Master of Divinity
Our new Master of Divinity degree (MDiv) prepares you to serve as a spiritual leader in your community. You will gain hands-on training for diverse religious, spiritual, and nonprofit careers while immersing yourself in transformative experiences. The MDiv is required for ordination in many denominations and sets the stage for advanced studies.
Our MDiv is offered online and in person on both the Lancaster Seminary campus in Lancaster, Pa., and on the Moravian Seminary campus in Bethlehem, Pa.
Flexible and Innovative
Our MDiv is designed to fit your busy schedule, with full-time and part-time options, and courses offered both in person on-campus in Bethlehem and Lancaster and online. We also offer a weekend schedule with classes on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings that is ideal for working adults.
Weekday classes are held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and on Friday starting at 7:00 p.m. No classes are held on Wednesday. Saturday classes are held at 9:00 a.m. and sometimes at 11:15 a.m.
Here’s what it takes
Our MDiv is a 78-credit degree program. There are 54 required credits along with 24 credits set aside for electives and denomination-specific requirements. You can finish in three years by taking 12+ credits per semester or finish in four-to-six years by taking fewer than 12 credits per semester.
Learning Outcomes
Our MDiv program addresses these learning outcomes:
Religious Heritage: Interpret sacred and theological texts, artifacts, and practices of your own and other relevant traditions to demonstrate understanding of scripture and the social and spiritual implications of interpretation.
Cultural Context: Assess, engage with, and become aware of the social, ecological, economic, cultural, and interreligious dynamics of multifaith and multicultural ministries.
Personal and Spiritual Formation: Describe, practice, and model spiritual and ethical practices and discernment that form and nurture one’s own and others’ faith.
Religious and Public Heritage: Cultivate leadership capacities that foster healing, discernment, and empowerment of the people and communities you serve.
Ordination
Ordination is governed and bestowed by specific religious bodies and not by the Seminary. Getting your MDiv does not guarantee ordination. Approval as a candidate for ordination is a separate and parallel track to the admissions process at MTS. Be sure to consult your denominational authorities about your specific ordination requirements, and we will work closely with you to help you stay on top of those requirements.
Courses that reflect contemporary realities
Our courses are timely and relevant, driven by questions the Church and the world are asking. Combined with the deep learning at the heart of our rich academic heritage, you will be prepared for the challenges of contemporary religious engagement. Click here for the 2024 Curriculum Overview.
Required courses:
Church History from Pentecost to Yesterday
Ecumenical Encounters: Articulating Faith in a Global Church
Engaging the Questions Together
Field Education 1 and 2
Intercultural Immersion Seminar
Introduction to Christian Ethics
Introduction to the Old Testament
Introduction to Theological Education
Leading Future Faith Communities
New Testament and Early Christianity
Proclamation and Public Rhetoric
Praxis and Social Change
Religious Education in Theory and Practice
Spiritual Care in Contemporary Contexts
Spiritual Quests & Theological Reflection
Worship