Academics

Graduate Programs

The Master of Divinity (M.Div.)is the basic degree program for those seeking pastoral ordination in one of many Christian denominations. The program is designed to take three academic years when pursued on a full time basis. Student pastors ordinarily spread their degree programs over four academic years.

The Master of Divinity curriculum integrates theological studies with the practice of ministry to nurture faithful and effective pastors. Students in the Master of Divinity program are required to complete 96 credit hours. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 is required for graduation. In addition, M.Div. students are required to successfully complete core courses in the three divisions of the seminary curriculum - Biblical, History/Theology and Ministry - and interdisciplinary courses. These include:

Biblical Division

• Old Testament Introduction
• New Testament Introduction
• New Testament Greek I
• New Testament Greek II
• Old Testament Exegesis
• Old Testament/Biblical Theology Elective
• New Testament Exegesis I
• New Testament Exegesis II

History/Theology Division

• Early and Medieval Church History
• Reformation and Modern Church History
• Christian Doctrine I
• Christian Doctrine II
• Social Ethics

Ministry Division

• Discipleship and Teaching
• Foundations of Preaching
• Advanced Preaching Elective
• Foundations of Christian Worship
• Foundations of Pastoral Care

Interdisciplinary

• SPM I
• SPM II
• SPM III
• Spiritual Formation Groups
• Theology of Mission and Evangelism
• Evangelism and Mission in Context
• The Missional Church

A student may propose alternative methods of demonstrating completion of the objectives of core courses, such as passing examinations in a given subject, writing papers, or successfully completing courses with similar content offered by other seminaries. All such alternative proposals must be approved in advance by the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the faculty. Once matriculated, a student must take all core courses at UDTS. Core courses may not be fulfilled through tutorials.



The Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) Recognizing the need to equip men and women for lay ministries, the seminary has designed the Master of Arts in Religion degree, a program with the flexibility to meet a variety of personal and professional goals. It is a two-year first professional degree for individuals whose vocational plans do not require ordination. The M.A.R. program allows students to strengthen their theological understanding and mastery of biblical and theological disciplines of their life and work, be it in a position of lay leadership in a church or in a secular setting.

In addition to the core requirements, students in either the M.A.R. or M.Div. program may choose to specialize in:
History and Theology
Pastoral Theology and Counseling
Spiritual Formation
Biblical Studies
Rural Ministry



The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) is a program designed to build up the skills of experienced pastors while they continue to practice full time ministry. The Doctor of Ministry at UDTS focuses on pastoral leadership and congregational revitalization. The program takes three TO FIVE years and requires a minimum of time away from the congregational setting. Students will spend two weeks on campus each year and will complete much of their work in self directed learning. Integration of theory and practice and a cooperative learning process involving the insights and knowledge of both faculty and pastors are important components of the D.Min. program.