Master of Divinity (Residential)

Program Code: D-DIV-MDV
Degree Designation: Master of Divinity
Department: Divinity School
Website: divinity.duke.edu/academics/mdiv

Program Summary

The faculty of Duke Divinity School views the curriculum as not static but dynamic; constantly endeavors to review the curriculum as a whole and to tailor individual courses to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world; and periodically commits itself to overall curricular change.

This degree program is structured to elicit a positive response to (1) the challenge to provide an adequate professional education for ministry; (2) the needed variability of ministries in today’s complex world; (3) the norms of university education; and (4) Christian traditions.

Aims of the Curriculum

Through study and engagement within this program, students will be able to do the following:

• Read and exegete Scripture and the great texts of the Christian tradition for the purpose of preaching and teaching the gospel with clarity, power, and reverence.

• Think theologically and critically about the doctrines and practices of the church and about the world in which the church finds itself, in ways that are both faithful to the historic ecclesial traditions and responsive to the challenges of our time.

• Gain clarity on vocational aspirations as they relate to serving the church, academy, and world.

• Cultivate habits of spiritual disciplines to sustain a Christian life ordered toward holiness, justice, peace, and reconciliation.

• Act with compassion and effectiveness in leading Christian ministries of worship, preaching, education, and formation in service to and transformation of the world.

Current Dual Degree Programs

The Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work Dual Degree Program. For full-time students, the program can be completed in four continuous years of full-time study (instead of five years) and leads to a Master of Divinity degree conferred by Duke University and a Master of Social Work degree conferred by UNC-CH. For students in the 3-Year MSW program at the SSW, the program can be completed in five years instead of six. For students in the Advanced Standing MSW program, the program can be completed in four years. Completion of the dual-degree requires strict adherence to course sequence and curriculum design. The program cannot be shortened significantly by taking courses in summer session at either school.

A customized course of study allows students to start the program at either school, with slightly different paradigms governing the course of study in each case. The core curriculum of each degree must be completed at each institution. Students will be expected to be full-time during this program. Students may not transfer credits from other seminaries toward the Master of Divinity portion of this program. Students who are enrolled in either program may apply to the dual degree program after they have started at either school. MDiv students interested in pursuing the MDiv/MSW dual degree after matriculating into the MDiv program must make application, receive acceptance, and declare their participation in the MDiv/MSW dual degree program by April 1 of their first year.

The program is designed to prepare individuals for positions of leadership and service in the social agencies of the church and the community at large. The program equips graduates for various forms of ministry and service in which clinical and administrative skills in social work and theology are critical.

Two integrative seminars (PASTCARE 761 and 809) offered at Duke Divinity School are taken in the first and final year of study. The capstone course in the final year is co-led by a member of the University of North Carolina Social Work faculty and a member of the Duke Divinity School faculty. These seminars enable the student to integrate theological, biblical, theoretical, ethical, pastoral, social justice, empirical, and practical dimensions of social work. Additionally, students receive intentional formation in MDiv/MSW group gatherings multiple times throughout the academic year.

Academic Advisors. A dual degree student is assigned an academic advisor in each school who also serves as a program advisor for the academic/ administrative needs of the program. It is expected that ongoing collaboration will occur between academic advisors in the two schools.

To that end, students will sign a FERPA release form to allow the sharing of educational records between Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Accreditation. Duke Divinity School is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools. The UNC School of Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The Master of Divinity and Master of Public Policy Dual Degree Program. The MDiv/MPP degree is designed to prepare individuals for positions of leadership, service, and advocacy in nonprofit organizations, government, and in the wider community. The program equips graduates to serve as influencers of positive change on pressing issues around the globe. The MDiv/MPP program can be completed in four continuous years of full-time study (instead of five years) and leads to a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and a Master of Public Policy degree at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Those interested in dual-degree programs are required to pursue admission to each school independently, and upon successful admission to both programs, are enrolled as dual-degree students. The core curriculum of each degree must be completed at each institution. Students spend the first two years at Duke Divinity School and the third year at the Sanford School of Public Policy. The final year is a blended year at both schools.

