Coursework
- Course Requirements
- Advanced Standing
- Transfer Units
- Additional Degree Requirements
- Frequently Asked Questions
Course Requirements
The Master of Divinity program requires 90 units of coursework comprising 20 units of biblical studies, 20 units of theology and ethics, 20 units of ministry studies, 10 units in the professional block, 4 units of a biblical language (which may by waived for students who have completed a year of undergraduate Hebrew or Greek), and 16–20 units of electives.
The Masters of Divinity program is available with an emphasis in Anglican Studies or Biblical Studies.
| Biblical Language Requirement | 4 units | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students who have completed one year of undergraduate Hebrew or Greek with a grade of B or better may waive this requirement. The requirement may be filled with either GBBL 500 Elements of Greek Exegesis, GBBL 530 Hebrew I and GBBL 540 Hebrew II, or GBBL 510 New Testament Greek I and GBBL 520 New Testament Greek II. | |||||||||||
| Biblical Studies Core Courses | 20 units | ||||||||||
GBBL 511 Seminar in Biblical Interpretation | 4 | ||||||||||
GBBL 512 The Gospels’ Witness to Christ | 4 | ||||||||||
GBBL 521 People of God | 4 | ||||||||||
GBBL 531 Kingdom of God* | 4 | ||||||||||
GBBL 532 Paul the Apostle and Theologian | 4 | ||||||||||
| Theology and Ethics Core Courses | 20 units | ||||||||||
GTHE 504 God, Creation, and Humanity | 4 | ||||||||||
GTHE 513 History of the Modern Church | 4 | ||||||||||
GTHE 514 Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Church | 4 | ||||||||||
GTHE 615 Church and Society | 4 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Ministry Core Courses | 20 units | ||||||||||
GMIN 507 Preaching and Worship | 4 | ||||||||||
GMIN 516 Dynamics of Christian Formation | 4 | ||||||||||
GMIN 518 Pastoral Servant Leadership | 4 | ||||||||||
GMIN 547 Foundations for Ministry Life | 4 | ||||||||||
GMIN 548 Pastoral Counseling | 4 | ||||||||||
| Professional Block Field Education | 6 units | ||||||||||
GMIN 569 Field Education in Ministry** | 1 | ||||||||||
| Philosophy of Ministry Requirement | 4 units | ||||||||||
GMIN 618 Philosophy of Ministry*** | 4 | ||||||||||
| Electives | 16–20 units | ||||||||||
| If a student takes GBBL 500, only 16 elective units are required. | |||||||||||
| APU graduate courses outside the Graduate School of Theology are allowed as electives for the M.Div. Program, provided they can be demonstrated by petition to the appropriate chair and the associate dean to apply to the preparation for pastoral ministry. Courses approved for elective credit must be graduate level and the content must substantially promote the student’s achievement of one or more of the goals of the M.Div. program. | |||||||||||
*Students may substitute GBBL 631 by petition to the department chair.
**Repeated for total of six units
***An oral exam is taken in GMIN 618.
| Total for the M.Div. | 90 units | |
|---|---|---|
Advanced Standing
- M.Div. students may petition for up to 15 units of advanced standing from upper-division undergraduate work in religion.
- The number of core courses in any department that may be replaced by advanced standing is limited to two.
- MAPS students may petition for up to 10 units of advanced standing from upper-division undergraduate work in religion.
- MA(TS) students may petition for up to 10 units of advanced standing on the basis of undergraduate biblical language study or upper-division undergraduate coursework in religion.
- MAYM students may petition for up to eight units of advanced standing from undergraduate coursework in religion.
- Prior to formal admission, the Request for Advanced Standing Petition form should be completed.
- All advanced standing examinations are administered in a proctored setting.
- Students must pass examinations for advanced standing within 12 months of their admission date. The cost for the exam is $50 per unit. If the student passes the exam(s), then he/she will not be required to pay full tuition for those units.
- A student may repeat advanced standing examinations one time without further charge.
- Courses in which a grade of B- or lower was earned may not be used for advanced standing.
- Students admitted under the exceptional category may not petition for advanced standing units.
- Undergraduate work must be from an accredited college or university.
Transfer Units
A student may petition to transfer in up to 60 units for the M.Div., less any advanced standing units (e.g., 38 units transfer and 22 units advanced standing, or any other combination totaling 60 units), up to 40 units for the MAPS and MA(TS), and up to 32 units for the MAYM, less any advanced standing units, from other regionally or ATS-accredited graduate degree programs. Units transferred are limited to one half of an earned master’s degree. A minimum of 30 units for the M.Div., 22 units for the MAPS and MA(TS), and 16 units for the MAYM must be completed at the Graduate School of Theology.
Additional Degree Requirements
Supervised Ministry
All students in the Master of Divinity program must devote at least 12 hours per week, for the duration of the degree program, to the practice of some form of supervised ministry in an approved church or parachurch field ministry center.
In order to graduate, a student must maintain a 2.7 grade-point average and pass an oral exam during the final semester of study in conjunction with the Philosophy of Ministry requirement.
Time Limit
The Master of Divinity must be completed within 10 years from the date of admission. APU coursework completed more than 10 years prior to completion of degree requirements is not acceptable toward the degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many units do I take each quarter/semester?
While there are no minimum or maximum unit requirements, 9 units is considered a full-time schedule.
How long is a semester?
Semesters generally run for 15 weeks.
How many hours does each class session require?
Both once a week classes, which last for 4 hours and 15 minutes, and twice a week classes, which run for 2 hours each, are available.
How many students will there be in my classes?
Most classes will average 15–18 students.
How many evenings per week do I attend classes?
Classes usually meet once a week, but some are offered twice a week.
