The Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree stands at the center of the School of Divinity’s degree offerings. The program prepares students through diverse ministry experiences and theological perspectives for religious leadership in diverse congregational, chaplaincy, and not-for-profit settings. The program encourages students to engage the rich histories and traditions of Christian congregations, to increase awareness and understanding of issues facing churches in their local and global contexts, and to integrate their knowledge of varied theological and ministry disciplines with what they encounter in ministry settings and in the world.

Goals for the Master of Divinity Degree

Students who graduate with the Master of Divinity degree from the Wake Forest University School of Divinity shall demonstrate a broad variety of competencies for religious leadership that promotes justice, reconciliation, and compassion, including:

• Academic integration of Christian traditions, theologies, scriptures, and practices;
• Sustained vocational reflection and spiritual formation that inform ministry in pluralistic contexts;
• Innovative application and embodiment of a range of ministerial practices for a continually transforming religious world; 
• Theologically informed analysis of social, cultural, political, and ecological systems within a variety of particular settings.

The Master of Divinity degree is a 72-hour program designed to be completed in three years of full-time, residential study. Students may also pursue the degree on a part-time basis with permission of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The maximum length of time allowed to complete the program is six years.

The Master of Divinity Curriculum

The Master of Divinity curriculum is composed of three categories of courses: Required Courses, Required Electives, and General Electives.

Required Courses and Required Electives

Required courses and required electives provide students with foundational theological and ministerial knowledge and skills for the practices of ministry and religious leadership in diverse settings. 

Required courses: Required of all students; may be prerequisites for other courses. 30 credit hours.

Required elective courses: Biblical Studies Electives, Spirituality Elective, and Interfaith Dialogue Elective. 12 credit hours.

General Electives

Students can choose from a variety of graduate level courses offered in the School of Divinity and in other schools and departments of the University (subject to course availability and suitability to the overall requirements for the Master of Divinity degree).

General elective courses: Chosen by students in consultation with their advisors and may include courses from other University departments and schools. 30 credit hours.

The Art of Ministry Program

The Art of Ministry curriculum provides a three-year framework for integrating theory and practice while exploring vocational identity. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for ministry in a changing world by creating space for theological reflection and developing key professional skills.

The Art of Ministry curriculum consists of both coursework and an internship placement in the following progression:

MDiv Year 1: Introductory Course

MIN 501 Art of Ministry: Introduction to the Life and Work of Ministry is a required first-year seminar providing a forum for dialogue among students, faculty, and religious leaders about pressing issues facing the church and ministry in the 21st century. This course will introduce students to the complexity of vocation in general and ministerial vocations in particular across a variety of contexts. 

MDiv Year 2 or 3: Internship

All students are required to complete one (1) ministry internship placement following the first year of the MDiv program. They can fulfill the internship requirement in the second or third year. If the first internship is successfully completed in the second year, students have the option of doing a second ministry internship in the third year. 

As described below, there are broadly four ways from which students can choose their internship placement to complete the required internship: (a) an academic year-long (two semesters) internship, (b) a summer intensive internship, (c) an internship in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, or (d) an internship in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in an ACPE-approved program.

Option 1: Academic Year-long Internship

• A 300-hour ministry internship placement completed during the second or third academic year, concurrent with MIN 602A (“Internship Reflection Seminar”) in the fall term for 1.5 credit hours and MIN 602B (“Internship Reflection Seminar”) in the spring term for 1.5 additional credit hours. Or,

Option 2: Summer Intensive Internship

• A 300-hour ministry internship placement completed the summer after the first or second academic year, followed MIN 602C (“Summer Internship Reflection Seminar”) in the fall term for 3 credit hours. Or,

Option 3: Academic Year-long CPE

• A 400-hour ministry internship placement in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (200 hours of internship service in the fall term and 200 hours in the spring term), concurrent with MIN 636A (“Clinical Pastoral Education I) in the fall term for 3 credit hours and MIN 636B (“Clinical Pastoral Education II”) in the spring term for 2 additional credit hours. Or,

Option 4: Summer Intensive CPE

• Students can also complete a 400-hour introductory unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in any summer program accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education  (ACPE). Students will earn five transfer elective credits for completing a summer introductory unit of CPE.