Academic Requirements

• Core Courses (complete all)

  • OLDTEST 752 (Old Testament Interpretation I)

  • OLDTEST 753 (Old Testament Interpretation II)

  • NEWTEST 754 (New Testament Interpretation)

  • CHURHST 750 (Early and Medieval Christianity)

  • XTIANTHE 755 (Christian Theology)

  • CHURHST 751 (Early Modern and Modern Christianity)

  • XTIANETH 757 (Christian Ethics)

  • AMXTIAN 756 (American Christianity)

  • PREACHNG 758 (Introduction to Christian Preaching)

• Spiritual Formation (complete two)

  • CHURMIN 700 (Spiritual Formation Groups)

  • CHURMIN 701 (Spiritual Formation Groups)

  • CHURMIN 704 (Anglican Spiritual Formation)

• Field Education (complete all)

  • FIELDEDU 520 (First Field Education/MDVR)

  • Options for second unit of FE (complete any)

    • FIELDEDU 521 (Second Field Education/MDVR)

    • FIELDEDU 530 (International Field Education/MDVR)

    • CPE

      • CPE 510 (Level One Clinical Pastoral Education)

      • Extended Unit CPE: Repeat CPE 520 at least 2 times

• Black Church Studies Limited Elective (complete any)

  • AMXTIAN 811 (Pentecostalism)

  • BCS 760 (Theology in the Black Church Traditions)

  • BCS 761 (The Black Church in America)

  • BCS 763 (The Ethical and Political Thought of Martin Luther King, Jr.)

  • BCS 767 (Christianity, Race, and the American Nation)

  • BCS 805 (African Americans and the Bible)

  • BCS 806 (Segregated Sundays: Church, Race, Class, and Caste)

  • BCS 825 (Religion and the Civil Rights Movement)

  • CHURHST 825 (Religion and the Civil Rights Movement)

  • LTS 802 (Worship in African American Church Tradition)

  • XTIANTHE 842 (Womanist Theological Ethics)

  • Additional courses taken in certain terms may count

• Church Ministry Limited Elective (complete any)

  • AMXTIAN 801 (Donald Trump, TV Preachers, and the American Prosperity Gospel)

  • CHURMIN 760 (Introduction to the Ministry of Preaching)

  • CHURMIN 761 (Introduction to Christian Ministry: Ordained Leadership)

  • CHURMIN 762 (The Love of God and Neighbor)

  • CHURMIN 763 (The Holy Spirit and Ministry)

  • HISTTHEO 811 (History of Hell)

  • LTS 731 (The Church Year)

  • LTS 735 (Christian Nationalism and Worship)

  • LTS 804 (The Role and Function of Music in Corporate Worship)

  • PARISH 719 (Restorative Justice, Prison Ministry, and the Church)

  • PARISH 770 (Forming Disciples in Wesleyan Tradition)

  • PARISH 773 (Presbyterian Polity, Worship and Sacraments)

  • PARISH 776 (Local Church in Mission to God's World)

  • PARISH 784 (The Book of Common Prayer and the Principles of Anglican Worship)

  • PARISH 809 (Restorative Justice, Prison Ministry, and the Church)

  • PASTCARE 761 (Introduction to the Ministry of Social Work)

  • PASTCARE 762 (Introduction to Issues in Cross-Cultural Pastoral Care and Counseling)

  • SPIRIT 760 (Introduction to Christian Spirituality)

  • WXTIAN 764 (God's Ministry of Reconciliation: Explorations in Missiology and Ecclesiology)

  • XTIANEDU 713 (Christian Formation in Congregations and Communities)

  • XTIANEDU 760 (Introduction to the Education of Christians)

  • XTIANEDU 765 (Education for Creation Care)

  • XTIANETH 760 (Sexuality: Bible, Church, and Controversy)

  • XTIANETH 761 (Health Care in Theological Context I)

  • XTIANTHE 725 (Christian Vocation)

  • XTIANTHE 773 (Introduction to Theology and the Arts)

  • Additional courses taken in certain terms may count

• Practicing Theology in Ministry (complete any)

