Master of Divinity

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Prepare for Pastoral Ministry

The Master of Divinity is the typical prerequisite for ordained pastoral ministry within much of the church. The Providence Master of Divinity program will provide you with a strong Biblical-theological foundation, encouraging you to foster a love for the Word of God while you grow in your love for His church, and commit to enhancing its well-being. At Providence you’ll learn to develop people-helping skills while attaining the training necessary for pastoral ministry. We’ll help you sharpen your spiritual gifts, and whether you are called to ministry in a church, para-church, or other ministry setting, we’ll ensure you have a foundational grasp of all aspects of training necessary to enter Christian ministry upon graduation. As a Master of Divinity student you’ll specialize in one of seven tracks: English Bible, Anabaptist Studies, Biblical Languages, Honours, Pastoral Counselling, Pentecostal Studies, or Youth Ministry Studies.

Information Sessions

We welcome you to join us on one of our information sessions to hear more about the application/admission process. You can find upcoming sessions here (under Seminary Sessions)

Major Options
Master of Divinity English Bible Track 72 credit hours
Master of Divinity Biblical Languages Track 75 credit hours
Master of Divinity Anabaptist Studies Track 78 credit hours
Master of Divinity Pentecostal Studies Track 78 credit hours
Master of Divinity Honours Track 81 credit hours
Master of Divinity Pastoral Counselling Track 81 credit hours
Master of Divinity Youth Ministry Studies Track 81 credit hours
Master of Divinity
Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Track 84 credit hours
Program Details

For Entrance into the Master of Divinity program

Recommended Prerequisites

  • English Composition and Speech, so that the student can express him/herself clearly in written and oral form.
  • History, Philosophy, Psychology, English Literature, and other arts and social sciences, so that the student comprehends the people and ideas of the past and the present.
  • Studies in the more specific areas of the natural sciences and foreign languages, in order to give the student contact with the scientific method and give preparation for grammatical studies in Greek and Hebrew, if needed.
  • Foundational courses in Bible and Theology.

Residence Requirement

  • All students will be required to complete a minimum of eight campus courses, totaling 24 credit hours or 1/3 of the total program. The four internship courses do not count toward this residency requirement.

If you are completing a four-year undergraduate theological degree:

  • Equivalent courses in your final year in a four-year undergraduate theological degree may transfer into the MDiv program to satisfy the core requirements, up to a maximum of 24 credit hours. Courses typically transferred in this category would include: up to 15 credit hours in Biblical Languages, Bible/Theology requirements such as Hermeneutics, Church History, Theological Foundations and/or Christian Ethics; Christian Ministries requirements such as Homiletics and/or Worldview & Culture. Generally speaking, courses transferred from an undergraduate theology degree will be knowledge based (such as languages) rather than formation based. Exceptions to the list of courses above may be approved upon evaluation of the syllabus by the relevant faculty member.

Program Tracks

  • English Bible
    •  72 credit hours
  • Anabaptist Track
    • 78 credit hours – Students are recommended (but not required) to complete Biblical Languages as an additional track (a total of 84 credit hours).
    • Students are required to adapt their capstone project for PS7101 Integrative Seminar (or their Master’s thesis) to reflect Anabaptist themes.
    • Students who wish to become Anabaptist pastors are strongly recommended to have internships in an Anabaptist congregation when fulfilling their requirements for the core M.Div.
  • Biblical Languages
    • 75 credit hours
  • Honours
    • 81 credit hours
  • Pastoral Counselling
    • 81 credit hours
  • Pentecostal Track
    • Students are recommended to complete Biblical Languages as an additional track (a total of 81 credit hours).
  • Youth Ministry Studies
    • 81 credit hours
  •  Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care
    • 84 credit hours

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please look to the Academic Calendar for full information and course lists. If there are discrepancies between the information listed here and in the Academic Calendar, the Academic Calendar is definitive.

Program Courses
  • Old Testament Text and Interpretation
  • Birth of the New Testament
  • Hermeneutics
  • Christian Ethics
  • Pastoral Theology
  • Greek or Hebrew Exegesis
  • Communication for Impact and Interaction
  • Leadership for the Church in a Changing Environment
Faculty

Angelle Arinobu, M.A. D.Min. ABD
Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology

Daryl Climenhaga, D.Miss.
Associate Professor of Global Studies

Joshua Coutts, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of New Testament

Gavin Hall (Program Coordinator)
Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology

Stan Hamm, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Educational & Christian Studies

Janice Priess, M.A.
Assistant Professor of Counselling Psychology

Laura Vander Velden, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology

Career Options
Graduates build careers in pastoral ministry, Christian education, worship ministry, youth leadership, or para-church ministry. Others pursue doctoral studies.