Master of Divinity
The Master of Divinity is a graduate professional degree. Persons admitted as candidates must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. As Union is a nondenominational seminary - it is not affiliated with any church or religious body, and does not ordain its graduates - there is no sectarian or religious requirement for admission. Applicants must, however, satisfy the admissions committee that their vocational plans and personal development are appropriate for matriculation in this program.
Many graduates of the Master of Divinity program enter the parish ministry, while others pursue vocations in diverse settings: in university, hospital and prison chaplaincies; in professional counseling; in secondary school or university teaching; in business, government, journalism, social work and other professions. The Seminary endeavors to meet the special educational needs that may characterize a candidate's vocational aims. But it also believes the sustained and probing study of the Bible, of the history of Christianity, and of systematic and practical theology will form the core of learning that is fundamental to the Master of Divinity curriculum.
Other factors, of course, influence the character of Union’s M.Div. program. These include the contemporary challenges of racial, cultural, and social pluralism, which the curriculum seeks to help students recognize and respond to creatively in the quest for social justice. The Seminary’s urban location and university affiliation are also basic concomitants of its ethos. The program in Psychiatry and Religion blends academic study and clinical training. Ecumenics courses reflect the Seminary’s continuing commitment to unity among the churches, while courses in World Religions allow students to communicate with and learn from persons of faith throughout the world. In a number of areas, such as Theology and the Arts, Black Studies, and Feminist Studies, the teaching interests of a number of faculty allow candidates to pursue interdisciplinary concerns.
In keeping with the founders’ hope that students might have the opportunity of combining "enlightened experience" with "solid learning and true piety," the M.Div. curriculum is also designed to provide guidance and opportunity for personal, professional, and spiritual development. Furthermore, the Seminary curriculum endeavors to help the student integrate theological knowledge with life in the contemporary world, while developing practical skills for serving the needs of the churches and society.
The core of the student’s work is chosen from a range of important foundational courses in the four fields into which the faculty have organized the curriculum: Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Arts of Ministry. Students are expected to accomplish the work of the required courses in their program of study as early as possible. Normally, after the completion of the first year or its equivalent, the student will be involved in a supervised, evaluated field education experience in a church or some other institutional setting appropriate to the candidate’s vocational aim.
This requirement is designed to (1) help integrate knowledge of the traditions and teachings of the churches with the conditions of life in our times; (2) develop skills in theological and ethical reflection upon the disparity that is experienced by a wide variety of people between present reality and the historical hopes expressed in the Hebrew and Christian traditions; and (3) provide training and practical experience in the techniques of ministering to the needs of individuals and groups in contemporary society.
In the latter half of the degree program, the candidate has greater freedom in choosing courses appropriate to his or her vocational plans and particular interests, and either writes a thesis on a topic chosen or undertakes a special project for its relevance to these plans and interests, or elects to take additional upper-level courses to enhance his or her studies.
The M.Div. is a three-year program when pursued on a full-time basis. It often includes summer work in clinical pastoral education, summer field work, or an internship planned as an integral part of the educational program. Not all students will be able to complete the degree in three years; some are required by their denominations to take a year of internship between the second and third year of M.Div. studies; others, because of family or financial considerations or special educational needs, will decide to spread their degree studies over four, or occasionally, even five years. The Seminary permits candidates to pursue studies on a part-time basis; even so, it is very desirable for every candidate to spend at least one year in Seminary as a full-time student. Although a student’s situation may change during the course of studies, it is expected that decisions about the tentative selection of courses and the duration of the program will normally be made in consultation with an advisor as part of a coherent study plan developed during the first year of candidacy.
Because Union Theological Seminary does not ordain, license, or certify candidates for ordination, those who seek ordination must consult closely with the ecclesiastical authorities of the churches to which they belong. Certain denominations have requirements with regard to biblical languages and to courses in their tradition’s doctrine, polity, and worship. The pastorate, religious education, campus ministry, college teaching, prison chaplaincy, pastoral counseling, social agencies, and other specialized ministries have their distinctive vocational requirements. These will affect a student’s choice of courses.