  • AMXTIAN 760 (North Carolina Christianity)

  • AMXTIAN 801 (Donald Trump, TV Preachers, and the American Prosperity Gospel)

  • AMXTIAN 811 (Pentecostalism)

  • CHURHST 764 (Becoming Divine: A History of Eastern Orthodoxy)

  • CHURHST 803 (The History of Biblical Interpretation: From Medieval to Modern Times)

  • CHURHST 810 (Death, Grief, and Consolation, Ancient and Modern)

  • CHURHST 819 (The Body in Early Christian Thought and Practice)

  • CHURHST 821 (Worship History for Worship Renewal)

  • CHURHST 822 (Heresies and Heretics)

  • CHURHST 823 (Theological Assessment of Worship Song Lyrics)

  • CHURMIN 762 (The Love of God and Neighbor)

  • HISTTHEO 800 (The Theology of the Alexandrian School)

  • HISTTHEO 801 (Augustine)

  • HISTTHEO 803 (Luther and the Reformation in Germany)

  • HISTTHEO 809 (Eros and Epectasy: From Plato to Ps-Dionysius)

  • HISTTHEO 810 (Christology before Nicaea)

  • HISTTHEO 811 (History of Hell)

  • HISTTHEO 956 (The Theology of the Cappadocians)

  • LTS 730 (Introduction to Christian Worship)

  • LTS 733 (Planning Contemporary Worship)

  • LTS 742 (The Art and Craft of Public Proclamation)

  • LTS 763 (Planning Contemporary Worship)

  • LTS 801 (Worship History for Worship Renewal)

  • LTS 806 (Preaching on the Sacraments: Patristic Imitation)

  • LTS 807 (Theological Assessment of Worship Song Lyrics)

  • LTS 808 (Teaching Worship)

  • LTS 830 (Survey of Christian Hymnody)

  • NEWTEST 774 (Proclaiming the Parables)

  • NEWTEST 783 (Hope for Creation?: An Exilic Perspective)

  • NEWTEST 800 (Bible Study Programs for the Local Church)

  • NEWTEST 813 (Paul & the Person)

  • NEWTEST 814 (The Bible & Domestic Violence)

  • NEWTEST 816 (Exegesis of the Infancy Narratives (English))

  • OLDTEST 766 (Biblical Prayer)

  • OLDTEST 768 (Old Testament Wisdom)

  • OLDTEST 783 (Hope for Creation?: An Exilic Perspective)

  • OLDTEST 804 (Biblical Perspectives on Prophecy)

  • OLDTEST 808 (The Bible & Domestic Violence)

  • OLDTEST 810 (Preaching the Psalms)

  • PARISH 750A (The Anglican Tradition)

  • PARISH 759 (Missio Ecclesiae: God's Mission of Evangelism)

  • PARISH 760 (Food, Eating, and the Life of Faith)

  • PARISH 769 (The Pastoral Responsibility for Leadership and Administration)

  • PARISH 776 (Local Church in Mission to God's World)

  • PARISH 780 (The Missional Church and Evangelism)

  • PARISH 784 (The Book of Common Prayer and the Principles of Anglican Worship)

  • PARISH 785 (Anglican Spiritual Thought)

  • PARISH 787 (Power, Inequality, and Reconciliation)

  • PARISH 791 (Principles and Methods of Intercultural Leadership)

  • PARISH 792 (Cultivating Thriving Communities)

  • PARISH 800 (Women and Spiritual Memoir)

  • PARISH 806 (Caring for Creation)

  • PARISH 807 (The Theology and Spirituality of Place)

  • PARISH 808 (Agrarian Theology for an Urban World)

  • PARISH 809 (Restorative Justice, Prison Ministry, and the Church)

  • PARISH 812 (Listening Together: Christians and Muslims Reading Scriptures)

  • PARISH 813 (Introduction to Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations)

  • PARISH 815 (Women in Ministry)

  • PARISH 818 (Ministry with Millennials)

  • PARISH 819 (Disunity in Christ: Difference, Conflict, and Resolution in the Church)

  • PASTCARE 760 (Introduction to Pastoral Theology and Care)

