Master of Divinity (MDiv)
Master of Divinity (MDiv)
The Master of Divinity (MDiv) educates and prepares men for official, ordained ministries of instruction and leadership in the church as pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and teachers. The goal is to furnish students with every tool they will need to bring the Word of God to the part of God’s church they serve.
The program is rigorous and thorough, covering exegesis, church history, systematic theology, homiletics, pastoral theology (teaching, leadership, counseling, church order and discipline, and missions), biblical interpretation, and practical theology (human relationships, Christian living, and church administration).
Objectives
The aim of the MDiv is to teach students to:
- Exegete individual passages of Scripture accurately, employing their knowledge of the original languages, historical circumstances, and literary and theological relationships;
- Understand the major issues in faith and life that the Church has confronted throughout its history, and the system of truth revealed in the Scriptures;
- Systematize exegetical, historical, and theological data into a consistent and coherent theology, and explain how that theology applies to personal beliefs and behavior;
- Use homiletical skills to proclaim the Word of God to the congregation biblically, doctrinally, experientially, and practically;
- Show effective pastoral skills in leading worship, teaching youth, exercising leadership and administration, counseling publicly from the pulpit and privately, implementing church order and discipline, and promoting evangelism and missions;
- Respond with discernment to contemporary trends in biblical interpretation and to contemporary and cultural movements;
- Understand human relationships, Christian living, and church administration, thereby assisting him to become a sound, sensitive, and edifying servant of the Word in his future ministry.
Admission Requirements
To apply for study in any of the master’s programs of the seminary, the applicant must ordinarily present the following application components:
- A completed online application form.
- Two letters of recommendation: an ecclesiastical letter of recommendation from the pastor or consistory (i.e., session or council) of the church of which the applicant is a member, and an academic letter of recommendation from a college professor under whose guidance the applicant has pursued studies.
- Official transcripts of all academic work beyond high school. If more than one college was attended, transcripts from each institution must be sent. MDiv applicants must have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree. If the bachelor’s program has not been completed at the time of application, a final transcript should be submitted before final admission can be granted. Applicants should have achieved a minimum average of 2.7 (B-) in college coursework.
- Application essay(s). All applicants must submit a short essay (250–500 words) explaining why they are applying to PRTS. MDiv applicants must also submit an essay describing their conversion and their calling to pursue the ministry. The specific details for these two essays can be found online when completing the general application form.
- Academic writing sample. All applicants must submit an academic writing sample. This sample may be a previously written paper, article, or essay that demonstrates proper citation methods and ability to construct, in English, a graduate-level paper.
- TOEFL or IELTS results. All ESL (English as a Second Language) students are required to submit their TOEFL or IELTS score. PRTS requires a minimum of 85 on the internet-based TOEFL. The IELTS equivalent required is 6.5. The PRTS reporting code is 0368.
- Application fee of $50. The application fee is non-refundable.
Each applicant:
- is subject to all the admission and registration regulations of the institution;
- is responsible to determine whether a current institution will accept credit earned at PRTS, if desired;
- must understand that falsification of any part of an application may result in cancellation of admission and/or registration at the institution;
- if transferring from another seminary, must include with the application form an official transcript of their current seminary work, syllabi of courses requesting to be transferred, and an academic catalog from that institution.
Admission Consideration in Exceptional Cases
In exceptional cases, mature students (typically 30+ years) who feel a call to ministry later in life may be permitted to enter the MDiv program without a four-year bachelor’s degree. Such a student could be admitted to the seminary by special approval, providing the applicant can demonstrate an equivalent academic background and/or evidence of current experience that prepares one for the program he is applying for.
While the student, if accepted, is received under the “mature-student status,” he is still enrolled at a master’s level. Puritan Reformed does not provide such students with a Bachelor of Divinity (BDiv). The seminary has therefore chosen to limit its acceptance of mature students to a small percentage to maintain academic integrity and expectations at a master’s level.
Residency Requirement
Students must take a minimum of 50 per cent of their credits of study at PRTS (not counting language studies); this means, at least 47 credits must be completed on campus. The remainder of the coursework may be completed through a combination of: 1) transfer of credit, 2) distance education courses, or 3) independent studies (a maximum of 15 credits can be taken as independent studies).
Tuition and Fees
- Application for admission (non-refundable): $50.00
- Enrollment deposit: $100.00 (applied to tuition)
- Tuition: $275.00 per credit
- Late registration fee: 5% of total semester tuition cost
- Distance Education fee: $75.00 per course that is taken from a distance
- Graduation fee: $75.00
Required Credits and Completion Time-frame
A total of 94 credit hours (106 including the 12 language credits) must be completed with a minimum 2.3 grade average (C+) for the completion of the MDiv program. Should a student already possess knowledge of Greek and/or Hebrew, the number of credits may be reduced upon successful completion of a language placement exam. All credit hours for the MDiv must be completed within eight (8) years of matriculation; any exception must be approved by the president and academic dean.
The required courses for the MDiv are as follows:
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Master of Divinity - 106 credits
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