14 Certificate Programs
12 - 24 Credit Hours
3 Study Options
(On Campus, Online, or Extension Sites)
50+ World Class Faculty
12 Certificate Programs
12 - 24 Credit Hours
3 Study Options
(On Campus, Online, or Extension Sites)
50+ World Class Faculty
Strengthen Your Ministry
Study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School provides theological education and ministry training that equips you to serve God with wisdom and grace, in truth and love. Our world-renowned faculty are deeply invested in teaching and mentoring students, immediately welcoming you into a community of servant-leaders making an impact on the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
Our certificate programs will help you to strengthen your ministry and marketplace skills within a specific area of study and can enhance a graduate degree. A certificate program is also a great first step into taking graduate level courses. Each of our certificate programs draw upon the core curriculum of our master’s programs, are stackable, and can be applied to a master’s degree.
“Trinity Evangelical Divinity School has provided me with the tools to explore, research, and analyze the depths of the Old Testament in a spiritual context. It has prepared me to enter a career of academics and lifelong pursuit embracing and loving the Old Testament.”
Riane McConnell '22
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Our Certificates
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School certificate programs help you to strengthen your ministry skills within a specific area or enhance your graduate degree. TEDS world-class faculty will not only provide instruction but also personally interact with you throughout your program. Each of our certificates draw from the core disciplines of our curriculum and can be used as an entry point into our master’s programs.
Children and Family Ministry
12 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Gain a deeper understanding of spiritual formation, stewarding a ministry team, curriculum building, church leadership and administration, roles of family in spiritual development and intergenerational, family, and children’s ministry care. This certificate will equip you to serve children and families in the local church and ministry contexts.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required (4 semester hours) generally completed at the beginning of enrollment:
- EM 5200 Educational Ministries
- EM 5125 Teaching and Learning
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Additional requirements (8 semester hours)
- Select additional semester hours of courses prefixed EM or ES available at the master’s level (8999 or below). Courses from other departments or the ES 8000 Current Issues Seminar may be applied when such substitutions are approved in advance by the EM Department.
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Suggested curricular courses include but are not limited to:
- EM 5210 Christian Leadership and Administration
- EM 5510 Christian Formation and Journey
- EM 6100 Intergenerational Ministry in the Church
- EM 6265 Building Ministry Teams
- EM 6500 Curriculum Development
- EM 7110 Spiritual Formation within the Family
- ES 7524 Children in Congregations
- ES 7535 Nurturing Families in the Church
- ES 7560 Program Planning Dynamics in the Local Church Other departmental courses offered regularly may apply.
Christian Counseling
15 Credit Hours
Residential
Establish a strong foundation in counseling principles, practices, methods, and techniques, as well as explore how to ethically incorporate Christian faith into counseling. While this certificate will provide a broad foundation for counseling methods, a master’s degree is required to take a licensing exam.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Courses may be completed on the Bannockburn campus, through TEDS online courses, and at approved extension sites. Not all courses are available in all modes or every semester. The following requirements must be completed:
- ID 5000 Biblical Theology and Interpretation
- CO 5210 Counseling Skills Training
- CO 6130 Group Counseling
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Additional Courses
- CO 5310 Counseling Strategies: Theory, Treatment, and Technique
- CO 6110 Career Counseling
- CO 6120 Addiction Counseling
- CO 6000 Current Studies in Counseling
Christian Tradition
12 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Explore the rich traditions, theology, and history of the Christian faith throughout time beginning with the early church, through the Reformation, up to today. By examining church history and engaging the foundations of systematic theology, you will gain a biblical understanding of the ways in which God works in the world, as well as the effect culture has had on various church traditions throughout history.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required (12 semester hours)
- CH 5201 History of Christianity I
- CH 5202 History of Christianity II
- ST 5201 Theology I: The God of the Gospel
- ST 5202 Theology II: The Gospel of God
Educational Ministries
12 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Gain a deeper understanding of spiritual formation, curriculum building, and ministry practices to support each generation. This certificate will equip you to develop Biblically rooted programming and curriculum for all generations and intergenerational groups in the local church or other ministry contexts.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required: Genrally Completed at the beginning of enrollment
- EM 5100 Educational Ministries and Leadership OR EM 5200 Educational Ministries AND EM 5210 Christian Leadership and Administration
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Additional Requirements: Suggested curricular courses include but are not limited to:
- EM 5510 Christian Formation & Journey
- EM 5541 Youth and Emerging Adults in Congregations
- EM 5560 Adults in Congregations
- EM 6100 Intergenerational Ministry in the Church
- ES 7524 Children in Congregations
- ES 7535 Nurturing Families in the Church
- ES 7560 Program Planning Dynamics in the Local Church
- ES 8235 Ministry with Aging Adults Other departmental courses offered regularly may apply.