  • PASTCARE 765 (Pastoral Care through Anxiety and Depression)

  • PASTCARE 766 (Ministry and Care in the Contexts of Displacement and Loss)

  • PASTCARE 778 (Death, Dying, and Bereavement)

  • PASTCARE 779 (Christian Approaches to Mental Health Care)

  • PASTCARE 804 (Theology and Trauma)

  • PASTCARE 805 (Suffering and Dying in Cross-cultural Contexts)

  • PASTCARE 807 (Marriage and Family)

  • PASTCARE 809 (MDIV/MSW Capstone Seminar: Moving the Church Toward Social Action)

  • PASTCARE 810 (Theology, Mental Health and Human Flourishing)

  • PASTCARE 812 (Discipleship and Disability)

  • PASTCARE 813 (The Disabled Church)

  • PASTCARE 860 (Advanced Pastoral Care for Chaplaincy)

  • PREACHNG 742 (The Art and Craft of Public Proclamation)

  • PREACHNG 760 (Preaching and the Church Year)

  • PREACHNG 762 (Proclaiming the Parables)

  • PREACHNG 770 (Theology in Preaching)

  • PREACHNG 781 (The Overshadowed Preacher: Body and Spirit in Sermon Performance)

  • PREACHNG 782 (Cross Cultural Preaching)

  • PREACHNG 783 (Hope for Creation?: An Exilic Perspective)

  • PREACHNG 801 (Preaching at the End of the World: Proclaiming Paul's Apocalyptic Gospel)

  • PREACHNG 802 (Principalities, Powers, and Preaching)

  • PREACHNG 803 (Proclamation for a Virtual Reality)

  • PREACHNG 804 (History of Preaching)

  • PREACHNG 806 (Preaching with Barth)

  • PREACHNG 810 (Preaching the Psalms)

  • PREACHNG 811 (Latin American Preaching Traditions)

  • PREACHNG 820 (Approaches to Anti-Racist Proclamation: Theologies and Practices)

  • WXTIAN 811 (Journeys of Reconciliation)

  • WXTIAN 817 (The Missions Theology of the Orthodox Church)

  • WXTIAN 844 (Equipped for Witness: Spirituality and Evangelism in the Eastern Church)

  • XTIANEDU 766 (Worship and Christian Formation)

  • XTIANEDU 770 (Baptism and Faith Formation)

  • XTIANEDU 800 (Bible Study Programs for the Local Church)

  • XTIANEDU 804 (Eating Together Faithfully: Education for Christian Foodways)

  • XTIANETH 760 (Sexuality: Bible, Church, and Controversy)

  • XTIANETH 763 (Health Care in Theological Context II)

  • XTIANETH 805 (Sex, Gender, and Discipleship)

  • XTIANETH 811 (Happiness, the Life of Virtue, and Friendship)

  • XTIANETH 813 (Listen, Organize, Act: Churches, Politics, and Community Transformation)

  • XTIANTHE 760 (The Free Church)

  • XTIANTHE 761 (Free Church Theology)

  • XTIANTHE 762 (Reformed Theologies)

  • XTIANTHE 773 (Introduction to Theology and the Arts)

  • XTIANTHE 779 (Introduction to Latinx Theology)

  • XTIANTHE 812 (The Doctrine of Creation and Theological Anthropology)

  • XTIANTHE 813 (Leadership and Discipleship)

  • XTIANTHE 815 (Theology and Music)

  • XTIANTHE 816 (The Doctrine of the Trinity)

  • XTIANTHE 817 (Spirit, Worship, and Mission)

  • XTIANTHE 952 (Slavery and Obedience)

• New Testament Exegesis (complete any)

  • NEWTEST 770 (Exegesis of the English New Testament)

  • NEWTEST 770A (Acts)

  • NEWTEST 770C (I Corinthians)

  • NEWTEST 770D (1 Peter)

  • NEWTEST 770G (Galatians)

  • NEWTEST 770H (Hebrews)

  • NEWTEST 770I (James)

  • NEWTEST 770J (The Gospel and Epistles of John)

