Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) equips men and women to engage in gospel-centered leadership roles, such as pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, teaching, and missions. As the M.Div. is the most recognizable seminary degree in the United States, it presents graduates with the greatest number of open doors for ministry opportunities and serves as a requirement for ordination for some Christian denominations. M.Div. training is often a requirement for admission to doctoral programs that focus on ministry or theology.

What makes the Western Seminary M.Div. unique?

• An emphasis on gospel-centrality for spiritual formation, theological understanding, and ministry practice
• Students create their own statement of faith, rather than adopting the seminary’s doctrinal position
• Four semesters of Mentored Field Ministry, experiencing challenge and success in serving real people, all under the supervision of an seasoned ministry practitioner
• Specialized training in Hebrew and Greek languages through one of two tracks:
  1. Traditional to acquire full comprehension of the language
  2. Functional to utilize software tools to aid in translation and exegesis

M.Div. Curriculum

View courses and course descriptions

Flexible Scheduling

The M.Div. may be completed in three years’ time through conventional courses on any of our campuses. Students who live at a distance may also complete their training without the need to relocate or leave their ministry context through the following scheduling options, though their completion timeframe may be extended:

Admission Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited undergraduate institution
• A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher
• A completed application for admission and all admissions materials

If an applicant does not meet one of these requirements, we invite them to contact an enrollment counselor to explore alternative admission options.