Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

The curriculum for our flagship degree program is designed to give students a solid foundation for wherever their calling takes them—be that ordination, lay ministry, nonprofit work, or a career in teaching. Our classes cover Old and New Testament, Church history, Christian theology, world Christianity, ministry, worship, preaching, Biblical languages, the Black Church, and a variety of electives. For a sample of a three-year residential M.Div. the curriculum at Duke Divinity, see below:

The call to serve in ministry is compelling and answering it is complex. Deep academic study and theological reflection are necessary to embrace your call and develop the imagination to build the church, academy, and world of tomorrow. At Duke Divinity School, our Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program gives you time and structure for academic immersion. It will prepare you to lead and transform your faith.

Duke Divinity School’s mission is to engage in a spiritually disciplined and academically-rigorous education in service and witness to the Triune God in the midst of the church, the academy, and the world. We strive to cultivate a vibrant community through theological education on Scripture, engagement with the living Christian tradition, and attention to and reflection on contemporary contexts in order to form leaders for faithful Christian ministries.

As the spiritual center of a great research university, Duke Divinity School is the embodiment of Duke University’s motto: Eruditio et Religio—Knowledge and Faith. Founded in 1926 as the first of the university’s graduate professional schools, the Divinity School attracts students from across the nation and around the world. One of 13 seminaries founded and supported by the United Methodist Church, the school has from its beginnings been ecumenical in aspiration, teaching, and practice. With many diverse theological perspectives represented here, students find common ground through immersion in Scripture and the church’s tradition for addressing the challenges of faith in contemporary contexts.