  • NEWTEST 770L (Luke)

  • NEWTEST 770PP (Philippians/Philemon)

  • NEWTEST 770R (Romans)

  • NEWTEST 770V (Revelation)

  • NEWTEST 771 (New Testament Bodies)

  • NEWTEST 774 (Proclaiming the Parables)

  • NEWTEST 801 (Church and Ministry in the New Testament)

  • NEWTEST 802 (Judaism and Christianity: Ancient Roots and Modern Perspectives)

  • NEWTEST 808 (The Paul Program: Mission, Community & Inclusion according to the Apostle Paul)

  • NEWTEST 811 (Race and Gender in Paul)

  • NEWTEST 813 (Paul & the Person)

  • NEWTEST 816 (Exegesis of the Infancy Narratives (English))

  • NEWTEST 817 (The Old Testament in the New)

  • NEWTEST 819 (New Testament Christology)

  • NEWTEST 870A (Acts)

  • NEWTEST 870C (I Corinthians)

  • NEWTEST 870D (1 Peter)

  • NEWTEST 870E (Ephesians)

  • NEWTEST 870G (Galatians)

  • NEWTEST 870H (Exegesis of the Greek New Testament II: Hebrews)

  • NEWTEST 870J (The Gospel and Epistles of John)

  • NEWTEST 870K (Mark)

  • NEWTEST 870L (Luke)

  • NEWTEST 870M (Matthew)

  • NEWTEST 870R (Romans)

  • NEWTEST 870S (The Resurrection Narratives)

  • NEWTEST 870Z (Colossians)

  • NEWTEST 954 (Studies in Pauline Theology)

  • NEWTEST 958 (Pauline Biography)

  • NEWTEST 959 (Advanced Greek Grammar and Reading)

  • Additional courses taken in certain terms may count

• World Christianity (complete any)

  • CHURHST 763 (History of the Crusades)

  • CHURHST 818 (Byzantium and Islam: Eastern Perspectives)

  • HISTREL 889 (Religion, Restrictions, and Violence)

  • OLDTEST 807 (Reading(s) for Our Lives: Contemporary African Biblical Interpretations)

  • PARISH 774 (Local Polity, Global Vision: The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion)

  • PARISH 776 (Local Church in Mission to God's World)

  • PARISH 791 (Principles and Methods of Intercultural Leadership)

  • PARISH 813 (Introduction to Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations)

  • PARISH 816 (The Qur'an: An Introduction in the Context of Christian-Muslim Encounter)

  • PASTCARE 807 (Marriage and Family)

  • PREACHNG 775 (Preaching Place: The Challenge and Promise of a Global Gospel)

  • PREACHNG 782 (Cross Cultural Preaching)

  • PREACHNG 811 (Latin American Preaching Traditions)

  • RELIGION 889 (Religion, Restrictions, and Violence)

  • SPIRIT 800 (The Spirituality of the Eastern Church)

  • WXTIAN 760 (World Christianity in America)

  • WXTIAN 764 (God's Ministry of Reconciliation: Explorations in Missiology and Ecclesiology)

  • WXTIAN 765 (World Christianity, Contemporary Politics, and Responses to Poverty)

  • WXTIAN 766 (Being the Church)

  • WXTIAN 767 (Introduction to Latin American Theology)

  • WXTIAN 778 (Global Readings of Scripture for Christian Ministry)

  • WXTIAN 784 (Introduction to Asian American Theology)

  • WXTIAN 803 (Beyond Borders: Latin American, Latino, and Hispanic Theologies)

  • WXTIAN 806 (Contextualization of the Gospel: An Orthodox Perspective)

  • WXTIAN 807 (The Nation State and Theology in Africa)

  • WXTIAN 811 (Journeys of Reconciliation)

  • WXTIAN 813 (American Foreign Missions and Chinese Christianity)

  • WXTIAN 814 (Protestantism and the Making of Modern China)

  • WXTIAN 815 (Modern Christianity Outside The West)

  • WXTIAN 816 (Christianity's Encounter with Other Religions and Cultures: The Case of East Asia)

