The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the degree closely tied to a call ordained leadership in most mainline Christian denominations. Wesley’s M.Div. will help you prepare for a lifetime of fruitful leadership whether you are called to pastor a church, a specialized chaplaincy or a ministry beyond the local church. Our specialized M.Div. programs allow you to focus on Youth Ministry, Urban Ministries, Emerging Ministries or as a United Methodist Student Pastor.
Length of Program
M.Div. candidates must successfully complete 90 semester hours of coursework in the regular curriculum, including supervised Practice in Ministry and Mission and an Immersion experience. In keeping with Wesley’s philosophy of integrating academic work and spiritual development, you will participate in an on-campus Covenant Discipleship group during your first year of studies. Additional Covenant Discipleship group experience is gained through the Practice of Ministry and Mission requirements.
The M.Div. program may be completed in a minimum of three years of full-time study and must be completed within seven years from the date of admission.
Students in the M.Div. program are strongly encouraged to follow one of the three-, four-, or five-year plans outlined in the Student Handbook. Completion of the M.Div. in conjunction with the M.A. or M.T.S. degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours and completion of both degree program requirements.
Requirements
Required Courses To be taken during the first 30 hours of study:
- Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (4 hours) BI-101 and -102 or BI-105
- Introduction to the New Testament (4 hours) BI-171 and -172 or BI-175
- The Church in History (6 hours) CH-101 and -102
- Covenant Discipleship Group (3 hours) MM-101 and -102
- Introduction to Worship (3 hours) PW-101
To be taken after the first 30 hours of study are completed:
- Practicum in Biblical Interpretation (2 hours) BI-341
- Systematic Theology (6 hours) ST-305 and -306
- Christian Ethics (3 hours) ES-302 or -303 or -308 or -318
- Ministry and the Social Sciences (2 hours) CM-208, ES-251 or PC-275 and -276
- Practice in Ministry and Mission: Contextual Education (8 hours)
- Foundations of Preaching (3 hours) PW-325
- Pastoral Liturgics (2 hours) PW-301
- Preaching Practicum (2 hours) PW-335, -336, -337, -338, 339, or -340
- Practice in Ministry and Mission: Cross-cultural Immersion (2 hours) MM-350
To be taken whenever offered (check course listings for prerequisites):
- Christian Teaching and Formation (3 hours) Any 100 level CF course
- Church Administration (3 hours) CM-133
- Pastoral Care and Counseling (3 hours) PC-101 or -111
- Religion and the Arts (2 hours) Any 100 level RA course
- Consortium Course (2 or 3 hours) Students must take at least one course in one of the other member seminaries of the Washington Theological Consortium.
- Philosophy - Students with no undergraduate philosophy course must complete ST-181 Philosophical Backgrounds or an equivalent before taking ST-305 or -306 (required in first 30 hours).
Electives Courses
Courses beyond those required for all M.Div. candidates are taken as electives. There are approximately 25 hours of electives in the M.Div. degree. Students may use their electives to sample a broad range of curricular offerings or they may choose to concentrate their electives in a certain discipline. Those who choose to concentrate their electives may request the assignment of an advisor in that discipline to help guide their selection of electives. This is particularly beneficial for students who are considering further graduate study. Students are advised to review their denominational ordination requirements in order to satisfy them through elective courses.
