Admission Requirements

The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program is the standard seminary program for preparing God-called individuals to serve Him as pastors, missionaries, teachers, and other leaders in vocational church ministry. This program admits students with diverse college backgrounds. University graduates, liberal arts college graduates, and Bible college graduates are all encouraged to apply. Students are permitted to transfer a maximum of 60 acceptable credits into the M.Div. program.

Graduation Requirements

Candidates must have completed at least 96 semester hours (including all requirements pertaining to the degree) with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. In addition to completing all classroom work, candidates must have evidenced ability in ministry, solidarity of Christian character, definiteness of purpose, and firm doctrinal convictions to the satisfaction of the faculty. Candidates should provide such evidence during their senior interviews, which are based on the accumulated contents of their assessment portfolios.

For course requirements, please see the online catalog (pdf).

Student Assessment Portfolio Contents

• Christian Service Evaluations. Pastors will evaluate the Christian service experiences of students every year.
• Student Perceptions and Ministry Aspirations Assessment. This assessment is completed during the annual Assessment Day of the students first and final years. The Student Perceptions Assessment deals with seminary culture issues and provides data for institutional decision makers. This part of the assessment is taken anonymously, and it is not placed in the students’ portfolios. The Ministry Aspirations Assessment gives some indication concerning student affective competencies, and it is placed in the students’ portfolios.
• Ministry Case Study Exam. All second-year students take this test during the annual Assessment Day. It assesses behavioral aptitudes, and its answers are placed in the students’ portfolios.
• Ministry Internship Assessment. All M.Div. students complete the requisite ministry internship/apprenticeship after the conclusion of their fourth semester of study. The chair of the Pastoral Studies Department oversees the internships. A letter of evaluation is generated by the host pastor and is included in the portfolios.
• Senior Sermon. Seniors preach a sermon in seminary chapel during the fall or spring of their senior year. These sermons are video-recorded, and the professor of homiletics fills out an evaluation form. This component assesses the specific behavioral aptitude of homiletic skill. The video recordings and evaluations are placed in the students’ portfolios.
• Theology Paper. Students will choose one of their theology papers to be placed in their portfolios.
• Biblical Languages Exam. M.Div. seniors complete the Biblical languages exam on Assessment Day. This assessment tool tests the specific cognitive ability of language acumen. Scores are placed in the portfolios.
• Cognitive Exam. M.Div. seniors complete the cognitive exam during their final semester on the annual Assessment Day. The exam assesses cognitive ability in the areas of Biblical, pastoral, and theological studies.

Advantages

• It gives students a basic foundation in their understanding of Scripture.
• It helps students develop personal convictions regarding the doctrinal teaching of the Word of God.
• It encourages students to mature in their daily walk with the Lord and to increase in their love for the Scriptures.
• It helps students develop qualities of Christian character, leadership, and worldwide vision.
• It equips them to be able expositors of Scripture.
• It develops within them a love for people, especially those to whom they shall minister.