Master of Divinity

Overview of the Program

The Master of Divinity is a professional degree for persons preparing for service in ministry and church leadership, social services, a variety of chaplaincy settings, or other forms of ministry.

The program fosters students’ understanding of church and ministry in the contemporary world and students’ ability to work meaningfully and creatively in a vocation of religious leadership. It increases students’ knowledge and strengthens their ability to integrate their understanding of the various disciplines of theology and ministry with their experience of God, the church, and the world. Students completing the Master of Divinity degree at Candler will be able to:

  • Demonstrate critical knowledge of and communicate effectively about significant Christian texts, traditions, theologies, and practices.
  • Engage critically and creatively with a diverse church and world, with particular attention to ethnic, racial, cultural, religious, theological, and gender differences.
  • Articulate an understanding of their religious identity and cultivate ongoing practices of spiritual growth that promote health and wellbeing.
  • Reflect upon, reimagine, and exercise practices of leadership and ministry to address pressing issues in church and world.
  • Develop and practice skills for forming and sustaining communities of learning, mutual support, and collaboration across difference.

Curricular Requirements

Students enrolling in the Master of Divinity program must complete two required first year courses, MDIV500. Learning Community (fall) and MDIV600. MDiv First Year Spring Seminar (spring) as well as courses in Biblical Studies, History of Christianity, Systematic Theology, Ethics, Church and Society, World Religions, Practical Theology, and Contextual Education. Students will also enroll in elective courses and must enroll in at least one course designated as Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts (REGG).

Contextual Education

Contextual Education combines academic instruction with opportunities for formation in ministry and leadership in congregations, campus ministries, social service agencies, hospital and other clinical or chaplaincy settings, or in other ministry settings. Candler’s distinctive commitment to contextual theology and theological education is formalized through the four-semester sequence of Contextual Education I (500-Level) and Contextual Education II (600-Level), required for all MDiv students.

First Year Experience

Candler’s Master of Divinity program is uniquely characterized by the First Year Experience. Beginning in fall New Student Orientation, all MDiv students in their first fall semester will enroll in MDiv500. Learning Community. The course will meet in person on campus for all students during New Student Orientation week and then continue with weekly on campus meetings for students on the residential plan and online for students on the hybrid plan. The course is designed to form students in practices and methods of theological inquiry and discourse while keeping them in conversation with their deepest purposes for pursuing theological education. It will accompany them in the work of discernment around fundamental questions of identity, community, and vocation. The course also provides an opportunity to cultivate relationships with peers as well as with faculty and other mentors who will be essential learning partners during the first fall semester and beyond.

In the Spring semester of the first year, which for students who matriculate in spring will be their first semester and for students who matriculated in fall will be their second semester, students enroll in MDiv600. MDiv First Year Spring Seminar. Spring Seminars are integrative, theologically interdisciplinary, thematically focused first-year courses taught by faculty from different curricular areas. Each of these courses is designed to foster interdisciplinary engagement and extended conversation around a particular theme that matters for theological education—themes such as discipleship, justice, mission, prayer, migration, story, and creation. This course serves as a curricular center of gravity, cultivating small learning communities that support and nurture theological formation while allowing students, including those who enter the MDiv program for the first time in a Spring semester, to explore their own motivating questions.

First year students also participate in required extra-curricular advising group meetings led by a faculty advisor during their first semester. Details about these meetings are provided around the time of New Student Orientation for the student’s entering semester.

Concentrations

The selection of an optional concentration can allow students to give their degree added focus and depth beyond introductory level courses in an area that is of particular interest to the student. Students may choose a concentration in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students who wish to declare a concentration must do so by the end of their first year in the program (or by the time they have completed 24 hours for those pursuing the program on a part-time basis). Concentrations normally consist of at least 12 hours and may require prerequisites.

Concentrations for the 2023-2024 academic year are:

  • Catholic Studies
  • Chaplaincy
  • Formation and Witness
  • Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation
  • Leadership in Church and Community
  • Religion and Race
  • Scripture and Interpretation
  • Society and Personality
  • Theology and the Arts
  • Theology and Ethics
  • Traditions of the Church
  • World Christianity

More detailed information on concentrations can be requested from the Candler Registrar.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the MDiv degree, a candidate must complete the following requirements:

Credit Hours

Credit Hours and Time To Degree

The 72-credit hour curriculum is structured to be completed in three or four years of study; the maximum length of time allowed to complete the program is six years.

Credit Hour Limits

In fulfilling the 72 credit hours required to complete the MDiv degree, students may not exceed the limits specified within the course categories listed below.

Courses Taken for S/U Grading

A maximum of 12 hours of elective courses may be taken on an S/U basis (excluding contextual education courses and MDIV500 but including a maximum of 4 hours for participation in the Chapel Choir, Candler Singers, Candler Voices of Imani, or Emory Concert Choir). If an elective course is used to fulfill the REGG requirement it must be taken for a letter grade. Likewise, courses taken to fulfill elective hours within the MDiv curriculum and being used to fulfill requirements for certificates and/or concentrations may need to be taken for a letter grade according to the rules of the certificates and/or concentrations.

Contextual Education Courses

A maximum of 18 total hours for Contextual Education (CE) courses may be taken, including: 12 hours of the required contextual education coursework; plus up to 6 hours of additional work in Clinical Pastoral Education, internships, Teaching Parish, and/or Contextual Education for Episcopal and Anglican Studies.

Summer Courses

A maximum of 18 hours of summer courses, with no more than 9 taken during a single summer term.

Atlanta Theological Association (ATA) Courses

A maximum of 18 hours of courses taken via cross registration at other ATA schools may be taken, with no more than 12 credits at any one host school).