  • WXTIAN 817 (The Missions Theology of the Orthodox Church)

  • WXTIAN 818 (Pioneers in World Christianity)

  • WXTIAN 844 (Equipped for Witness: Spirituality and Evangelism in the Eastern Church)

  • WXTIAN 845 (Foundations of Conflict Transformation: Theology, Theory and Practice)

  • WXTIAN 874 (Asian American Identity, Community, and Christian Discipleship)

  • XTIANTHE 780 (Recent Catholic Theology: Movements and Figures)

  • XTIANTHE 808 (Feminist Theology)

  • XTIANTHE 819 (Readings in Lesslie Newbigin's Theology)

  • XTIANTHE 822 (Theology of Las Casas)

  • XTIANTHE 828 (Readings in Eastern Orthodox Theology)

  • XTIANTHE 837 (Christianity and Democracy: A Theological Exploration)

  • XTIANTHE 843 (Theologies of Liberation in the US)

  • XTIANTHE 849 (Pneumatology: Global Perspectives on the Holy Spirit)

  • XTIANTHE 874 (Asian American Identity, Community, and Christian Discipleship)

  • XTIANTHE 952 (Slavery and Obedience)

  • Additional courses taken in certain terms may count

• Senior Portfolio  

• Middler Portfolio

The Basic Curriculum General Description

Graduation requirements for the Master of Divinity degree consist of satisfactory completion of twenty-four courses (units), with an overall grade point average of C (2.0) or better: nine foundational courses or their equivalent; five limited electives; ten electives; two units of approved field education; and four evaluations.

The basic curriculum provides for core courses in biblical, historical, theological, and ministerial studies representative of the tradition and regarded as indispensable background for subsequent elective work and individual program information. These required courses total nine of the twenty-four courses necessary for graduation. They are OLDTEST 752 and 753, NEWTEST 754, CHURHST 750 and 751, AMXTIAN 756, XTIANTHE 755, XTIANETH 757, and PREACHNG 758. The opportunity for advanced standing adds further variability to the academic program, depending on the nature and quality of the student’s undergraduate academic work.

At least one course must be selected from each of the five designated lists of offerings in advanced Church Ministry, Black Church Studies, World Christianity, New Testament exegesis, and Practicing Theology in Ministry. Ten courses are available for working out an individualized program of studies leading to specialized preparation in academic depth and to professional ministerial competence.

Required courses may be staffed by one or more instructors and are planned to treat subject matter both in scope and depth at the graduate level.

The formulation of the student’s course of studies is guided by certain broad but normative recommendations for the area distribution of courses and by the advice and counsel of appointed academic advisors or authorized directors. Students and advisors are directed to read diligently the paragraphs on elective studies and professional aims and distribution of elective studies in the section on Administration of the Curriculum.

All academic programs are subject to review and emendation by the dean and the academic dean for the fulfillment of the aims of the curriculum. The declared vocational and professional objective of the student is of central importance both to the student and to the academic advisor in planning the student’s comprehensive study program.

Six semesters of residential study are ordinarily required for the completion of the degree. The normal academic load is four courses (units) per semester. With permission of the academic dean, certified non-Duke study, generally not exceeding the equivalent of eight courses, may be permitted to a candidate for the basic degree. A student with demonstrated competence may, with the consent of the academic advisor and the academic dean, enroll for an additional course as an overload. To be eligible for an overload, typically a student must have completed one semester, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 or higher, and not be in an academic year field education placement. Students are allowed three course overloads. No student may have more than three course overloads.

General Features of the Basic Curriculum

The following is a brief summary of the basic curriculum:

• Twenty-four courses (units) and six or more semesters of residency are required for graduation. A normal academic load is four courses per semester.

• Students who have any employment, family, or other commitments may seek a flexible pathway to complete their degree over four years. Students should elect this at application or can seek it anytime during their academic career via consultation with the Office of Academic Programs.

• Each student is required to complete two approved assignments in field education (with or without remuneration) under supervision. Such assignments might include an internship, a summer of full-time work, two semesters of part-time work, or involvement in church or community service. The essential criteria for graduation credits are that the amount and quality of supervision be approved by the Office of Field Education, and that the student be required to evaluate and correlate the experience directly.