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Graduation Requirements for the Master of Divinity
The courses of study for the M.Div. are organized into four academic fields and a general area used to identify courses that are not specific to one field:
Biblical Field Old Testament and New Testament
Historical Field Church History and courses in the history of Christian thought; Christian Institutions
Theological Field Philosophy of Religion; Systematic Theology; Christian Ethics; Ecumenical Studies
Practical Theology Field Preaching, Arts, and Worship; Psychiatry and Religion; Religion and Education; Church and Society; Integrative and Field Based Education
The Master of Divinity degree requires a minimum of 78 points which include specific courses required in the curricular fields, a field based education requirement, electives, and a senior thesis. The requirements are to be met under the terms stated below. The electives and the senior thesis are selected around a declared "Program Focus" that is planned with the faculty advisor, which allows the student to concentrate studies on a professional track or specialized interest. Examples of program foci might be parish or pastoral ministry, theology and the arts, a particular academic discipline, liberation theologies, or psychiatry and religion. Students are, of course, permitted and even encouraged in the course of their studies to exceed the minimum requirements of the degree.
The normal full-time study load, apart from courses taken in the January Intersession or the summer, is an average of 13 points per semester. Without permission from the academic dean, no one is permitted to take more than 15 points in any one semester or more than 30 points in an academic year, exclusive of the January Intersession or summer. The student’s registration must be approved every semester by a faculty advisor.
First Year
Juniors are expected to complete the Biblical Field’s foundational courses in the first year of the program. Juniors should also begin taking required courses in the Historical, Theological, and Practical Theology fields, along with the "City" courses. Also recommended is the study of Biblical Hebrew or Biblical Greek early in the student’s seminary career.
Second Year
Middlers continue taking the core of required courses, along with elective courses. The biblical exegesis course and the introductory preaching and worship course are taught in tandem and must be completed by the end of the middler year. Unless an internship is planned, the field education requirement is also met in the second year. Students should declare their Program Focus by the end of the middler year.
Third Year
Seniors, usually having met most of the distribution requirements, will choose courses to complete their degree program as well as making selections in accordance with their declared Program Focus. In the second semester of the senior year, M.Div. candidates will enroll for the thesis or senior project (see below) or six additional points of coursework. In addition to approval from the faculty advisor, every senior must have his or her program of study verified by the Registrar to ensure that the student is on course to meet all degree requirements.
Biblical Courses
9 points
OT 101, NT 101 and BX 201
Historical Courses
6 points
CH 107, CH 108, and CH 109
Theological Courses
6 points
ST 103 or ST 104, and another course in the Theological field
Practical Theology Courses
6 points
CW 101 and another course in the Practical Theology field
Integrative and Field Based Education
6 points
FE 103 and FE 104
World Religions
3 points
any 3-point World Religions course
"City" Courses>br> 6 points
CT 101 and CT 102
Thesis/Senior Project
6 points
or an additional 6 points in electives
Electives
30 points
Readiness for further study in a field is achieved by satisfying the field’s minimum requirement for the degree as described below. The completion of foundational work will equip the student for closer and more specialized study of other subjects in the curriculum. Substitutions for the courses listed above require approval from the dean of academic administration and must be filed with the registrar.
Biblical Courses
Old Testament 101, New Testament 101, and biblical exegesis BX 201 (taught in tandem with CW 101) are required. Additionally, those students without a good knowledge of the Bible are required to take one-point elective "Bible Content" courses, one each in Old and New Testament. However, students may opt out of these one-point courses by passing the Bible Content exams, given prior to registration in the Fall.
The introductory sequence must be met by the end of the candidate’s first year, and BX 201 (with CW 101) is completed in the second year. All students, no matter what form of ministry is contemplated, are urged to elect study of at least one of the biblical languages. Advanced students may explore opportunities for study in other ancient languages relevant to biblical study.
Historical Courses
Church History 107, 108, and 109 are taken to meet the field’s six-point requirement for the M.Div.
Theological Courses
Six points are required, with at least three points earned in either Systematic Theology 103 or 104. Students whose college work in philosophy is not strong are advised to select Philosophy of Religion 103, when offered; this course can be counted toward meeting the field requirement for the M.Div.
Practical Theology Courses
Six points must be earned in two courses: CW 101, taught in tandem with the BX 201 and taken in the student’s second year, and one additional three point course from the field’s curriculum, exclusive of Integrative and Field Based Education.