Transfer Credit

A maximum of 24 hours of transfer credit is allowed (with this total including credits from ATA cross-registration courses). Detailed restrictions related to the up to 24 hours of transfer credit are available in the policy section of this Candler Catalog and Handbook.

Directed Study

A maximum of three (3) hours of directed study (not including directed study taken for first semester of MDiv thesis credit or for serving as a Course Assistant for academic credit) may be taken.

Total Credit Limit per Academic Year

Normally, 24 credits total per academic year may be taken. In special circumstances, a student may take up to 27 credits in a given year with prior approval from the Office of Academic Affairs and Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. (Note: each academic year begins in fall and includes the following spring semester and summer term.)

GPA Requirements

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000 is required for master of divinity students. Courses taken to fulfill requirements (all courses except the 12 hours used as electives), except those required courses only offered for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading (e.g. Contextual Education), must be taken for a letter grade. This includes the course used to fulfill Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts (REGG) requirement, even when it is also designated as an elective in the student’s degree plan. Students must earn a letter grade of at least C (i.e. 2.0 on a scale of 4.0) in order for a course to be used to fulfill a degree requirement. Letter graded electives may be counted toward the degree with a grade of D or higher. Students who earn less than a C in a course intended to meet a requirement may retake the course; however, the same course cannot be counted more than once toward the total credit hours required for graduation and the original grade will remain on the transcript and continue to count toward the student’s cumulative grade point average. If a student who earns less than a C in a course originally intended to meet a requirement has elective hours remaining, the course with the low grade may be counted as an elective and another course fitting the same requirement may be taken to fulfill the requirement instead except for requirements with only one designated course option (e.g. ST 501), in which case the Candler Academic Review Board will determine if the student must repeat the required class or substitute an elective in the same subject area to fulfill the requirement.

Curricular Requirements

Students must complete the following courses and requirements in the MDiv curriculum:

First Year Courses

  • MDIV500. Learning Community (first year, August-Term and Fall semester) (3 hours)
  • MDIV600. MDiv First Year Spring Seminar (first year, spring semester) (3 hours)

Beginning in fall New Student Orientation, all MDiv students in their first fall semester will enroll in MDIV500A. Learning Community Part A. The course will meet in person on campus for all students during New Student Orientation week. All students also enroll in MDIV500B. Learning Community Part B during the regular session of the fall semester. Learning Community Part B consists of weekly on-campus meetings for students on the residential plan and weekly online meetings for students on the hybrid plan. The course is designed to form students in practices and methods of theological inquiry and discourse while keeping them in conversation with their deepest purposes for pursuing theological education. The course will accompany students in the work of discernment around fundamental questions of identity, community, and vocation. The course also provides an opportunity to cultivate relationships with peers as well as with faculty and other mentors who will be essential learning partners during the first fall semester and beyond.

In the Spring semester of the first year, which for students who matriculate in spring will be their first semester and for students who matriculated in fall will be their second semester, students enroll in MDIV600. MDiv First Year Spring Seminar. Spring Seminars are integrative, theologically interdisciplinary, thematically focused first-year courses taught by faculty from different curricular areas. Each of these courses is designed to foster interdisciplinary engagement and extended conversation around a particular theme that matters for theological education—themes such as discipleship, justice, mission, prayer, migration, story, and creation. This course serves as a curricular center of gravity, cultivating small learning communities that support and nurture theological formation while allowing students, including those who enter the MDiv program for the first time in a Spring semester, to explore their own motivating questions.

Biblical Studies (12 hours)

Students must complete four three-hour courses in Biblical Studies (Old Testament, New Testament, and/or Biblical Interpretation) as follows:

  • OT 500-Level* (3 hours)
  • OT 600-Level (prerequisite: OT 500-Level) OR BI 600-Level (may have 500-level biblical studies prerequisites or prerequisite may be waived at the discretion of the instructor offering the course) (3 hours)
  • NT 500-Level* (3 hours)
  • NT 600-Level (prerequisite: NT 500-Level) OR BI 600-Level (may have 500-level biblical studies prerequisites or prerequisite may be waived at the discretion of the instructor offering the course) (3 hours)

*Students who have already studied the material of introductory (500-Level) courses in Old and/or New Testament at a previous institution may petition the biblical studies faculty for a waiver/substitution that would allow them to replace the introductory level class(es) with a second 600-level course in the same subject area(s). A waiver/substitution form and syllabi from the previous course(s) must be submitted in order for a waiver/substitution request to be considered. For additional information or to request the form, contact candlerregistrar@emory.edu.

History of Christianity (6 hours)

Students must complete two three-hour courses in History of Christianity (HC), each from a different era and at least one of which must be taken at the 500-level.

  • Era 1 HC 500-549 OR HC 600-649 (3 hours)
  • Era 2 HC 550-598 OR HC 650-698 (3 hours)
  • At least one HC 500-Level from among the courses above

Systematic Theology (6 hours)

Students must complete ST 501* (3 hours) and one additional three-hour ST course of their choice.

  • ST501. Systematic Theology (3 hours)
  • ST 600-Level (3 hours)

*Students who have already studied the material of ST 501 at a previous institution may petition the ST faculty for a waiver/substitution that would allow them to replace ST 501 with a second ST 600-level course instead. A waiver/substitution form and syllabi from the previous course(s) must be submitted in order for a waiver/substitution request to be considered. For additional information or to request the form, contact candlerregistrar@emory.edu.

Ethics (3 hours)

Students must complete one three-hour course in Ethics and Society (ES) at the 500-level.

