Master of Divinity

{{Short description|Professional and terminal graduate degree in the study of theology and pastoral studies}}
For graduate-level theological institutions, the '''Master of Divinity''' ('''MDiv''', ''magister divinitatis'' in [[Latin]]) is the [[first professional degree]] of the pastoral profession in [[North America]]. It is the most common [[academic degree]] in [[seminary|seminaries]] and [[divinity school]]s (e.g. in 2014 nearly 44 percent of all US students in schools accredited by the [[Association of Theological Schools]] were enrolled in an MDiv program).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ats.edu/member-schools/member-school-list|title=Alphabetical List - The Association of Theological Schools|website=www.ats.edu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2014 - 2015 Annual Data Tables|url=http://www.ats.edu/uploads/resources/institutional-data/annual-data-tables/2014-2015-annual-data-tables.pdf|website=The Association of Theological Schools|access-date=17 September 2015|location=Table 2.10-B Head Count Enrollment by Degree Category and Program United States|page=31}}</ref>

In many [[Christian denomination]]s and in some other religions, the degree is the standard prerequisite for ordination or licensing to professional ministry. At accredited seminaries in the United States, this degree requires between 72 and 106 [[credit hour]]s of study (72 being the minimum determined by academic accrediting agencies, and 106 being on the upper end of certain schools that wish to ensure a broader study of the related disciplines.) After the completion of the Master of Divinity degree, students can continue further and get their professional [[Doctor of Ministry]] degree, which, by ATS standards, is an earned research-based degree. This is why the Master of Divinity is considered a terminal degree to become a pastor or minister, with the Ph.D. only being used for academic purposes and the Doctor of Ministry degree related more to the practical theology of ministry. A [[Doctor of Divinity]] in the United States is an honorary degree.

==Overview==
Christian MDiv programs generally include studies in [[Christians|Christian]] ministry and theology. In 1996, the [[Association of Theological Schools]] established the standard that all accredited MDiv programs should include the following four content areas: Religious Heritage, Cultural Context, Personal and Spiritual Formation, and Capacity for Ministerial and Public Leadership.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=O'Gorman|first1=Robert T.|title=Reflections of an 'Investigative Journalist' on the Four Content Areas of the MDiv|journal=Theological Education|date=2007|volume=43|issue=1|pages=1–2|url=http://www.ats.edu/uploads/resources/publications-presentations/theological-education/2007-theological-education-v43-n1.pdf|access-date=17 September 2015|publisher=The Association of Theological Schools|issn=0040-5620}}</ref> Coursework usually includes studies in [[Koine Greek|New Testament Greek]], theology, [[philosophy]], [[church history]], [[pastoral theology]], [[Hebrew Bible]] ([[Old Testament]]), and [[New Testament]] studies. The requirements for an MDiv take between three and four years, and include practical experience like most professional terminal degrees. 

Many programs also contain courses in [[church growth]], [[ecclesiology]], [[evangelism]], [[systematic theology]], [[Christian education]], [[liturgy|liturgical studies]], [[Latin language|Latin]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[canon law]], and [[patristics]].<ref>For an example of an MDiv degree outline see {{cite web|title=Master of Divinity (MDiv) Degree Outline|url=http://fuller.edu/Academics/School-of-Theology/Masters-Degrees/Master-of-Divinity-Degree-Outline-Fall-2014/|website=Fuller Theological Seminary|access-date=17 September 2015}}</ref> The degree may or may not include a [[thesis]].

The MDiv is a requirement for ordination in many denominations. For example, the [[United Methodist Church]], one of the largest Protestant Christian denominations in the US,<ref>{{cite web|title=Fifteen Largest Protestant Denominations|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/chapter-1-the-changing-religious-composition-of-the-u-s/pr_15-05-12_rls_chapter1-03/|website=Pew Research Center Religion & Public Life|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=17 September 2015|date=May 7, 2015}}</ref> whose students in 2014 made up nine percent of all MDiv students enrolled in schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools,<ref>{{cite web|title=2014 - 2015 Annual Data Tables|url=http://www.ats.edu/uploads/resources/institutional-data/annual-data-tables/2014-2015-annual-data-tables.pdf|website=The Association of Theological Schools|access-date=17 September 2015|location=Table 2.16 Church/Denominational Affiliation of Students Currently Enrolled, 2014 United States|page=54}}</ref> requires candidates for ordination as elder to earn an MDiv<ref>{{cite book|title=The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church|date=2012|publisher=The United Methodist Publishing House|location=Section IX ¶335|isbn=978-1-426-71812-0|page=260|edition=2012}}</ref> and requires candidates for ordination as deacon to earn either an MDiv or a master's degree in another field with additional theological studies.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church|date=2012|publisher=The United Methodist Publishing House|location=Section VII ¶330|isbn=978-1-426-71812-0|page=248|edition=2012}}</ref>