• Each student is required to attend and participate in an approved spiritual formation program during their first year of study; and

• The completion of assessment portfolios is to be reviewed by academic advisors at the mid-point of study and just before graduation.

Admission to candidacy for the Master of Divinity degree is admission to the regular program of studies. The recommended paradigm defines the normal sequence of the student’s developing program. Students enrolled for less than three courses (units) are considered part-time and are not eligible for institutional financial aid.

Evaluation/Self-Evaluation

The successful completion of the residential MDiv degree program rests upon four components: (1) grades; (2) spiritual formation; (3) field education; and (4) advisor evaluations of the student portfolio. Grades are assigned for each course credit and are explained in more detail in an earlier section. Evaluation of spiritual formation and field education begins with self-evaluations by each student. A self-evaluation prepared by the student is considered by the spiritual formation leader and field education supervisor/lay committee. An evaluation of the student’s learning is then completed by the spiritual formation leader and field education supervisor and lay supervision committee. The self-evaluations and evaluations are included in the fourth component of the evaluation process.

The fourth component of the evaluation process, academic advisor evaluations of the student portfolio, occurs twice during the MDiv degree program. The middler review of the student portfolio follows the first year of study (or completion of eight course credits, spiritual formation, and at least one field education unit). The senior review of the student portfolio occurs during the student's last term. The advisor evaluations consider the student’s portfolio in light of curricular aims. The student’s portfolio is compiled over the duration of the degree program and includes self-evaluations, sample writing assignments, and evaluations from spiritual formation, field education, and coursework.

Aggregate feedback along with other direct and indirect means of discernment are considered annually by the curriculum committee and faculty of Duke Divinity School for the purpose of assessing and revising degree programs. For further information and guidelines related to the plans for assessment of degree programs, see the website at divinity.duke.edu/academics.

Information from the portfolio is protected by the statutes concerning privacy and confidentiality. Only aggregate and summarized information is shared by the Divinity School to any extra-university party. The evaluation is a graduation requirement that must be satisfied as any other requirement. Students who require significant additional work as judged by the evaluator will have to complete that work prior to graduation.

Student Pastors (MDV4)

Students in candidacy for the Master of Divinity degree who serve as full-time pastors or who have a comparable workload or commitments outside the Divinity School and are approved as a student pastor are advised that their degree program will require a fourth academic term. They are classified in Duke Hub as MDV4 with an SP subplan.

For student pastors, modification of a four-year schedule requires the approval of the academic dean on the recommendation of the director of field education. The following are policies and procedures pertaining to student pastors:

• Students with pastoral charges or comparable extracurricular responsibilities ordinarily will enroll for no more than three courses.

• Students who accept pastoral charges in their middler or senior year are required to have the prior approval of the director of field education. Such students will be required to restrict their coursework in accordance with the regulation above.

• Modifications of these regulations will be scrupulously administered. Academic achievement, normally a B average, must be demonstrated before any modification of these requirements is allowed. Because adequate indication of the student’s academic proficiency is not available before the completion of the first academic year, no modification of the first regulation above is possible for junior students.

• Students who secure minor employment outside the channels of the Office of Field Education are required to inform the director of field education. Students carrying outside employment will be advised to limit their academic load.

• Ordinarily, a student may not commute more than fifty miles (one way). Students living farther away than this will be required to stay in Durham, North Carolina, during the academic week.

• Student assistant pastors (not pastors-in-charge) may enroll for a full academic load if they are not on a limited program if their work is under the supervision of the director of field education, and if their field duties involve no more than fifteen hours per week.

Continuation Requirements

The progress of all students is reviewed at the end of every semester by the Academic Policies Committee. The following are the continuation requirements for students enrolled in the residential MDiv degree program:

• The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. If a student falls below this level, the student may, at the discretion of the academic dean, be dismissed, placed on an involuntary leave of absence, or asked to participate in a limited program. This means that the student may enroll in no more than three courses.

