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Advanced Placement Master of Divinity

(AP MDiv)

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School seeks both to encourage and challenge students as they prepare for ministry, and to honor the strong educational foundation they have already gained. The Advanced Placement Master of Divinity (AP MDiv) is designed for qualified graduates of an accredited Christian college or university who desire to build upon an undergraduate ministry degree as they pursue the Master of Divinity at TEDS.

The standard TEDS MDiv program is 94 credit hours. The new AP MDiv is intended for students who have completed specific prerequisite courses.  This option allows for the possibility of completing the program with a minimum of 75 credits.

Benefits:

• MDiv for as few as 75 credits, depending on prior coursework
• Possibility of completing the program in 6 consecutive semesters (including summers)
• More elective courses for specialized ministry emphasis
• Freedom to take advanced courses in academic areas of interest

What Undergraduate Majors Are Eligible For AP MDiv?

Anyone is welcome to apply.  Applicants whose bachelor's degree is not in one of the following majors will likely find significant prerequisite deficiencies unless additional electives have been taken in pastoral ministry courses:

• Pre-Seminary
• Christian or Pastoral Ministry
• Youth Ministry
• Christian Education
• Biblical Studies/Literature
• Theological Studies
• Or similar ministry fields
• Other degrees may be considered.  Call the Admissions Office (1-800-345-8337) for more information.

Applicants with 19 or more hours of prerequisite deficiencies are not eligible for the AP MDiv, but may apply to the standard MDiv program. Applicants with less than 19 hours of deficiencies may be admitted to the AP MDiv, and must complete graduate level TEDS coursework in that area as assessed by the Admissions Committee.

Which Classes Count As Prerequisites?

Required Prerequisites

• church history or history elective focused on the history of the Christian church (3-4 hours)
• pastoral counseling including lab counseling experiences (2-3 hrs)
• Christian education or educational ministries in the local church (2-3 hrs)
• introductory preaching including lab preaching experiences (2-3 hrs)
• Biblical Greek language (6-8 hrs; two years recommended)
• Christian mission (2-3 hrs)
• evangelism (2-3 hrs)
• apologetics or Christian evidences (2-3 hrs)
• cultural engagement course (2-3 hrs)
• biblical or systematic theology covering the scope of theology (6-9 hrs)
• Christian ethics (2-3 hrs)
• denominational history and polity (1 hr or as required by the denomination)
• supervised cross-cultural ministry experience (not a mission trip)
• supervised ministry field experience, practicum, or internship (2 semesters or 200 hrs)
• a description of personal assessment courses and tools completed such as Meyers-Briggs Personality Test, Keirsey Temperament Sorter, Strengths Finder, CounselAid, etc.

Recommended Prerequisites

• Biblical Hebrew language (6-8 hrs; two years recommended)

Advanced standing for credit is not available in this program.

How Do I Apply For The AP MDiv?

In addition to the general admissions requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the following additional requirements are specific to the AP Master of Divinity program:

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree during the previous five years (Pre-Seminary Studies, Christian or Pastoral Ministry, or a similar Christian ministry-based degree recommended).
2. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher is required with a grade of "B" or better in each required prerequisite course.
3. Documentation of completion of specific prerequisite courses from the bachelor's program. Documentation may include a syllabus for each course being considered.  Students may locate past syllabi by contacting the academic office at their undergraduate institution.  In the case where syllabi may not be located, a course description for each course may be submitted in place of a syllabus.
4. Students must submit the Supplemental Application for AP MDiv in addition to their formal application to Trinity. This must specify the course name, hours, and grade of each class being submitted as a prerequisite. Documentation must be provided in order to receive credit for the classes.