== History ==
<blockquote>"The formal preparation of clergy began in the 16th century when the Roman Catholic Church created a new environment for the formation of priests called the seminary, which literally means “seedbed.” At the Council of Trent (1545–1563), the Roman Catholic Church officially adopted the term for a place where spiritual leaders would be developed. As education grew in Roman Catholic seminaries, they were later developed by Protestant denominations through universities. When Harvard College was founded in 1636, it was the first seminary prototype in North America. The goal of Puritan theological education at Harvard was to produce a pastor-theologian, or “learned clergy.” This has remained the goal of seminaries to this day. Most of these universities offered a bachelor of divinity degree as the primary degree for clergy preparation. In 1808, the first seminary to prepare Congregationalist clergy was the Andover Theological Seminary. Andover’s founders fashioned the essential seminary experience for the next two centuries, which included a professional specialized faculty and a sizeable library. The 3-year curriculum focused on three areas of study: (1) the Bible, (2) church history, and (3) theology. In 1809, the Presbyterians in New Jersey established Princeton Seminary."<ref>  Maddix. (2016). Master of Divinity Degree Programs. In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Online Education (pp. 722–725).</ref></blockquote>In 2022, The Association of Theological Schools reported that the Master of Divinity degree has seen a steady decline in enrollment. In comparison to 2021, the percentage dropped by 4% and declined 9% since 2018. While the percentage of enrollment in Theological Seminaries have Master of Divinity degrees as the majority enrollment, the decline from 43% to 35% in a decade indicate a concern for professionals in the field. <ref>{{Cite news |last=Post |first=Kathryn |date=December 2, 2022 |title=Theological schools report continued drop in master of divinity degrees |work=Religion News Service |url=https://religionnews.com/2022/12/02/theological-schools-report-continued-drop-in-master-of-divinity-degrees/ |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref>

==Contemporary usage==
The Master of Divinity has replaced the [[Bachelor of Divinity]] in most United States seminaries as the [[first professional degree]], since the former title implied in the American academic system that it was on a par with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] or other basic [[undergraduate education]] even though a [[bachelor's degree]] previously was and remains a prerequisite for entrance into graduate divinity programs. The Commission on Accrediting of the [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]] accredits most Christian schools in North America and approves the degree programs they offer, including the MDiv.

The MDiv is a significantly more extensive program than most taught (as opposed to research-based) [[master's degrees]]. In the United States, the degree typically consists of approximately 90 [[semester]] hours, as opposed to the 30 to 48 semester hours typical of most master's degrees, or the approximately 60 semester hours typical of mental health counseling or entry-level social work master's degrees. Ordination in most [[Mainline Protestant|mainline Protestant denominations]] and the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]] thus requires seven or eight years of education past high school: the first four in undergraduate studies leading to a bachelor's degree (which may or may not be in a related field) and then three or four years of seminary or divinity school education leading to the MDiv.

The MDiv stands in contrast to the [[Master of Arts]] (MA) in theology and [[Master of Theological Studies]] (MTS), the usual academic degrees in the subject (which tend not to include "pastoral" or "practical" courses), and the [[Bachelor of Sacred Theology]] (STB), [[Licentiate in Sacred Theology]] (STL), [[Master of Theology]] (MTh/ThM), [[Master of Sacred Theology]] (STM), and [[Master of Religion]] (MRel), which are also academic degrees. Schools with [[Pontifical faculties]] in North America often award both the MDiv and STB at the same time after a three-year period of graduate studies.

==Enrollment differences between genders==
Although in 2014 women made up approximately 53 percent of all students enrolled in ministerial non-MDiv degree programs at US schools accredited by the [[Association of Theological Schools]], they constituted only approximately 29 percent of all MDiv students in the same schools in that year.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=2014 - 2015 Annual Data Tables|url=http://www.ats.edu/uploads/resources/institutional-data/annual-data-tables/2014-2015-annual-data-tables.pdf|website=The Association of Theological Schools|access-date=17 September 2015|ref=Table 2.12-B Head Count Enrollment by Race or Ethnic Group, Degree, and Gender, 2014 United States|location=Table 2.12-B Head Count Enrollment by Race or Ethnic Group, Degree, and Gender, 2014 United States|page=37}}</ref> The group with the most parity in MDiv enrollment numbers between men and women at those schools in that time period were African American students, among whom enrollment numbers were almost equal between genders.<ref name="auto"/>

==Cost==
For the 2022-2023 academic year the average cost per year for MDiv tuition and fees at a school accredited by the [[Association of Theological Schools]] was $16,488.67 in the US and $10.765.50 in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|title=2022 - 2023 Annual Data Tables|url=https://www.ats.edu/files/galleries/2022-2023_Annual_Data_Tables.pdf|website=The Association of Theological Schools|access-date=22 August 2023|location=Table 4.1 Average Tuition and Fees Charged for Selected Degree Programs by Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment|page=83}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Doctor of Divinity]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:Christian education]]
[[Category:Master's degrees|Divinity,Master of]]
[[Category:Religious degrees]]