(General Ministries Track--General emphasis available at the suburban Philadelphia campus or Texas campus; all other emphases available in suburban Philadelphia only.)

A student who holds a baccalaureate degree from an approved institution receives the degree of Master of Divinity (M.Div.) on the completion of the prescribed program of study. The purpose of this program is twofold: (1) to prepare men for the pastoral ministry and to equip them to meet ecclesiastical requirements for ordination (Pastoral Ministry Track); (2) to train men and women for gospel ministries of a more specialized sort (General Ministries Track). Such ministries might include counseling, Christian education, youth work, college and university student ministries, and urban service.

Students planning to seek ordination for pastoral ministry should be aware that completion of the M.Div. degree in a General Ministries track may not satisfy the requirements for ordination of certain denominations. This is particularly the case if the sequence of courses in preaching is not included. One should check with the appropriate denominational judicatory.

The program of study prescribed for the M.Div. degree provides two tracks for training, in keeping with the twofold purpose of the program: (1) a Pastoral Ministry Track and (2) a General Ministries Track which has three emphases: General Studies, Counseling, and Urban Mission. The degree requirements for the two tracks are the same except for certain Practical Theology courses. Successful completion of a program of Mentored Ministry is required in both tracks. Students should contact the Mentored Ministry Office at the beginning of the second semester of their first year in order to arrange for completing their required four units of ministry.

Courses in both tracks are arranged to provide for orderly progress within the work of each department and for coherence within each semester of study. All of the programs require at least three years of full time study (16-17 hours per semester plus winter term) for completion. Note that in order to complete the program in the minimum time, the student must begin with the summer term and complete the courses in sequence as noted below. (Students who cannot carry a full course load as indicated, because of employment or other reasons, usually must extend the length of their Seminary program.)

In the Pastoral Ministry Track, a three year and a four year program are listed below. Students interested in taking the General Ministries Track in four years may secure a suggested outline from the Registrar or online.

The Registrar and Dean of Students are available for counsel concerning individual student needs.

Mentored Ministry

A biblical understanding of wisdom prevents us from separating knowing and doing, learning and practice. Wisdom unites the facets of knowledge, character, and skill. It results from academic learning and practical experience when accompanied by supervision and self-examination. Candidates for the M.Div. degree are therefore required to participate in mentored field experience in ministry. All arrangements for Mentored Ministry requirements are handled through the Mentored Ministry Office.

Requirements

The M.Div. academic curriculum (except the M.Div.-Counseling) includes the required two-hour course, PT 111 Orientation in Ministry. This course introduces Mentored Ministry and is a prerequisite for any approved field experience.

The M.Div. candidate must complete four units of Mentored Ministry to qualify for the degree. The four units must be completed before the end of December in the academic year the student expects to graduate. Several formats are available. The units may be taken concurrently with the academic year or during summer or year-long internships. For students in the M.Div.-General Ministries Track with Counseling Emphasis, the Mentored Ministry will ordinarily occur in a counseling setting, primarily in a local church. It is strongly recommended that at least one unit be completed in a cultural setting different from the student’s own.

The M.Div. (both Pastoral and General Ministry Tracks) student must participate in at least two integration seminars. These are semester-long weekly sessions of one hour each in which no more than 12 students meet with faculty to analyze and discuss the actual ministry experience of the participants. The seminars are offered each semester and are not assigned academic credit. However, each student must participate in two seminars to complete the requirements of Mentored Ministry.

The M.Div. - Counseling student must participate in at least two counseling observations. Each observation includes observing a staff counselor through a one-way mirror (1 hour) and then meeting as a group for a time of interaction. These counseling observations can be taken anytime during the program after having completed PTC 151 Dynamics of Biblical Change, but it is recommended that the student sign up for his/her first observation at least within the first two years of his/her program. The observations are offered each semester and are not assigned academic credit.

The M.Div. - Counseling student must also participate in two semesters of weekly two-hour practicum meetings. Normally these practicums consist of one hour of instruction and one hour of supervision of active counseling cases from either a CCEF counseling internship or internships being done in other locations (church, crisis pregnancy center, etc.) where the student is in ministry. The practicums are offered each semester and are not assigned academic credit.

M.Div. - Counseling students should be aware that although they will receive priority consideration for CCEF internships, CCEF cannot guarantee counseling internships to each M.Div. - Counseling student.

Each student must participate in a final evaluation/interview held during the final year. Field work appraisals are a part of the final year evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the student’s gifts, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as overall readiness for ministry. The resulting assessment in no way can jeopardize the granting of the M.Div. degree if the student completes all Mentored Ministry units and academic requirements.

Credit

One unit of Mentored Ministry credit is received for 100-120 hours of mentored field experience under an approved mentor. Units of Mentored Ministry are not assigned credit hours and no grades are given. Approval for any unit may be withheld by the Director of the Mentored Ministry program, however, if ministry proposals are not fulfilled or if evaluations and other requirements are not completed by prescribed dates.

No credit may be given for ministry experience prior to matriculation at Westminster. Transfer credit for up to two units of Mentored Ministry may be given to students who transfer from other seminaries with approved programs of mentored field experience.

M.Div. candidates are strongly encouraged to take Evangelism Explosion training for one unit of credit in the Mentored Ministry program. One unit of credit in the program also can be given for successful completion of the Sonship course available through World Harvest Mission. Also, one credit unit can be received by serving on campus as a Mentored Ministry Partner to incoming international students. At completion the student must submit a statement reflecting on the implications of this program for ministry in the church and in the world. The Mentored Ministry Office will seek to make such training accessible.

Suggested schedules for the M.Div. programs are provided below.