  • ES 500-Level* (3 hours)

*Students who have already studied the material of introductory (500-Level) courses in Christian Ethics at a previous institution may petition the Candler ethics faculty for a waiver/substitution that would allow them to replace the introductory level class with a 600-level course in Ethics and Society (ES). A waiver/substitution form and syllabi from the previous course(s) must be submitted in order for a waiver/substitution request to be considered. For additional information or to request the form, contact candlerregistrar@emory.edu.

Religion and Society (3 hours)

Students must complete one three-hour course in Sociology of Religion (SR), Mission (M), OR Church and Community Ministries (CC). (NOTE: Students seeking to fulfill the BGTS requirements for the United Methodist Church should select a Mission (M) course to fulfill this requirement.)

  • Any M, SR, or CC course (3 hours)

World Religions (3 hours)

Students must complete one three-hour course in World Religions by taking a WR course offered through Candler or a course from outside Candler that meets the criteria approved by the Candler faculty as determined by the Dean of Academic Affairs based on a full syllabus for the outside course.

  • Any WR course or equivalent* (3 hours)

NOTE: WR or equivalent courses focus on the beliefs and/or practices of at least one non-Christian religious community or involve substantive and sustained comparative study between Christianity and at least one non-Christian religious tradition. Courses focused solely on global Christianity do not fulfill this requirement. For a copy of the criteria for WR or equivalent courses, contact candlerregistrar@emory.edu.

*Students who have already studied material in World Religions that meets Candler’s criteria for such classes in a previous institution may petition for a waiver/substitution that would allow them to replace the World Religions requirement with three additional hours of free elective. A waiver/substitution form and syllabi from the previous course(s) must be submitted in order for a waiver/substitution request to be considered. For additional information or to request the form, contact candlerregistrar@emory.edu.

Practical Theology (9 hours)

Students must complete three three-hour courses in Practical Theology/Arts of Ministry each from a different subject area within the Church and Ministry offerings (Chaplaincy (CHP), Church and Community Ministries (CC), Church Music (CM), Evangelism (EV), Leadership and Administration (LA), Practical Theology (PT), Preaching (P), Religious Education (RE), or Worship (W)), at least two of which must be taken at the 500-level.

  • 500-level course from a subject listed above (3 hours)
  • 500-level course from a different subject from among those listed above (3 hours)
  • 500-level or 600-level course from a third different subject from among those listed above (3 hours)

Contextual Education (12 hours)

Students must complete four three-hour courses in Contextual Education. The first two semesters must be taken at the 500-level and be completed in consecutive fall and spring semesters. The third and fourth semesters must be taken at the 600-level and must be completed after the year of CE 500-level and in consecutive fall and spring semesters.

Candler will screen all students by requiring and facilitating a criminal background check at the student’s expense (approximately $18) through a vendor designated by the school. For additional information see the Criminal Background Check section of the Candler Catalog and Handbook. Students participating in Contextual Education and Internships will also be required to complete Stewards of Children-Adults Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse training and SAP-G training.

Students fulfill their Contextual Education requirement by enrolling in one option at the 500-level and one option at the 600-level as described below:

Contextual Education 500-Level (6 hours)

  • CE551a. Contextual Education Ia: Contextual Education I Reflection Seminar (fall, 3 hours) AND CE551b. Contextual Education Ib: Contextual Education I Integrative Seminar (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE551HYBa. Contextual Education Ia: Contextual Education I Reflection Seminar (Hybrid plan) (fall, 3 hours) AND CE5551HYBb. Contextual Education Ib: Contextual Education I Integrative Seminar (Hybrid plan) (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE551ANGa. Contextual Education Ia for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (fall, 3 hours) AND CE551ANGb. Contextual Education Ib for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (spring, 3hours) OR
  • CE551ANHa. Contextual Education Ia for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (Hybrid plan) (fall, 3 hours) AND CE551ANHb. Contextual Education Ib for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (spring, 3hours) OR
  • CE551TPa. Contextual Education Ia for Teaching Parish (fall, 3 hours) AND CE551TPb. Contextual Education Ib for Teaching Parish (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE551TPHa. Contextual Education Ia for Teaching Parish (Hybrid plan) (fall, 3 hours) AND CE551TPHb. Contextual Education Ib for Teaching Parish (Hybrid plan) (spring, 3 hours)

Contextual Education 600-Level (Prerequisite: 6 hours completed CE 500-Level) (6 hours)

  • CE600a. Contextual Education IIa: Contextual Education IIA (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600b. Contextual Education Ib: Contextual Education IIB (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE600HYBa. Contextual Education IIa (Hybrid plan) (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600HYBb. Contextual Education IIb (Hybrid plan) (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE600ANGa. Contextual Education IIa for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600ANGb. Contextual Education IIb for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (spring, 3hours) OR
  • CE600ANHa. Contextual Education IIa for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (Hybrid plan) (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600ANHb. Contextual Education IIb for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (spring, 3hours) OR
  • CE600TPa. Contextual Education IIa for Teaching Parish (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600TPb. Contextual Education IIb for Teaching Parish (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE600TPHa. Contextual Education IIa for Teaching Parish (Hybrid plan) (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600TPHb. Contextual Education IIb for Teaching Parish (Hybrid plan) (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE600CPEa. CPE for Contextual Education IIa (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600CPEb. CPE for Contextual Education IIb (spring, 3 hours) OR
  • CE600CPHa. CPE for Contextual Education IIa (Hybrid plan) (fall, 3 hours) AND CE600CPHb. CPE for Contextual Education IIb (Hybrid plan) (spring, 3 hours)