Students can repeat a seminar reflection course (MIN 602A/B) to earn up to 3 additional credits when completing the second optional internship. Students cannot apply more than six credit hours towards the MDiv degree from any number of internship seminars.

WFUSD provides some stipends to students engaged in an internship. The stipend is available for only one internship, regardless of its format (i.e., the academic year-long, the summer intensive, or the 400-hr CPE internship placement after matriculation into the MDiv program). 

Choosing an Internship

The Director of the Art of Ministry Program works with students in the spring of each academic year to arrange ministry internship placements. The Director also tracks student progress toward fulfilling the internship requirement.

Students will ordinarily select placements in two different ministry contexts if they complete an optional second internship:

• Congregational Settings
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Parachurch Organizations
• Settings related to joint degree programs: Bioethics, Law, Counseling, Education, Sustainability.
• Prison Ministry
• Academic/College Chaplaincy
• Hospital/Chaplaincy Settings (See Clinical Pastoral Education below)

MDiv Year 3: Integrative Capstone Course

All third-year students will complete MIN 705, a capstone seminar for 3 credit hours in the spring term with two interrelated components:

1. A capstone reflection component, in which students develop a digital portfolio organizing their cumulative and integrated learning around the School of Divinity curricular standards across the four learning goals for the MDiv program:
   • Academic integration of Christian traditions, theologies, scriptures, and practices;
   • Sustained vocational reflection and spiritual formation that inform ministry in pluralistic contexts;
   • Innovative application and embodiment of a range of ministerial practices for a continually transforming religious world;
   • Theologically informed analysis of social, cultural, political, and ecological systems within a variety of particular settings.
2. A professional development component, in which students will continue vocational reflection and prepare for employment searches.

Other Curricular Opportunities

• Clinical Pastoral Education
• Denominational Studies
• Hispanic Summer Program
• Moravian Studies
• One-Credit Courses
• Senior Project Option

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

Clinical pastoral education is a form of theological education that takes place in clinical settings where ministry is being practiced (healthcare facilities, correctional institutions, hospices, congregations, and a variety of other settings). Through involvement with persons in need and with supervision from peers and supervisors, students engage issues of ministry and pastoral care while developing enhanced skills and a clearer awareness of themselves as caregivers. Students who complete a full unit of CPE earn five credit hours, according to one of the following options:

Option 1: Part-Time Unit: Fall and Spring

Upon satisfactory completion of a full unit of CPE at the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center during the fall and spring terms, students will satisfy their internship placement requirement. This option will satisfy the three-credit Art of Ministry primary reflection seminar requirement and will generate two extra elective credits. Alternatively, for students who have already completed the reflection seminar, this program will generate five elective credits.

Option 2: Full-Time Unit: Summer

Upon satisfactory completion of a full unit of CPE during the summer, students are eligible for five hours of transfer course credit and will satisfy their internship requirement.  In order for students to receive credit for CPE, the program in which they enroll must be accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. A directory of accredited CPE centers is available online at http://www.acpe.edu.

Transfer credit for CPE will appear on a student’s transcript only if application for credit is made through the Office of Academic Affairs. To receive credit, the student must have the CPE center where the program was completed provide a letter stating that a full unit of credit was awarded. Application and tuition fees for CPE are paid directly to the CPE center by the student.

Students who complete CPE within five years prior to enrollment in the Master of Divinity program may request transfer of credit equivalent to five hours for completion of a full unit of CPE at an accredited center and may use their CPE unit to satisfy their internship placement requirement.

Denominational Studies

The School of Divinity is committed to educating persons who are pursuing ministry within a wide array of Christian denominations and traditions.

Denominational studies courses in the School of Divinity are designed to support students as they explore professional affiliations, cultivate diverse denominational and congregational connections, and prepare for ordination within particular denominational and congregational entities.

As a first step in exploring denominational affiliations, students are encouraged to consult with appropriate denominational representatives to learn about opportunities for service and, where appropriate, requirements for ordination. Students are encouraged to consult with denominational advisors and representatives as they choose settings for required internships as these internships give students opportunities to explore denominational ministry in congregations or agencies.