Greek Exegesis
12 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Learn to read, translate, and comprehend the New Testament scripture by reading it in its original language. Understanding the Bible in its original language will deepen your preaching, teaching, and interpretation of the New Testament and the Septuagint.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required (12 semester hours)
- ID 5000 Biblical Theology and Interpretation
- NT 5000 Introduction to the New Testament
- NT 5251 Greek Exegesis I*
- NT 5252 Greek Exegesis II*
- NT 5253 Exegesis for Preaching* *Requires proficiency in New Testament Greek, which may be accomplished through 8 additional hours (NT 4030 and NT 4031) or through passing a proficiency exam.
Hippocratic Healthcare Ethics
21 Credit Hours
Residential
Through this certificate you’ll evaluate current ethical issues in healthcare, examine the different approaches to bioethics throughout history, and be prepared to engage bioethics challenges within healthcare and contemporary medicine—all from a distinctly Christian perspective.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required (12 semester hours)
- BE 5000 Introduction to Bioethics: Matters of Life and Dignity OR BE 5100 Intensive Bioethics Institute
- BE 5002 Foundations for Cultural Engagement in Bioethics
- BE 5200 Research Ethics
- BE 5300 Clinical Issues in Bioethics
- BE 5500 Bioethics and Public Policy
- BE 6500 Advanced Bioethics Institute
- BE 6950 Bioethics Practicum
- BE 7300 Advanced Clinical Ethics
- BE 7478 Bioethics Capstone Project OR BE 7480 Bioethics Capstone Integrative or Major Paper
Leadership in Missions
12 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
By studying the theology and history of evangelism and missions around the world you will gain a strong foundation of anthropology, discipleship practices and practical evangelism methods which will enrich your ministry abilities both in the United States and around the world.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required:
- ME 6760 Theology of Mission and Evangelism
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Additional Requirements: Select additional semester hours of courses prefixed ME available at the master’s level (8999 or below). Courses from other departments may be applied when such substitutions are approved in advance by the ME Department.
- ME 5000 Foundations of Christian Mission
- ME 5001 Foundations of Evangelism
- ME 6410 History of the Expansion of Christianity
- ME 6610 Anthropology for Ministry
- ME 7300 World Religions
- ME 7510 Missional Church
- ME 7710 Contextualization
- ME 8250 Leadership Development and Culture
- ME 8500 Missional Disciple-making Other ME departmental courses offered regularly may apply.
Ministry Care
12 Credit Hours
Residential
Learn how to faithfully counsel, teach, support, and guide your brothers and sisters in Christ as they seek to be transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through this certificate you’ll explore ministry practices, counseling techniques, socio-cultural impacts on ministry, church leadership development, and building biblical curriculum.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required (12 semester hours)
- CM 5000 Introduction to Counseling Ministires
- EM 5100 Educational Ministries and Leadership
- ID 6500 Understanding Social and Cultural Contexts of Ministry
- PT 5100 Spiritual Formation for Ministry
- PT 7250 Christian Worship and Pastoral Practices
Old Testament Hebrew
13 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Learn to read, translate, and understand the Old Testament scripture by reading it in its original language. Understanding the Bible in its original language will deepen your exegetical study and applications of the Old Testament, making you a better preacher, teacher, and interpreter.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required (13 semester hours)
- OT 5000 Introduction to the Old Testament
- OT 5240 Elementary Hebrew I
- OT 5241 Elementary Hebrew II
- OT 5242 Hebrew Exegesis
Organizational Leadership
24 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Gain a deeper understanding of leadership practices and enhance your leadership skills in church, ministry or marketplace settings. By specializing in church leadership or executive leadership, you’ll be better equipped to lead teams in your area of focus.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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LOCAL CHURCH TRACK (MASTERS LEVEL)
- REQUIRED: EM 5210 Christian Leadership and Administration (Generally completed with EM 5200 Educational Ministries)
- Additional requirements: Select additional semester hours of courses prefixed EM or ES available at the master’s level (8999 or below). Courses from other departments or the ES 8000 Current Issues Seminar may be applied when such substitutions are approved in advance by the EM Department. Suggested curricular courses include but are not limited to:
- EM 5510 Christian Formation & Journey
- EM 6265 Building Ministry Teams
- EM 6275 Developing Healthy Spiritual Leaders
- ES 7550 Local Church as System
- ES 7560 Program Planning Dynamics in the Local Church
- ES 7815 Change, Power, and Conflict
- ES 8710 Social Intelligence and Leadership Other departmental courses offered regularly may apply.