The first year of Contextual Education includes 4 or more hours per week of work in an approved setting, the parameters and total hours of site work for which depend on the type of first year Contextual Education the student selects (Teaching Parish, Episcopal and Anglican Studies, residential plan Con Ed I, or hybrid plan Con Ed I) as well as enrollment in the related two-course sequence: the fall reflection group (CE 551ANGa; CE551ANHa; CE 551TPa; CE 551TPHa; CE 551a; or CE 551HYBa) and the spring Integrative seminar (CE 551ANGb; CE551ANHb; CE 551TPb; CE 551TPHb; CE 551b; or CE 551HYBb). Students enrolled in CE 500-Level must also participate in mandatory on-campus orientation activities prior to the start of the fall semester and in related learning modules/plenaries in both the fall and spring semesters. Students must successfully complete the fall semester in order to enroll in the spring and both semesters must be successfully completed at the same site in order to receive credit for the entire year. Students who do not receive a passing grade for the spring will also fail the fall course. Students who withdraw from or fail Con Ed at the 500-level will be required to repeat the required CE 500-level courses and related activities in a subsequent year, normally at a different site. Students must complete their CE 500-level before enrolling in CE 600-level courses.

The second year of Contextual Education includes 8 hours of site work in an ecclesial (local church, campus ministry, or similar) or other approved ministry site or participation in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) as well as enrollment in the required two course sequence: fall reflection group (CE600a; CE600HYBa; CE600ANGa; CE600ANHa; CE600TPa; CE600TPHa; CE600CPEa; CE600CPHa) and spring reflection group (CE600b; CE600HYBb; CE600ANGb; CE600ANHb; CE600TPb; CE600TPHb; CE600CPEb; CE600CPHb). Students enrolled in CE 600-Level must also participate in mandatory orientation activities at the beginning of the fall semester and in related learning modules/plenaries in both the fall and spring semesters. Students must successfully complete the fall semester in order to enroll in the spring and both semesters must be successfully completed at the same site in order to receive credit for the entire year. Students who do not receive a passing grade for the spring will also fail the fall course. Students who withdraw from or fail Con Ed at the 600-level will be required to repeat the required CE 600-Level courses and related activities in a subsequent year, normally at a different site.

Electives (12 hours)

Students must complete twelve hours for elective credit. Four three-hour courses or a combination of courses with more or fewer hours that equal a total of twelve (12) hours may be used to complete courses that fulfill denominational requirements, certificate courses, concentration courses, or be used to take courses of interest that are not needed elsewhere in the plan of study. Courses that are designated as fulfilling requirements may be used as electives if the student has already fulfilled the requirement for which the course is designated.

Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts (REGG)

Students must take at least one three-hour course among the required courses or elective hours listed above that is designated as REGG. These courses are designed to address dynamics and challenges related to race, ethnicity, gender, and/or global contexts in both readings and assignments thematically throughout the semester.

Courses that Fulfill More than One Requirement

If a course is designated as fulfilling multiple requirements toward the MDiv degree, the student should indicate which requirement they wish the class to fulfill by enrolling in the appropriate section (e.g., if a class is listed simultaneously as an HC 600-level Era 1, an ST 600-level, and a W 600-level class, the student should enroll in HC 600-level to use the class to fulfill the History of Christianity Era 1 requirement at the 600-level OR in the ST 600-level section to fulfill the ST 600-level requirement OR in the W 600-level section to fulfill three hours of Practical Theology requirement at the 600-level in Worship). REGG classes that also fulfill another degree requirement will fulfill the specified requirement and satisfy the REGG requirement. REGG classes that fulfill only the REGG requirement will fulfill elective hours toward the MDiv degree and satisfy the REGG requirement. The same course may be used to fulfill both an MDiv requirement or MDiv elective hours and concentration and/or certificate requirements simultaneously.

Concentrations

The selection of an optional concentration can allow students to give their degree added focus and depth beyond introductory level courses in an area that is of particular interest to the student. Students may choose a concentration in consultation with their faculty advisor. Students who wish to declare a concentration must do so by the end of their first year in the program (or by the time they have completed 24 hours for those pursuing the program on a part-time basis). Concentrations normally consist of at least 12 hours and may require prerequisites.

Concentrations for the 2023-2024 academic year are:

  • Catholic Studies
  • Chaplaincy
  • Formation and Witness
  • Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation
  • Leadership in Church and Community
  • Religion and Race
  • Scripture and Interpretation
  • Society and Personality
  • Theology and the Arts
  • Theology and Ethics
  • Traditions of the Church
  • World Christianity

Courses taken to meet concentration requirements fulfill MDiv elective credit or meet MDiv degree requirements when applicable. All concentrations have options for directed study, internship, and/or the MDiv thesis, but these must be approved by the concentration coordinator prior to applying them to the credits for the concentration. Within each concentration a maximum of one course may be taken S/U in accordance with Candler’s policies regarding electing S/U grading for courses. Capstone courses cannot be taken on an S/U grading basis. All other concentration courses must be taken for a letter grade and earn a grade of C or higher. For concentrations requiring a capstone, the capstone will be designated in consultation with the concentration coordinator and course instructor from among the upper-level concentration courses offered at the end of the student’s completion of the other required hours for the concentration. More detailed information on concentrations can be requested from the Candler Registrar’s office.