Courses specific to some denominations may be offered at the School of Divinity. These courses are designed to introduce students to denominational theologies and polities and to assist students with preparation for denominational ordination exams. Students may request that the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs explore course offerings specific to their denominational affiliation. Other opportunities for preparation for ministry within particular denominations include independent study, clinical pastoral education, and transfer credit.

Hispanic Summer Program

Wake Forest University School of Divinity is a sponsoring institution of the Hispanic Summer Program, which offers several 3-credit intensive summer courses during the month of June each year, along with an online J-term course in January. These courses are taught by Latinx faculty from accredited colleges and universities in the USA and Puerto Rico and are geared toward Latinx students, though a number of seats are available for non-Latinx students. The course fee for an in-person course for students from sponsoring institutions covers tuition, room and board, and airfare reimbursement. All HSP credits are transferable to Wake Forest University School of Divinity.

Moravian Studies

The city of Winston-Salem, NC is shaped by its Moravian heritage and a rich ongoing Moravian presence. While enrolled at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, students seeking candidacy for ordination in the Moravian Church may earn the twelve-credit Certificate in Moravian Studies online through Moravian Theological Seminary, as well as complete internships at local Moravian churches.

The Certificate in Moravian Studies is offered as a possible alternative to a year of residential study at Moravian Seminary in partial fulfillment of requirements for ordination. Interested students should first contact the Provincial Elders’ Conference (PEC) regarding this possibility. If approved, The School of Divinity and Moravian Seminary will work with the PEC to advise interested students. Tuition assistance for the Certificate is available through the PEC.

All courses must meet ATS requirements for transfer credit to apply toward the WFU MDiv degree. Additional eligible courses from Moravian Seminary, beyond the Certificate in Moravian Studies, may be accepted for transfer with a written recommendation from the PEC that these courses are required preparation for ordination in the Moravian Church.

One-credit Courses

The School of Divinity offers several types of one-credit courses.

• Topics courses introduce students to themes or perspectives of current interest within theological, spiritual, ministerial, or cultural research and conversations.
• Readings courses provide students with opportunities to do intensive reading and study in particular subjects within the curriculum.
• Practicum courses provide students with opportunities to receive course credit for applied disciplines such as planning community worship.

One-credit courses are designed and taught by School of Divinity faculty, University faculty, and visiting professors. Only four practicum course hours can be applied toward the overall degree requirements. Beyond the four-hour practicum limit, students may continue to participate in practicum courses and are not required to register for audit status.

Senior Project Option

Students have the option of completing a graded, six-hour senior project spanning the spring term of their second year and the fall term of their third year. The goal of the senior project is for students to hone the skills and practices of academic research, leading to the creation of a significant, research-informed reflection on a topic of theological inquiry. Senior projects may take the form of a traditional written thesis. They may also be developed in other media–for example, a project around a ministry practice completed in an internship setting or a project in an artistic performance or other medium. 

Students select and partner with a faculty advisor who guides the development of the senior project over the course of the two semesters. The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs coordinates the senior project process for all students who register for this option. 

Senior projects are developed in two stages:

I. Spring-term research component (3 credit hours): Working with a faculty advisor and following a course syllabus developed by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, students engage in a semester of research on a topic of theological inquiry. Students may elect to conclude their work at the end of the spring term if they do not wish to complete the project component in the fall term. The research component in the spring is a pre-requisite for the project component in the fall.

II. Fall-term project component (3 credit hours): Having completed the project research and design in the spring of their second year, students develop the project over the course of the fall of their third year. Expectations for progress and evaluation are outlined in the fall term course syllabus.  

Master of Divinity Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BIB 521	Old Testament Interpretation	3
BIB 541	New Testament Interpretation	3
Biblical Studies Electives		6
HIS 501	History of Christianity	3
THS 501	Christian Theologies in Context	3
THS 521	Foundations of Christian Ethics	3
or THS 522	Introduction to Theological Ethics
CDS 501	Social and Cultural Analysis	3
MIN 602A & MIN 602B	Internship Reflection Seminar and Internship Reflection Seminar	3
or MIN 602C	Summer Internship Reflection Seminar
MIN 501	Art of Ministry	3
One 300-hour ministry internship
MIN 511	Practical Theologies for Social Change	3
MIN 705	Integrative Capstone	3
Spirituality Elective		3
Interfaith Dialogue Elective		3
General Electives		30
Total Hours		72