2015-2016 Academic Catalog [Archived Catalog]
Master of Divinity
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Purpose: The M.Div. is the degree of choice for those entering preaching ministry. It lays a solid foundation for a lifetime of ministry practice through a focus on spiritual growth, research tools and methodology, and practical concepts and skills..
Emphasis: This degree provides opportunities and encouragement for personal spiritual growth, an understanding of Scripture and theology, an introduction to historical and cultural contexts of churches, and both understanding of and supervised experience in major aspects of ministry. The M.Div. is also the basic degree required by most schools of religion and seminaries for admission to Ph.D. or Th.D. programs.
Intended Degree Outcomes: M.Div. graduates will:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic content of the English Bible.
- Demonstrate advanced exegetical skills in the interpretation of scripture.
- Exhibit an understanding of the primary elements of Christian theology.
- Exhibit an understanding of the general history of the church and of doctrine, including the Stone-Campbell Movement in particular.
- Be able to integrate the scriptures and theological tradition with diverse contemporary cultural contexts.
- Evidence a love for God and others and a personal commitment to spiritual formation
- Be able to communicate effectively in written, oral, and multi-media forms.
- Demonstrate knowledge and competencies associated with providing ministerial leadership for churches and communities.
Time Frame: The degree requires a minimum of three academic years of full-time work or its equivalent.
Residency: At least 30 hours must be taken on the Harding School of Theology campus.
Admission
Undergraduate GPA: A student whose undergraduate grade point average is between 2.25 and 2.50 may be admitted on probation for the M.Div. program. Probation will be removed upon successfully completing 18 semester hours of graduate courses with a grade average of 2.50.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Twelve semester hours of undergraduate Bible or related courses are required as prerequisites for the M.Div. degree. Students who have not fulfilled these requirements may satisfy them by taking BOLD 5000 and BNEW 5200 as electives.
Advanced Standing: Harding School of Theology may grant up to 12 hours of advanced standing for first year Greek and/or Hebrew (six hours for each language). The Bible faculty will determine by examination over undergraduate course work whether the School will grant advanced standing.
Transfer Credit: Subject to approval of the Admissions Committee, a maximum of 42 hours of comparable work may be transferred from another institution. As many as half the hours from a master’s degree (that is, up to 27 hours from our M.A. or M.A.C.M. degrees) may be applied toward the M.Div.
Language Requirements: One year of Greek and one year of Hebrew at the undergraduate level with a grade of C or better are required, or the student may take one year of Greek and/or Hebrew as part of the degree. One graduate-level reading course of three semester hours is also required.
Testing: Psychological, career and other types of testing are sometimes used for guidance purposes.
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