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TRACK (DOCTORAL LEVEL)
- REQUIRED: ES 9175 Leadership and the Development of Organizations
- Additional requirements: Select additional semester hours of courses prefixed ES 7500 and above. Courses from other departments or the ES 8000 Current Issues Seminar may be applied when such substitutions are approved in advance by the EM Department. Suggested curricular courses include but are not limited to:
- ES 8710 Social Intelligence and Leadership
- ES 9275 Higher Education Administration
- ES 9305 Developing Emerging Leaders
- ES 9316 Innovation, Agility, and Leading Change
- ES 9330 Developing Collaborative Teams
- ES 9725 Ethics in Education Other departmental courses offered regularly may apply.
Pro-Life Advocacy and Engagement
12 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Understand the emerging bioethics and legal issues related to pro-life advocacy, discern the different approaches to bioethics throughout history, and be equipped to address challenges within emerging pro-life issues from a distinctly Christian perspective. This certificate will further equip professionals working at pro-life advocacy and non-profit organizations and those working in pregnancy centers.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required (12 semester hours)
- BE 5000 Introduction to Bioethics: Matters of Life and Dignity OR BE 5100 Intensive Bioethics Institute
- BE 5002 Foundations for Cultural Engagement in Bioethics
- BE 5499 The Public Policy Context
- BE 5500 Bioethics and Public Policy
- BE 5700 The Right to Life & the Law
Scripture
13 Credit Hours
Residential | Online
Gain a deeper understanding of the Bible by studying the Old Testament and the New Testament history, writings, and authors. Develop a Christ-centered approach to reading, interpreting, and applying scripture faithfully through courses on theology and biblical interpretation.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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Required Courses
- ID 5000 Biblical Theology and Interpretation
- OT 5000 Introduction to the Old Testament
- NT 5000 Introduction to the New Testament
- Select 3 hours of NT or OT electives
Teaching and Learning
24 Credit Hours
Residential | Remote
Expand your understanding of teaching methods, spiritual formation, curriculum building, education administration, and ministry teaching practices for each age group. With this certificate you’ll gain a strong foundation of educational ministry practices and have the option to specialize in a higher education administration track.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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MASTER'S LEVEL CERTIFICATE
- REQUIRED: EM 5125 Teaching and Learning
- Additional requirements: Select additional semester hours of courses prefixed EM or ES available at the master's level (8999 or below). Courses from other departments or the ES 8000 Current Issues Seminar may be applied when such substitutions are approved in advance by the EM Department.
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CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES REQUIREMENTS
- REQUIRED: EM 5100 Educational Ministries and Leadership OR EM 5210 Christian Leadership and Administration
- EM 5200 Educational Ministries Additional Requirements - Suggested curricular courses include but are not limited to:
- EM 5510 Christian Formation & Journey
- EM 5541 Youth and Emerging Adults in Congregations
- EM 5560 Adults in Congregations
- EM 6100 Intergenerational Ministry in the Church
- ES 7524 Children in Congregations
- ES 7535 Nurturing Families in the Church
- ES 7560 Program Planning Dynamics in the Local Church
- ES 8235 Ministry with Aging Adults Other departmental courses offered regularly may apply.
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HIGHER EDUCATION TRACK (DOCTORAL LEVEL)
- REQUIRED: ES 9150 Teaching in Higher Education
- Additional requirements: Select additional semester hours of courses prefixed ES 7500 and above. Courses from other departments or the ES 8000 Current Issues Seminar may be applied when such substitutions are approved in advance by the EM Department. Suggested curricular courses for the Higher Education track include but are not limited to:
- ES 8258 Online Teaching and Learning
- ES 8425 Theological Education: Topics
- ES 8715 Appreciative Inquiry
- ES 9200 Adult Learning Foundations
- ES 9210 Curriculum Theory and Design
- ES 9250 Modes of Higher Education
- ES 9275 Higher Education Administration
- ES 9280 Assessment in Higher Education
- ES 9700 Biblical and Theological Formation of the Educator
- ME 8215 Teaching Across Cultures Other departmental courses offered regularly may apply.
Theological Studies
21 Credit Hours
Residential | Online
Gain a solid foundation of theology and biblical interpretation with the option to choose your area of focus ranging from church history, systematic theology, New Testament, Old Testament, and more. This certificate is a building block for our MA in Theological Studies program.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
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There are no specifically required courses to complete the Certificate. However, Certificate students are required to fulfil the following minimal requirements:
- Biblical Studies
- Theological Studies
- 15 hours of Electives
Take the First Step
Now is the time to make your move. Request more information about Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Certificate Programs. Trinity can help you grow in your faith and take your career to where you want to go.
“I find myself constantly referring people to Trinity for the education but most important the faculty I was blessed by. It has set a trajectory for future ministry about which I am very excited.”
Brennan Bowman '20