Course Substitution

Students who have already studied the material and methods for OT 500-Level, NT 500-Level, ST 501, and/or an ES 500-Level at a previous institution may request to waive the requirement and substitute an upper level elective in the same field. Students who have already studied material equivalent to a World Religions course as defined by the Candler faculty criteria for WR courses may petition to waive the requirement and substitute an additional three hours of free elective Students petitioning for a substitution should first discuss the matter with their faculty adviser. The student should then submit a petition to the chair of the relevant curricular area, who will decide whether to grant the substitution in consultation with the instructor(s) of the relevant course(s). The student will need to document the topics covered in the previous coursework, the textbooks used, and the assignments required. A syllabus for the prior course(s) should normally accompany the petition. The student must complete a form, to be signed by the area chair if approved. When a substitution is approved, the signed form should be submitted to the Candler Registrar so that the student’s Degree Tracker can be updated and the form placed in the student’s academic file.

Advising and Assessment

In addition to the curricular requirements listed above, students in the MDiv program are required to complete advising each semester and complete the Final Year Integrative Advising Conversation and Final Year Portfolio in their final year (usually, the final semester).

First semester students are required to participate in a new student advising group. These groups are composed of a small group (usually 10-15) new students and led by a faculty adviser. The faculty adviser will normally continue to serve as faculty adviser for the students in the group throughout their time in the MDiv program.

The faculty adviser will hold an advising conversation with each advisee at least once each semester during the advising period. In this conversation, the student and adviser will discuss progress toward completing the requirements of the MDiv program, course planning for the upcoming term, and any other matters of relevance to the student’s academic success and vocational preparation.

Students who do not have an advising conversation by the advising deadline set by the Candler registrar will have a hold placed on their enrollment for the upcoming semester. The hold will prevent changes for the current and future semester in OPUS and cannot be lifted until an advising conversation has taken place and the faculty adviser notifies the Candler registrar’s office that the hold can be lifted.

Final Year Integrative Advising Conversation

In the final year of the MDiv program, the academic adviser conducts an Integrative Advising Conversation with each of their advisees. The purpose of this conversation is to discuss the student’s overall progress in theological studies, reflection on their Candler experience, state of vocational discernment, and post-MDiv plans (including continuing education). Completion of the Integrative Advising Conversation is a graduation requirement, but the conversation is reflective, not graded or evaluative. In preparation, students will prepare an electronic portfolio that will be submitted to the academic adviser at least one week prior to the interview. In addition to providing an opportunity to reflect on their time at Candler and assess their own growth, the contents of the portfolio may be used by Candler to assess the effectiveness of the MDiv curriculum. A random sample of portfolios is selected each year for this purpose.

The portfolio shall include:

  • Faculty, supervisor, and self-evaluation from the required Contextual Education 500-Level and 600-Level courses-copies of evaluations can be requested from the Office of Contexual Education. Please note requests must be submitted two weeks in advance via the Contextual Education website. Evaluations from CE courses complete for elective credit are not required but may be included if the student wishes.
  • Up-to-date Master of Divinity Degree Tracker report (available to student and adviser on OPUS).
  • Paper of Questions Revised Standard Version from MDIV500. Learning Community first semester course
  • A senior personal statement crafted according to directions provided by the Candler registrar
  • Summative paper or project from final Biblical Studies 600-Level course taken (may be BI, NT, or OT). [student should provide a cover sheet with course number and title, semester taken, and the instructions for the assignment as indicated by the faculty member or in the syllabus].
  • Summative paper or project from REGG course [student should provide a cover sheet with course number and title, semester taken, and the instructions for the assignment as indicated by the faculty member or in the syllabus].
  • A summative paper or project from an ST course [student should provide a cover sheet with course number and title, semester taken, and the instructions for the assignment as indicated by the faculty member or in the syllabus].
  • A summative paper or project from the final Practical Theology (may be CC, CHP, CM, EV, LA, P, PC, PT, RE, or W, 500- or 600-Level) course taken, [student should provide a cover sheet with course number and title, semester taken, and the instructions for the assignment as indicated by the faculty member or in the syllabus].
  • A summative paper or project from MDIV600. First Year Spring Seminar [student should provide a cover sheet with course number and title, semester taken, and the instructions for the assignment as indicated by the faculty member or in the syllabus].
  • Summative paper or project from any 600-level course not already used for another requirement in the portfolio [student should provide a cover sheet with course number and title, semester taken, and the instructions for the assignment as indicated by the faculty member or in the syllabus].
  • Any additional documents or files (e,g, a sermon audio or video file) requested by the adviser or that the student wishes to include.

MDiv Thesis Option

The thesis option provides an opportunity for independent study and research geared to the individual student’s ability and interests. MDiv students with a minimum grade point average of 3.5 at the end of thirty-six hours of coursework, including Contextual Education 500-level and the first semester of Contextual Education 600-level are invited in the spring semester of the second year to write an MDiv thesis. A maximum of 12 students per year will be selected. All course, Contextual Education, and advising requirements of the MDiv program will apply to those selected to apply to write a thesis.

Eligible students will be contacted in February of the eligible year and invited to apply. Interested students submit a one-page, single-spaced letter of intent detailing their thesis interest, plus supporting letters from the faculty adviser and proposed thesis adviser, before the stated deadline to the academic dean. For most students, this will be at the beginning of the fourth semester (spring of the second year). Selection will be made before the end of the fall pre-registration advising period by the academic dean.

As the title suggests, the main feature of the thesis option is the writing of a thesis. Students selected for the thesis option are required to enroll in a directed study with their thesis adviser in the fall (typically the fifth) semester. This directed study (which may be free-standing or connected to a class that the thesis adviser is teaching that semester) will be awarded between one and three hours of credit, as determined by the academic dean in consultation with the thesis adviser. It will be focused on the thesis topic and will culminate in a 15-20 page paper to be read and assessed by the thesis adviser.