Integrative and Field Based Education
Six points of credit in Integrative and Field Based Education are ordinarily satisfied in the middler year by Field Education Seminar 103-104. This course is taken concurrently with a supervised field placement of 12-15 hours per week that has been approved by the Field Education director. The director will consider an application from a student to substitute a unit of CPE to fulfill the Field Education requirement. The other option is a full-time internship, FE 300-301, supervised field experience while not in residence at the Seminary.
The World Religions Course
Every candidate for the M.Div. degree must complete a three-point course in World Religions, chosen from courses listed with the prefix WR. Some of these courses may also be found elsewhere in the catalog under a different course number. (For example, WR 499 may also be offered as CH 499 in the Historical Field or EC 499 in the Theological Field of the curriculum.) Such cross-listed courses may be used to fulfill either the World Religions requirement or the field requirement, but not both.
"City" Courses
As part of Union Seminary's effort to place the M.Div. curriculum firmly in the urban and pluralistic context of New York City, each M.Div. student will be required to take six points of course work in "City" courses: CT 101 - Christianities in the City, which will explore the historical, theological and cultural contexts of selected Christian communities, and study both continuities and changes as churches have adapted to life of this world city; and CT 102 - Religions in the City, which will explore interfaith communities within New York City. The "Cities" requirement should be completed by the end of the middler year.
Electives and Program Focus
Thirty points earned in elective courses will count toward the 78 points required. These courses should not normally be taken in a given field until after progress has been made in meeting that field’s core requirements. Choosing a focus of study allows the student to concentrate in a standard area of the curriculum (e.g., New Testament or Christian Ethics) or in a special area that has been approved by the faculty as a concentration, such as Theology and the Arts or Pastoral Ministry and Theology. At least 15 of the 30 elective points are to be related to the Program Focus.
The particulars of a specialization are outlined in "Program Templates" which are developed by the faculty to guide students and advisors in organizing such programs of study. Insert Program Focus link.
Seniors may take two elective courses for R (reading) credit. Courses taken to meet field requirements may not be taken for R credit. The two R-credit courses usually total four to six points. Instructors shall state the conditions on which R credit will be granted, but in almost every case R credit requires regular attendance and completion of the course reading assignments, but something less than the full written work load required for regular credit in a course. R credit should therefore be taken when the student is doing the most concentrated work on the senior thesis, usually in the second semester.
A Thesis or Senior Project or Additional Elective Courses
In the senior year, the candidate will elect one of the following options: (a) six points for a thesis or a senior project, or (b) six additional points from elective courses. The student will declare the option chosen for fulfilling this final six-point requirement during the first semester of the senior year. Obviously, the means for completing this final requirement—thesis, senior project, or courses—is best considered in advance of registration, perhaps most usefully in the latter part of the student’s middler year.
If the thesis option is chosen, the thesis subject must be reported to the Registrar by November 1 in the senior year. The student obtains the approval of two faculty members: one who agrees to serve as thesis advisor/first reader and a second reader. (The first reader is not necessarily the same professor who serves as the student’s program advisor, but must be a member of the faculty.) The thesis will be due on April 1. The thesis or senior project is normally completed in the second semester. However, a senior may elect to complete the thesis or senior project in the fall semester and should consult the registrar for appropriate due dates.
If the option of a senior project is chosen, the subject and a brief description of the scope of the project must be reported to the Registrar by November 1, after it has been approved by the members of the faculty who have agreed to supervise the project. (This faculty approval corresponds to the role of "first" and "second" reader in the case of a thesis.) A senior project may invoke a range of possibilities, different from the research essay indicated by the thesis option. (Some examples are art exhibit, performance, play-writing, musical composition.) The idea for, and the shape of, a student’s senior project must, of course, be accepted by the faculty member who agrees to primarily direct the student’s work. The requirements of the project, and of the faculty member’s expectations of the project, will be established for the individual student’s case at that time and will always include a written element of approximately 12-20 pages. Like the thesis, a senior project must be completed by April 1. At that time it will be evaluated by the primary faculty supervisor and the second professor who has agreed to serve on the project.
If the option to complete elective courses is chosen, six points of full regular credit (i.e. not R credit) must be earned by the student in classroom courses of the Seminary (i.e., CPE or a Field Education Internship will not satisfy this requirement).
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