Divinity School Degrees

Vanderbilt is unique among ecumenical theological schools because it educates ministers and religious scholars side by side, which encourages intellectual challenge that strengthens the training of both. The threefold mission of the Divinity School is to engage persons in the study of the Jewish and Christian traditions, to help persons re-envision and prepare for the practice of ministry, and to educate, through the Vanderbilt Graduate School’s Department of Religion, future scholars and teachers of religious studies. This mission is accomplished through a variety of degree programs.

Two primary degrees are offered in the Divinity School. The Master of Divinity (M.Div.), a three-year professional program, prepares graduates for ordained parish ministry and a variety of nontraditional ministries. The Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.), a two-year program of religious studies, provides a broadly based theological education as the foundation for later doctoral work, teaching in church related primary or secondary schools, or preparation for non-ordained ministries within the church. This degree also is appropriate for personal theological reflection within a structured, academically rigorous context. Each year, several students in the M.T.S. degree program find that their course work and interaction with faculty and students has led them to understand themselves as better suited to the goals of the M.Div. degree. In this way, the required course work for the M.T.S. degree often serves as a transition to the M.Div. degree program, and credits are easily transferred.

Because theological study often finds itself closely allied with other kinds of professional education, the Divinity School encourages students to register for master’s level courses in other departments of the University. Some of our students engage in curricula leading to two academic degrees, one in theological studies and another in a related field.

Graduate Department of Religion Degrees

Two degrees are offered through the Vanderbilt University Graduate School. The Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.) is a one- to two-year program of advanced academic work in a specific theological discipline. The Doctor of Philosophy in Religion (Ph.D.) is a four- to seven-year program that prepares students for research and teaching at the university or theological school level in a specific theological discipline.

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Created: June 04, 2000  Last Updated: June 20, 2000
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