The thesis adviser determines if the paper is of sufficient quality, shows progress in research, and is leading to a clearer understanding of the thesis topic. If these conditions are not met, then the student will be given a grade for the directed study but will not be allowed to complete the MDiv thesis option. If the thesis adviser determines that the initial paper does meet these conditions, then a grade of IP (in progress) will be assigned to the directed study and the student will be permitted to enroll in three hours of MDIV650: MDiv Thesis in their final (typically the sixth) semester. At this stage, the thesis adviser and the student, in consultation with the academic dean, select a second reader for the thesis, who agrees to read and assess the thesis for a grade.

Students enrolled in MDIV650 will be assigned a grade for both semesters of work on the thesis on the basis of the final grade awarded for the thesis. The IP grade for the fall semester directed study will be changed to reflect the grade for the thesis once the thesis has been marked. The thesis and directed study must be taken for a letter grade, and the minimum passing grade is a B. Thesis credits do not fulfill MDiv common courses or common requirements, but may fulfill concentration requirements with the approval of the concentration coordinator. The completed thesis is normally 45–60 pages in length.

The final draft of the MDiv thesis is due to both readers by the first Monday in April of the semester of graduation or the date designated by the Candler registrar for December and August graduates. The two readers agree on a grade for the thesis, which is submitted via OPUS. In cases where the readers cannot agree on a grade, the thesis will be submitted to the academic dean for adjudication. After the graded copy is returned, the student must submit a corrected version, based on reader comments, to Emory Library’s ETD system by the senior grading deadline (etd.library.emory.edu). Students who do not complete the thesis by the deadline, but have completed all other courses needed for graduation, are required to register for MDIV999R: Master of Divinity Residency each semester until the thesis has been submitted successfully and the student graduates. For further information, contact the Candler registrar or academic dean.

Application for the Degree

Early in the graduating semester, the candidate must submit a formal application for the MDiv degree before the deadline stated in the academic calendar. The Application for Degree is available in OPUS during a window of time set by the university registrar each semester. A separate application is required for each degree received. Students are required to be enrolled during the semester of graduation.

Residence

Students must complete a minimum of six full-time equivalent semesters, to include at least five fall/spring semesters with no more than 18 hours of total summer term enrollment. The last two semesters of the program must be completed at Candler. Students in good standing at other seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological School, or at other regionally accredited universities where they are studying religion at the graduate level, may, with approval, transfer up to 24 credit hours. A maximum of 18 credit hours taken through cross-registration at Atlanta Theological Association (ATA) schools may be applied toward the degree, counted as transfer credit. Advanced standing with transfer credit may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Upon the transfer of 24 credit hours, no additional transfer work or ATA cross-registration work will be allowed. Students who transfer into Candler’s MDiv program must complete a minimum of four semesters with at least 48 Candler semester hours, including completion of the two required first year courses (MDIV500 and MDIV600) and the four-semester Contextual Education program at Candler. The MDiv degree is structured to be completed in three years of full-time study or four to six years of part-time study. The maximum length of time allowed to complete the program is six calendar years. Time spent in partner schools through an official dual degree program and time on official leave of absence do not count against the six year time limit.

Contextual Education Program

Contextual Education I

During the first year of Contextual Education, all students enroll in a social service or clinical setting, unless they are enrolled in Teaching Parish or Episcopal and Anglican Studies. Students on the residential plan choose from sites in the Atlanta area arranged in advance by the Office of Contextual Education. Students on the hybrid plan arrange sites by individual contract following guidelines set by the Office of Contextual Education. Through four hours of weekly engagement at these sites during the entire academic year,students have the opportunity to experience various ministries, contexts, and pastoral relationships.

In the first semester, students meet weekly in their 90-minute Contextual Education I Site Reflection group led by a site or teaching supervisor. In the second semester, students continue working four hours per week at the same Contextual Education I site. Students meet with a member of the faculty and their site or teaching supervisor for a weekly, two-hour integrative seminar. To earn credit, students also participate in a mandatory orientation at the start of the fall semester and additional learning modules/plenaries during both the fall and spring semesters.

Contextual Education II

Contextual Education II takes seriously the role of engaged practice for the formation of leaders for the Church’s ministries in the world. In the second year of Contextual Education all students practice ministry in ekklesia, gatherings and communities of the faithful in congregations, campus ministries, or other ministry settings. Students work eight hours per week during the entire academic year at a site of their choosing, which may be a congregational or non-congregational setting. Students who are already employed in churches, campus ministries, or other ministry settings typically work in those sites as their second-year placement. Sites must be able to support student engagement in all five areas of ministry. These five areas are: (1) Leadership and Administration; (2) Gathering, Proclamation, and Engagement; (3) Pastoral Care and Community Care; (4) Outreach, Mission, and Advocacy; and (5) Religious Education and Spiritual Formation.

Students are supervised by a Site Mentor who is a ministry leader in the setting with a demonstrated capacity and commitment to aid students in theological reflection, vocational discernment, and spiritual formation. The site mentor is typically a fulltime employed, ordained pastor or person with comparable ministry experience and a graduate of an accredited seminary or possessing comparable education. Students will meet with their site mentors for 1.5 hours of biweekly mentoring from their site mentor.

Along with the site work, students are assigned to a bi-weekly reflection group facilitated by an experienced practitioner in ordained pastoral ministry. Groups typically meet in the sites in which students are serving. To earn credit, students also participate in a mandatory orientation at the start of the fall semester and additional learning modules/plenaries during both the fall and spring semesters.

A Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program can be used to meet the second year Contextual Education requirement.

For additional information on the Contextual Education program, please visit http://www.candler.emory.edu/academics/con-ed/index.html.

