The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary announced a significant update to its Master of Divinity Degree today (Nov. 6), which is now available to current and prospective students.
The new 84 credit hour M.Div. features a simplified core organized around 21 credit hours in biblical studies, 21 credit hours in theological studies, and 21 credit hours in practical studies. This core, combined with 21 credit hours of electives, allows students to combine comprehensive training in Bible, theology, and ministry with the flexibility to direct their study to the courses that will best prepare them for ministry and vocational objectives.
Southern Seminary will also allow students to earn additional credentials in the form of 9 credit hour Graduate Certificates. These Graduate Certificates allow students to direct their electives toward specialized study. Graduate Certificates also provide an opportunity for those who already have an M.Div. to return and earn additional credentials.
Additionally, Southern Seminary will now offer an incentive for the residential Master of Divinity, where students will only pay for the first 9 credit hours each semester and can take up to 15 credit hours at no additional expense. This incentive signals Southern Seminary’s continued commitment to the residential M.Div. even as it continues to expand and enhance its online degrees.
President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. said of the new degree, “Southern Seminary is totally committed to the education and preparation of preachers for the church, pastors for God’s flock, and heralds of the gospel. The Master of Divinity degree is the central program through which we accomplish this purpose, and we are taking this action to make certain that Southern Seminaries world respected M.Div. degree is made optimal in every dimension for the future faithfulness of the church.”
He continued, “The degree builds on more than a century and a half of Southern Seminary’s leadership in theological education. It is deeply committed to the training of pastors in the scriptures, in doctrine, and in ministry. We stand behind this degree as the most faithful program in theological education, and our commitment is to continue this mission for generations to come.”
These changes are available to students now, and Southern Seminary is actively accepting applications for the Winter 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters. For more information about the new 84 credit hour Master of Divinity degree, visit sbts.edu/newmdiv.
