More information about the Master of Divinity Degree

  • The MDiv degree is 75 credit hours, which takes approximately three years full-time. It includes these areas:

    Methodology (3 hours)
    CHRI 5305 Theological Inquiry (Should be taken within first 9 hours of studies)

    Practical Theology (24 hours)
    6 hours of Spiritual Formation (CHRI 5190  Spiritual Formation)
    6 hours of Internship (CHRI 5110 [1 hr] and CHRI 5210 [2 hrs])
    12 hours of Ministry Electives (from courses covering a practical theology topic)

    Biblical Studies (12 hours)
    CHRI 5350 Theology of the New Testament
    CHRI 5360 Theology of the Old Testament
    1 OT Elective (from the Christian Scriptures courses: CHRI 5310/6315/6325)
    1 NT Elective (from the Christian Scriptures courses: CHRI 5315/6320/6328)

    Biblical Languages (12 hours)*
    6 hours of Greek or Hebrew
    6 hours of Language Electives (Can be a second language or upper-level reading courses)

    Theology (15 hours)
    CHRI 5311 Hermeneutics
    CHRI 5330 History of Christianity
    CHRI 5340 Systematic Theology
    6 hours of Theology Electives (from courses covering a historical or systematic topic)

    General Electives (6 hours)
    6 hours of General Electives (Including APOL, PHIL, GREK, HEBR, LATN)**

    Capstone (3 hours)

    Total: 75 Hours

    * There’s an English track in which these 12 hours can be taken as English language Biblical Studies classes.
    **Note: Those entering the program without a prior undergraduate degree in theology, or without prior graduate studies in theology, are required to take CHRI 5300 Introduction to Biblical Texts and Doctrines in their first semester.

  • To find the costs of the program, see the current year Graduate Tuition and Fees for the MDiv degree program. Note: It is the same as the MATS tuition.

    Important Deadlines: Your Application file must be completed and the Scholarship Application must be submitted by these dates to be considered for scholarships: Summer: April 1, Fall: July 1, Spring: November 1.

    Students may take out loans to help finance the cost of their graduate education. To be eligible for federal loans, students must take at least 5 hours for a fall or spring semester or 4 hours in the summer.

    There are a variety of ways to engage the Department of Theology: we’re on Facebook,  we offer an annual Theology Conference, and we have regular lectures by preeminent scholars as part of the A.O. Collins Lecture Series.