Episcopal and Anglican Studies Program

The Episcopal and Anglican Studies program forms and equips students for ministry in the Episcopal Church and all the churches of the Anglican Communion. The program provides a community of learning, worship, and service for students, along with faculty and staff (including those with holy orders, those discerning holy orders, and those in all degree programs), including priests, deacons, postulants, aspirants, and laity, and those preparing for parish ministry, and those seeking to pursue God’s call to ministry outside the parish.

Students seeking the Episcopal and Anglican Studies Certificate will fulfill their Contextual Education requirements through the Episcopal and Anglican Studies program. In the fall semester of the first year of Contextual Education for Episcopal and Anglican Studies, students enroll in Contextual Education Ia and Advising for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (CE551ANGa or CE551ANHa, 3 hours). Students are placed in parish settings and participate in a two-hour weekly reflection seminar in which they examine the parish as a situation of ministry. The class analyzes specific church ministry situations, acts of ministry, priorities and dilemmas, and development of an operational theory of ministry. In the spring semester, first-year students enroll in Contextual Education Ib for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (CE551ANGb or CE551ANHb, 3 hours).

In the second year, students will enroll in Contextual Education IIa for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (CE600ANGa or CE600ANHa, 3 hours) in the fall semester and Contextual Education IIb for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (CE552ANGb or CE552ANHb, 3 hours) in the spring semester. In the third year and beyond, students enroll each semester in CE653ANGR OR CE653ANHR. Contextual Education for Episcopal and Anglican Studies (2 hours per semester). A maximum of 18 hours of contextual education (CE) credits (including the 16 ordinarily taken for three years of Contextual Education for Episcopal and Anglican Studies as well as options such as internship and Clinical Pastoral Education) can be counted toward the required 72 hours for the Master of Divinity program.

For further information, contact Stuart Higginbotham, EASP Contextual Education Instructor, at stuart.higginbotham@emory.edu.

Teaching Parish Program

Master of Divinity students can fulfill their Contextual Education requirement through the Teaching Parish program, which allows students to serve as pastors-in-charge in local church communities or as assistant pastors to gain ministerial experience.

The program is a cooperative venture between Candler and UMC Conferences, other denominations and non-denominational churches, and is open to United Methodist students appointed to student pastorates as well as students serving pastorates in other denominations and in non-denominational churches.

For United Methodist students, normally only those students who are certified candidates for ordained United Methodist ministry are considered for appointment. For other denominational and non-denominational churches, students will need to already have a negotiated church position/placement and the appropriate approval and support from their judicatories or boards for enrollment requirements.

Residential Teaching Parish reflection groups are formed by students in a geographic area. Hybrid Teaching Parish reflection groups are constituted by students outside the region. Each of these reflection groups meet together (on Mondays) throughout the fall and spring semesters.

Reflection groups are led by Teaching Parish Supervising Pastor who has been chosen for this responsibility. The Supervising Pastor’s job is to lead the Teaching Parish group in its work, to evaluate each student-pastor’s performance, and to provide individual counsel to each student-pastor. Teaching Parish reflection groups do not meet during the summer, though there are both Residential and Hybrid orientations for all student-pastors at the beginning of the fall semester.

Due to immigration regulations limiting off-campus employment during the first academic year at a U.S. institution, international students will not be considered for Teaching Parish in their first year of study. For additional information regarding international students and student-pastor placements, please contact the Office of Admission at 404.727.6326.

In the fall semester of the first year in the Teaching Parish Program, students will enroll in Contextual Education Ia for Teaching Parish (CE551TPa or CE551TPHa). In the spring semester, students will enroll in Contextual Education Ib for Teaching Parish (CE551TPb or CE551TPHb). In the second year, they will enroll in Contextual Education IIa Teaching Parish (CE600TPa or CE600TPHa) in the fall semester and Contextual Education IIb Teaching Parish (CE600TPb or CE600TPHb) in the spring semester. Students who elect to enroll in teaching parish in the third year and beyond may enroll in CE653TPR or CE653THR. A maximum of 18 credit hours is granted for the Teaching Parish Program.

For further information, including application, contact Thomas Elliott Jr., Director, at 404.727.4178 or thomas.elliott@emory.edu.

Admission

Admission to the MDiv degree program requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, a well-balanced program of work in the liberal arts, and an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Strong candidates, including those who have been out of college for a number of years, are encouraged to apply. All completed applications, regardless of the GPA of the applicant, will be fully reviewed by the admissions committee.

Students enrolled as MRL, MRPL, MTS or as special students at Candler may apply for admission to the MDiv program. A new application with supporting materials must be submitted. If the applicant is admitted, coursework completed satisfactorily by an MRL, MRPL, MTS or special student will be considered toward the MDiv program. The registrar will determine which credits may be applied to the MDiv program with a maximum of 24 credits applied to the program.

Students in good standing at other seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, or at other regionally accredited universities where they are studying religion at the graduate level, may be admitted as transfer students. These students may receive transfer credit approval for up to 24 credit hours for courses in which they earned a grade of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (84 on a numerical scale). Transfer students are required to complete the two-year Contextual Education sequence. See the MDiv program transfer credit policy page for detailed information.

Application Deadline

Offers of admission to the MDiv program are made on a rolling admissions basis between November and August of each year. When an application is complete, it will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Typically, a decision will be reached within three weeks. Applications submitted and completed by November 1 will receive an admissions decision and provisional scholarship award by December 15. (Submission of a FAFSA is required for a preliminary scholarship decision.) Further scholarship review, including review for the Woodruff Fellowships, will begin January 15. Applications received after January 15 will be considered for scholarship, based on the availability of funds. The final deadline for application is July 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester.