• At the end of the second semester, the student on a limited program who does not attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 is dismissed. In exceptional cases, a student who shows substantial improvement in the second semester but does not quite attain a GPA of 2.0 may be given a third semester to do so.

• The student must demonstrate progress in the program by completing courses. A student who has three or more unresolved incompletes or a pattern of multiple withdrawals or leaves may, at the discretion of the academic dean, be dismissed, placed on an involuntary leave of absence until the incomplete work is resolved, or asked to participate in a limited program.

The residential MDiv degree must be completed within six years (twelve semesters). The minimum time in which a degree can be completed is three years (six semesters).

To be classified as full-time, a student must be enrolled in three or more courses in a semester.

Study Abroad

Study abroad, with transferable credit toward graduation, may be allowed for a candidate for the Master of Divinity degree by approval of the academic dean. A strong academic record is a prerequisite. Ordinarily, permission for such study may be granted to students who have completed the work of the middler year. Both the institution abroad and a specific course of study proposed must have the prior approval of the academic dean. Required courses and the two field education units should usually be completed at Duke.

Ordination Requirements

Students preparing for ordination are strongly advised to ascertain early in their seminary program the precise ordination requirements of their denomination.

UMC students must fulfill educational requirements in the discipline by completing the year-long course on Methodist doctrine, history, and polity (PARISH 777 and 778);  one course in worship (LTS 730) or approved elective; plus one course in evangelism and one course in mission. Some annual conferences also require one or more courses in preaching, pastoral care, and/or clinical pastoral education.

Students from other denominations should consult with their appropriate church bodies for specific requirements, which may include biblical languages. Polity courses for certain other denominations may be offered from time to time by faculty members or local clergy on prior request.

Recommended Curricular Paradigms

Although tailored to meet the needs and requirements of residential MDiv students with different trajectories (e.g., UMC and student pastors), the following paradigms all share the same core requirements (listed in bold): OLDTEST 752 and 753, NEWTEST 754, CHURHST 750 and 751, AMXTIAN 756, XTIANTHE 755, XTIANETH 757, and PREACHNG 758; and the same limited electives (listed in italics): one church ministry course, one Black Church studies course, one New Testament exegesis course, one world Christianity course, and one practicing theology in ministry course (courses offered under the rubric of this elective will focus on the practice of theology in today’s contemporary setting: i.e., on the reflective application or embodiment of theology in shaping communities of faith).

Although it is not required, students are encouraged to take the Greek and Hebrew language sequences (NEWTEST 760, 761; OLDTEST 760, 761) and a Greek or Hebrew exegesis course.

All MDiv students are also required to complete Spiritual Formation requirements in their first year, as well as two units of approved field education either during the academic year or in the summer. (For student pastors this requirement is satisfied in student pastorates.)

The Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work Dual Degree Program

Requirements for the MDiv

In the dual degree program, four courses (twelve credit hours) are shared between the two degrees, reducing the number of courses required for the Master of Divinity degree from twenty-four to twenty (sixty credit hours)—nineteen for the advanced standing program. Because of these reduced required hours and the addition of two integrative electives unique to the dual degree, the dual degree allows for only six true MDiv electives (and only one or none for UMC). Students who are seeking ordination must receive permission from their respective judicatories to enroll in the dual degree program.

The core requirements for the MDiv portion of the dual degree are the same as those for the regular MDiv degree, with the following exception: the MDiv/MSW integrative capstone elective serves as the required Practicing Theology in Ministry limited elective. Also, one of the two required field education placements must be in a congregational setting. More detailed information regarding requirements for the MDiv/MSW degree is available on the Duke Divinity School intranet.

Requirements for the MSW

For information related to the requirements of the MSW degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, interested dual degree students should contact the University of North Carolina School of Social Work. More detailed information is available at ssw.unc.edu/academics/dual-degree-programs/dual-degree-program-divinity.

MDiv/MSW Curricular Paradigm

Efficiency of the dual degree requires strict adherence to course sequence and the curriculum as designed. The program cannot be shortened significantly by taking courses in summer session at either school. If students wish to pursue a biblical language as part of their MDiv degree, they must take the language in the summer.