Where can this degree take me?
The Master of Divinity is considered the standard professional degree for ordained pastoral ministry, as well as providing an excellent foundation for further academic work and many other unique ministry contexts. MDiv alumni have gone on to a wide variety of vocational pursuits, including pastors, denominational leaders, scholars, authors, community development leaders, and missionary workers in many different contexts locally, nationally, and globally. The MDiv is the prerequisite degree for Doctor of Ministry (DMin) programs and is the recommended graduate degree for those intending to pursue advanced theological study (usually at the ThM or PhD levels).
What will I study?
The Master of Divinity curriculum (94 hours total) is centered on four primary areas:
Field Education and Internships
All Master of Divinity students must complete field education and internship requirements. Learn more about field ed & internships here.
What are the prerequisites for admission to this program?
You’ll want to see the general admissions requirements for all students. Specific to the MDiv are the following general prerequisites; see full prerequisites for further specific details:
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale is preferred, though not necessarily required.
- Scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) are required if your GPA is less than 2.5 or if the Admissions Office requests them.
- A demonstrated working knowledge of the English Bible (this can be demonstrated after admission through either some specific coursework or the Standard Bible Content Test).
- Taking our Greek Proficiency Exam, which determines where you begin on our MDiv Greek Exegesis track; this can be prepared for through undergraduate Greek or other ways, such as our Distance Education Beginning Greek courses).
- Applicants with prior Hebrew experience may be able to take the Hebrew Proficiency Exam.
View All Prerequisites
Master of Divinity Prerequisites
Here are the full prerequisites:
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale is preferred. However, GPA isn’t the only indication of academic ability, and there are cases in which a student may be admitted and given the chance to demonstrate that she is capable of graduate work. So talk to an admissions counselor to find out what your options are.
- Scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) are required if your GPA is less than 2.5 <i>or</i> if the Admissions Office requests them.
- A demonstrated working knowledge of the English Bible. You can be admitted before this, but this must be done prior to enrolling in your canon courses (OT 6216, OT 6217, NT 6221, NT 6222), and can be done one of two ways:
- Taking and passing either OT 5000 (Intro to the OT) or NT 5000 (Intro to the NT).
- Taking and passing either the OT or the NT section of the Standard Bible Content Test. You’ll have access to this within myTIU (our campus portal) once you’re accepted and have your login information. This is a good option for students who have fresh, extensive knowledge of biblical content.
- Your placement into the MDiv Greek Exegesis track is determined by the Greek Proficiency Exam. Many students have taken two years of undergraduate Greek, which is usually sufficient preparation. (We offer a Greek Review course, NT 4038, for those who took Greek several years prior to coming to TEDS.) Many others, however, do not have the chance to take Greek before coming to Trinity. If this is you, there are several ways to prepare for the exam:
- Study independently (perhaps through our Distance Education beginning Greek courses).
- We offer the beginning Greek sequence (NT 4030, NT 4031) in a July/August six-week summer session. (These are undergraduate-level courses that prepare you for the Exam and do not count towards your MDiv, but are great review / preparation.)
- The beginning Greek sequence is also offered as regular-length courses in the fall and spring. You can take them while taking other courses prior to passing the Exam and enrolling in the Exegesis track.
- Once you’ve been given myTIU login credentials, you can read about, and register for, the Greek Proficiency Exam here or by emailing exams@teds.edu.
- Applicants who have had prior Hebrew language experience (a minimum of 6 semester hours of undergraduate or graduate coursework) may be able to take the Hebrew Proficiency Exam and so bypass basic Hebrew (OT 5240 and OT 5241) for placement directly into Exegesis (OT 5242). Again, once you have credentials, information on this exam, including registration, is available here. Students who pass this exam may take any 6 hours of OT courses to meet the required 94 credits of the MDiv.
MA / Christian Studies and the MDiv
TEDS students who have completed the MA / Christian Studies may apply all hours to an MDiv. Since the entire MA/CS can be earned at our Extension Sites, this is a great way to complete nearly 1/3 of the MDiv prior to coming to Deerfield. Talk to an Admissions Counselor for more information.
Advanced Placement MDiv
If you graduated from a Christian college or university within the past five years and did extensive biblical studies / theology coursework as part of your degree, you may qualify for our AP MDiv (which can be completed in as few as 75 hours, compared to 94 for the standard MDiv).