Those admitted who do not matriculate at the time for which they were admitted may request, in writing, a deferral of status for one academic year. Application materials for those who do not matriculate and who do not request an enrollment deferral will be kept on file for up to one academic year, after which applicants will be expected to submit a new application for admission to be considered for study in a future semester.

Applications for the MDiv program are not accepted for the summer term. Typically, coursework completed as a special student will be considered toward the MDiv.

Application Procedures

Applicants should apply online at application. http://candler.emory.edu/apply. For further information, contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, telephone 404.727.6326, fax 404.727.2915, email candleradmissions@emory.edu.

To be considered for admission to the program, an applicant must supply the admissions office with the following:

  1. Application for admission.
  2. $50 nonrefundable application fee paid online.
  3. Resume.
  4. Autobiographical statement: The three-four page typed, double-spaced autobiographical statement is a critical element in the evaluation of your application. Please consider your response carefully, tending to content, style, grammatical correctness, and essay organization. The statement is a way to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee. It also will help faculty advisers guide and evaluate your learning experience in your program. With this in mind, write a reflective essay about your life that addresses the following:
  • Significant life experiences that have affected your view of self, God, and the world. Include references to family members and significant others, courses, and experiences in college, church, service-related activities, and employment.
  • Aspects of your background that inform the unique perspective you would add to the diverse and vibrant community that exists at Candler School of Theology.
  • Your reasons for applying to Candler School of Theology.
  • Your understanding of vocation, details of a call to ministry, and plans following completion of study at Candler School of Theology. United Methodist applicants should indicate plans for ordination as a deacon or elder in an annual conference and status in the United Methodist candidacy process, if applicable. An additional page may be added.
  1. A sample of recent academic writing.

  2. Official transcripts from all colleges, universities, graduate schools, and seminaries, regardless of when the applicant attended, how many hours were completed, and whether a degree was granted. Official transcripts should be sent directly from these institutions or delivered in a sealed and signed envelope. If currently enrolled at an institution, the applicant should send an official transcript of work to date and ask that a transcript be sent promptly following the completion of the term and/or conferral of a degree.

  3. Three letters of recommendation from persons who are not family members: one pastoral reference, provided by a pastor; two additional references, provided by college or graduate school professors or by a work supervisor or a character reference who has known the applicant three or more years. Those seeking merit scholarships are strongly encouraged to have two academic references if currently enrolled or recently graduated from college or a graduate program. Applicants who have been out of college for more than five years and are unable to secure an academic reference should submit additional professional references.

    Students who have been enrolled previously at another theological institution must provide a letter certifying that they leave the school as students in good standing.

  4. The admissions committee welcomes, but does not require, the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). While not required, GRE scores may be considered in applications if applicants submit them. The institution code for Candler is 5198.

  5. Persons whose first language is not English must furnish, with the application, recent evidence of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of at least 95 (Internet-based total) with a minimum score of 21 or higher in each of the four sub-areas, 250 (computer-based total), or 600 (paper-based total). The TOEFL results should be submitted directly from TOEFL to Candler (Institutional Code: 5455, Department 01). Applicants whose first language is not English are strongly encouraged to complete an intensive English course, at an institution in your home country, for at least six months prior to enrollment.

  6. A criminal background check is required of all students prior to enrollment at the expense of the student (approximately $18) through a vendor designated by the school. Candler School of Theology will provide information regarding the process of securing the required background check in early spring to admitted students. Students will not be allowed to register for classes—including Contextual Education—until the results of this report have been received and reviewed. Reports from criminal background checks are due August 15. Any student for whom the criminal background check has not been received by August 15 will forfeit the opportunity to participate in any program of Contextual Education for one year. Results of the criminal background check can impact placement in Contextual Education sites and may be released to a site supervisor.

  7. Stewards of Children—Adults Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse online training is required of first year MDiv and MRL students and those enrolled for internships. The training is offered on-line and at the expense of the school. Students will not be allowed to register for classes—including Contextual Education—until notification of completed training is received. Notification must be received by August 15 to participate in Contextual Education I.

  8. SAP-G training is required of all degree and nondegree students. SAP-G is an online learning platform designed to educate students on preventing and responding to interpersonal violence, including sexual assault, harassment, domestic violence, and stalking, in the Emory community. The training is offered at the expense of the school. Part II of the training is completed six weeks after part I.

  9. All incoming Emory students must meet the CDC and American College Health Association immunization guidelines prior to registration for classes. For additional information, please see the Immunization section of Procedures and Regulations. To access the Entrance Health Survey and Consent for Treatment Forms, visit https://studenthealth.emory.edu.

In addition to supplying the above documents, international students (persons who are not US citizens or permanent residents of the United States) must comply with the following:

Upon admission, and before the visa process can begin, international students must complete the Emory University Financial Certificate, which indicates adequate financial resources to cover tuition, fees, travel, and living expenses for the first year of study in the United States. (An I-20 will not be prepared until this certificate has been approved; it must be approved by the university before July 1 for the fall semester.)

International students will be billed automatically for health insurance through Emory University unless insurance compliance information indicating proof of comparable United States–based coverage is submitted by July 1. Information regarding insurance for international students can be found online at http://isss.emory.edu/students/index.html.

Admission Deposit

A nonrefundable admission deposit of $100 is required of all students enrolling at Candler School of Theology. This deposit is required by April 1 for fall admission, or within three weeks of notification of admission to the degree program after April 1, in order to secure the student’s place in the program. The deposit will be posted as a credit to the student’s Emory University account; students who pay the deposit but fail to enroll will forfeit the deposit.