The Master of Divinity degree program is designed for students preparing to enter ordained ministry. This degree meets the requirement for ordination for most major Protestant denominations. The Master of Divinity degree at Claremont is focused on preparation that will enable students to deepen their understanding of our religious heritage and to acquire the perspectives and skills necessary for leadership in the church in the coming decades. Within classes, students themselves provide a global perspective, given the multicultural and international make-up of Claremont's student population. Professors normally incorporate texts written by persons from a variety of cultures into the course content, and the faculty as a whole gives attention to pedagogy within a multicultural context.

Ministry itself is a highly complex vocation, requiring understanding of a diversity of disciplines. Ministers must incorporate sound biblical knowledge, historical understanding, theological insight, and ethical wisdom into the daily work of proclamation, administration, teaching and caring for communities of faith. The challenge of ministerial education is to build the integration of these subject matters into the curriculum in such a way that the diverse subjects reinforce each other, creating a unified course of study. Furthermore, all courses in the M.Div. program intentionally raise the issues of the relation of course material to the practice of ministry. Thus the scheduling and structuring of the courses are designed to facilitate the integration of subjects toward the integrity of ministry.

The Master of Divinity program consists of 90 units of coursework, including field placements. The faculty encourages students to design an emphasis in one subject area, either drawn from the disciplines or in interdisciplinary areas such as Urban Ministries. Students may also choose to design their own area of emphasis, such as "social transformation," by working with faculty to select courses and to develop specialized assignments within existing courses. Taking a minimum of four courses beyond those required constitutes an emphasis. One of these courses may be a directed study internship, such as in the Urban Ministries emphasis.

Students who pursue the Master of Divinity degree full time can complete the program within three academic years. Part-time students can take as long as six years to complete the program.

Students in all degree programs are required to take an entrance examination in the area of English skills. Students for whom English is their first language are required to take an English composition exam. Students for whom English is not their first language are required to take an English proficiency exam. Based on the results of these exams, students may be required to take a course in English Composition or in English as a Second Language.

All entering M.Div. students must complete a public speaking evaluation in the fall semester. In light of this evaluation, a student may be required to enroll in a lab course or a tutorial in order to improve speaking skills.

Placement Examinations

Students with a background in religious studies may take certain placement exams as substitutes for required courses or they may petition for a waiver and move directly to advanced courses. No course credit is given for the examinations, and an advanced elective must be taken in the field for which an examination is used.

Biblical Languages

Students are strongly encouraged to study Greek and Hebrew. Both languages are considered essential for ordination by some denominations, and students will be responsible for meeting ordination requirements of their particular denomination. Many advanced courses in Bible will have a biblical language as a prerequisite. See semester class schedules for specific prerequisites.

Students are strongly encouraged to develop resources for their own spiritual life while at Claremont. The faculty has developed a spiritual formation program to help guide students in their spiritual development. Daily worship, retreats and many of the course offerings help to fill out one's spiritual program. Spiritual disciplines are also integrated into the second-year field education placement. Additional opportunities for spiritual development include weekly community chapel services in Kresge Chapel and informal worship in the Prayer Chapel located on the second level of the Butler Building.

Opportunities to fulfill denominational ordination requirements for The United Methodist Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A., the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the United Church of Christ are available through the resources of Claremont School of Theology. The School will make special arrangements, as needed, to ensure that all M.Div. students meet the academic requirements of their respective denominations.

Episcopal students have the option of a joint M.Div. degree program between Claremont and the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont (ETSC). Students elect courses at both ETSC and CST to meet the requirements for the degree. Contact the Admission Office for a full description of the program. Students of the Episcopal Theological School are encouraged to apply early for the joint M.Div. program. Credits earned in the ETSC program will apply toward the CST degree. All CST requirements must be met. Consult the standards for the Master of Divinity program.

Contextual education at Claremont is usually conducted within the context of a parish, church-related agency, or other ministry context. In some courses, the student completes a campus component followed by a project in the field context. In other courses, the context is woven into the semester requirements for the course.

Second-year students, or those who have completed the first 30 hours of M.Div. studies, must enroll in the two-semester field education sequence, either in the Urban Ministry Program or the Teaching Parish Program. Urban placements may be in any approved ministry setting (e.g. an inner city church or an ecumenical service agency). As in the Teaching Parish Program, an on-site supervisor works with each student, and the students meet weekly with a Seminar Pastor or Urban Ministry Professor to reflect upon the placement experience.

Teaching parishes are our partners in ministerial education. They have agreed to: (1) provide the student with experience in the full range of ministerial activities throughout the school year; (2) create a Teaching Parish Committee of laity to meet with the student monthly, study the syllabi from the student's classes, read and discuss with the student one of the class texts, and give the student evaluative guidance concerning the student's work in the parish; (3) and provide a Teaching Pastor. For the first weeks of the placement, the student "shadows" the pastor, observing the practice of ministry. Thenceforth, the student carries out tasks of ministry assigned by the pastor, meeting with the pastor weekly to discuss performance.

Students also meet weekly in small seminars on campus led by a Seminar Pastor, who guides the student in analyzing the congregation in its setting, its mission statement in relation to its budget, and the integration of seminary studies with the practice of ministry. Students with extensive ministerial experience may be able to substitute a one-semester internship for the two semesters normally required for field education.

Applicants for admission must hold a Bachelor of Arts or equivalent degree from a regionally accredited institution with at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (4.00 scale). Personal qualifications and commitment to ministry will be considered. The following documents must be submitted to the Office of Admission by the appropriate deadline:

1. A completed Application for Admission form
   
2. Application fee of $50 (non-refundable)
   
3. Personal statement -- an essay of 1,000 words addressing plans for theological study (see queries on application)
   
4. Official transcripts from every college, university or seminary attended beyond high school to be sent directly to Claremont School of Theology
   
5. Three recommendations sent directly to Claremont School of Theology (one must be an ecclesiastical or pastoral reference)
   

Admission deadlines are as follows: Feb. 15 for fall semester (priority for scholarships); May 1 for fall applicants; Nov. 1 for spring semester (priority for financial aid); Dec. 1 for spring applicants.

Persons whose first language is not English must submit a TOEFL with a 550 minimum score (paper-based) or 230 (computer-based) or 89 ibt. Non-United States citizens should consult Admission Information for International Students.

Page revised 06-13-06