Purpose

As part of its overall mission to educate persons for service in the Christian Church, Erskine Seminary offers the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. This is the professional degree designed to prepare students for ordained ministry by providing a well-rounded theological education. Its purpose is to educate ministers who can formulate a theory of ministry, design and implement forms of ministry appropriate to particular circumstances, and integrate the various disciplines and skills of ministry so as to share God’s love with all people, all to the end that God may be glorified. The ability to minister effectively requires that one understand persons both as individuals and as members of social structures. The practice of ministry also requires maturity, a meaningful personal faith, and a deep sense of commitment. Erskine Theological Seminary’s M.Div. program seeks to produce graduates with these characteristics.

Goals

1. Graduates will understand the Bible’s message in light of its own literary, historical, and theological settings.
2. Graduates will be prepared to articulate the relation between the Bible and the contemporary contexts in which ministry takes place.
3. Graduates will be prepared to utilize the Church’s historical and theological heritage as an important resource in their personal spiritual development and ministry.
4. Graduates will write and speak using theological language that is clear, well-considered, disciplined, and meaningful for those to whom they minister.
5. Graduates will be prepared to serve the Church with Christian character and integrity in their personal and professional lives.
6. Graduates will be prepared to view their ministries in light of the Church’s mission to worship, follow, bear witness to, and serve Jesus Christ.
7. Graduates will be prepared to communicate the Bible’s message through preaching and evangelism, so as to make clear that its meaning is relevant for today.
8. Graduates will be prepared to lead people in the worship of God and the celebration of the sacraments.
9. Graduates will be prepared to understand and minister to people and communities through pastoral care and counseling.
10. Graduates will be prepared to lead the local congregation in forging its goals and designing and implementing its forms of ministry.
11. Graduates will be prepared to lead the local congregation in Christian education, with special emphasis on the training of teachers and other lay ministers.
12. Graduates will be prepared to foster a sense of community among those they serve in Christian ministry.

Residency and Graduation Requirements

A student must complete 90 semester hours of course work to qualify for the M.Div. degree. No more than 45 semester hours may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 60 hours may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers. At least 30 semester hours must be earned at Erskine Seminary’s Due West campus. No thesis or dissertation is required for this degree. The program is designed to be completed in three years of full-time study, although students may spread their program over a longer period by studying part-time, not to exceed a maximum of six years.

In addition to the 90-hour M.Div. degree, Erskine Seminary offers students the opportunity to concentrate in a particular field (Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, or Congregational Ministries). The M.Div. with a concentration in one of these fields involves 102 hours of course work, including all requirements for the regular M.Div. and additional courses as specified below. Of these 102 hours, no more than 51 semester hours may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 72 hours may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers. At least 30 semester hours must be earned at Erskine Seminary’s Due West campus.

Relation to Other Degrees

Students whose ministry goals warrant doing so may combine the M.Div. with another of Erskine Seminary’s master’s degrees. Students who do this must complete the 90 hours required for the M.Div., plus half of the hours required for the other degree (thus, M.Div. and M.A.C.E., M.A.C.M., or M.C.M. would mean taking 120 hours, M.Div. and M.A.T.S. would mean taking 123 hours), and they must take all courses required for both degrees. In such cases, students will ordinarily be conferred both degrees at the same time, after the requirements for both have been met. An M.Div. degree is the prerequisite for admission into the Doctor of Ministry program at Erskine Seminary.

Curriculum

The M.Div. curriculum seeks to develop in students those competencies required for ministry in contemporary society. The curriculum is aimed at students preparing for pastoral leadership ministries in local churches. However, students who expect to engage in the development of new churches or in missions work may take elective courses to help equip them for these specialized ministries.

The Biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek, occupy an important place in the curriculum, but competence in these languages is not a requirement for the M.Div. degree. Nevertheless, the faculty is convinced that a functional understanding of these languages is critically important for Biblical interpretation. Candidates for the degree who possess the ability and whose ministerial goals dictate it are strongly urged to study both languages. In reaching decisions about whether to take the Biblical languages, students should consult the ordination requirements of their denominations. All students, whether they study the Biblical languages or not, must complete exegetical courses that will equip them as responsible interpreters of the Word of God.

The 90 semester hours of the M.Div. program include 72 hours of required courses and 18 hours set aside for language courses, denominational requirements, and/or elective courses. Of the required courses, 24 hours come from each department: Bible, Theology/Church History, and Ministry.

Students who wish to do so may take the Bible Challenge Exam in lieu of the Bible Survey course. If they pass the exam successfully, they may take a Bible elective to replace BI 101.

Students of other denominations should take appropriate denominational history, doctrine, and polity courses if offered. These are listed in the “Denominational Courses” section of the Catalog.

M.DIV. WITH CONCENTRATION (102 HOURS TOTAL)

Students taking the M.Div. with concentration must complete all the regular M.Div. coursework and requirements, and IN ADDITION, must complete the following:

Concentration in Biblical Studies:

Four Bible electives IN ADDITION to the two exegesis electives required for the 90-hour M.Div.

(Students pursuing this concentration are encouraged, but not required, to use four of their free electives to take the Biblical languages: HB 101, 102, GK 101, 102. Students who intend to go on to Th.M., Th.D., or Ph.D. work in Biblical Studies must take at least these four language courses, and are strongly urged to take HB 201, 202, GK 201, 202 as well.)

Concentration in Theological Studies:
HB 101, 102 (Biblical Hebrew I and II)
The OT exegesis course MUST be HB 201 (Biblical Hebrew III)
GK 101, 102 (Biblical Greek I and II)
The NT exegesis course MUST be GK 201 (Biblical Greek III)
Two Theology Department electives IN ADDITION to the one that is required for the 90-hour M.Div.
            (Students pursuing this concentration have four free electives instead of six.)

Concentration in Congregational Ministries:
Four Ministry Department electives

Erskine Seminary considers a person to be a full-time student for academic purposes if he/she takes at least 12 hours of classes each semester (fall and spring) AND at least 30 hours in an academic year (fall semester, January term, spring semester, summer term). There are three suggested schedules for full-time students printed below, one for students without denominational or language requirements, the second for students with language requirements, and the third for United Methodist students, who have the most extensive and specific denominational requirements.

Students should recognize that M.Div. required courses are offered every year, both on campus and at one of the four extension centers. Greek and Hebrew are offered only on campus, every year. Denominational requirements are offered only on campus, and most are offered only every other year. Students should pay close attention to the scheduling template and schedules for each year (posted on the web site and the bulletin board in Bowie Hall), to make sure they know when their required courses will be offered.
          
Part-time students should generally take the first-year required courses (numbers in the 100s) before moving on to second-year required courses (numbers in the 200s) and third-year courses (numbers in the 300s).

A Suggested Schedule for the Master of Divinity Degree Program

(Students without denominational or language requirements)

Junior Class First Year

Middler Class Second Year

Senior Class Third Year

Total:...................................................................................90 Semester Hours

A Suggested Schedule for the Master of Divinity Degree Program

(Students with denominational or language requirements)

Junior Class First Year

Middler Class Second Year

Senior Class Third Year

Total:..................................................................................90 Semester Hours

A Suggested Schedule for the Master of Divinity Degree Program

(United Methodist Students)

Junior Class First Year

Middler Class Second Year

Senior Class Third Year