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Overview

The academic work of the Divinity School presently includes three master's degree programs:

The Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) program, added in the fall semester 2006, is a four- to five-year program.

The M.Div. and Th.M. are graduate-professional degrees; the M.T.S., inaugurated in September of 1987, is a general academic degree. Admission to candidacy for any of these degrees presupposes the completion of a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.

Students preparing for ordination into the Christian ministry and requiring appropriate graduate-professional education will enroll for the Master of Divinity degree. Students whose acquired academic standing, under this basic degree program, entitles them to further specialized study may advance their command of selected theological disciplines by applying for an additional year of studies leading to the Master of Theology degree. Together, these two degree programs constitute a sequence. Although the Master of Divinity degree fulfills requirements for ordination by prevailing ecclesiastical standards, the Th.M. program may assist in assuring a larger measure of professional preparation. Application for admission to the Th.M. program is open to graduates of other schools who have completed the basic theological degree.

The M.T.S. provides an introduction to the theological disciplines as foundation for a graduate research degree (Ph.D.); preparation for lay religious degrees other than Christian education; grounding for teaching, research, or practice in another field (e.g., history, psychology, music); enhancement of institutional roles; and personal enrichment.

The Doctor of Theology program provides students with academically rigorous training, comparable to the demands of the Ph.D., focused on the ministries and practices of Christian communities. The program centers upon areas of study such as worship, preaching, evangelism, and the arts. At the same time, as an integral component of its mission, the Th.D. program seeks to reconfigure the way in which such practices are brought into creative interdisciplinary conversation with the established academic discourses of biblical studies, historical studies, and theology and ethics. Moreover, the interdisciplinary scope of the program extends to other areas of the university and addresses fresh areas of research such as the intersection of Divinity and Health Care, or Peacemaking and Reconciliation.

The specific requirements for each of these degrees are found in the Degrees section. Completed course work cannot be credited toward more than one degree. Reciprocal transfer of credit for course work taken under the M.Div ., or M.T.S. programs requires the permission of the senior associate dean for academic programs. With few exceptions, most courses in the Bulletin of Duke University: The Divinity School carrying a 200 number or above and belonging to the fields noted above are applicable to doctoral programs of study. These courses are open to qualified M.Div. , Th.M ., or M.T.S. students by permission of the instructor.

Qualified persons who desire to pursue studies leading to the degree of M.A. or Ph.D. in religion, under the administration of the Graduate School, are advised to apply to the dean of that school. Inquiries concerning fellowships or specific requirements of the Program of Graduate Studies in Religion may be addressed to the director, 209 Gray Building.