Master of Divinity
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In Christian theology, the Master of Divinity (M.Div., Magister Divinitatis in Latin) is the first professional degree in divinity in North America and is a common academic degree in theological seminaries. In many Christian denominations, and of some other religions, this degree is the standard prerequisite for ordination to the priesthood or pastorship or other appointment, ordination or licensing to professional ministry. At most seminaries this degree requires around 90 credit hours of study.
It generally includes studies in Christian ministry and theology. Coursework usually includes studies in New Testament Greek, theology, philosophy, church history, pastoral theology, Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and New Testament studies. Many programs also contain courses in church growth, ecclesiology, evangelism, systematic theology, Christian education, liturgical studies, Latin, Hebrew, canon law, patristics, and the like. Courses in pastoral counseling and psychology are also standard parts of an M.Div. program. In addition, the degree may or may not include a thesis.
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[edit] Contemporary usage
The Master of Divinity has replaced the Bachelor of Divinity in most United States seminaries as the first professional degree, since the latter title implies in the American academic system that it is on a par with a Bachelor of Arts or other basic undergraduate education. The M.Div. is a significantly more extensive program than most master's degrees, as it usually consists of ninety or more semester hours, as opposed to the usual thirty-six or forty-eight. Ordination as a Roman Catholic priest typically takes place after eight years of study after high school graduation. The first four years are spent studying for an undergraduate degree in Catholic sacred philosophy at the college seminary. During the next four years of major seminary, seminarians are instituted as lectors and acolytes, are accepted into candidacy[1] and work towards the M.Div. degree and/or a graduate degree in Catholic sacred theology; the last year of study is spent in the transitional diaconate.
The M.Div. stands in contrast to the M.A. in Theology and Master of Theological Studies, the usual academic degrees in the subject (which tend not to include "pastoral" or "practical" courses), and the Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.), Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) (for Catholics), Master of Theology (M.Th.), and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) (for many others), which tend to be academic rather than pastoral degrees as well. Schools with Pontifical faculties in North America often award both the M.Div. and S.T.B. after a three year period of graduate studies.
[edit] Further study
In the United States, the M.Div. is counted as a terminal degree. Occasionally a Master of Divinity pursues doctoral studies, but the Doctor of Divinity is only an honorary degree in the United States. Another doctoral degree that can be associated with the M.Div. is the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), as the Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Sacred Theology all tend to be academic rather than ministerial degrees. In recent years, it is not at all unusual for the holder of the M.Div. to add another degree, earning either the Ph.D. or Th.D. as well as the D.Min. Graduates of the M.Div. who completed a thesis as part of their degree are often eligible for admission into Ph.D. or Th.D. programmes with a requirement to take additional, more academic-oriented, coursework. In the United Kingdom and other parts of the Commonwealth the Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) is the highest degree at most universities, normally awarded for a significant body of published work of high quality.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS)
- Commission on Accrediting accredits the schools and approves the degree programs they offer.
[edit] References
- ^ USCCB Program of Priestly Formation (Fifth Edition), 2005
