Master of Divinity

The Master of Divinity program trains people for ordained ministry. Under the umbrella of Formation for Ministry, students engage in a broad range of study and practice designed to give the necessary knowledge, skills, and character for ministry in today's church and world.

Admission Requirements (show | hide)

People seeking admission to the seminary and the M.Div. degree program must indicate that they are enrolling as an obedient response to God's call to ministry through his Word and Spirit. Christ gives gifts to his church, and the New Testament teaches that all believers are so endowed (1 Peter 4:10). Nevertheless, among believers there are some with gifts that single them out for ordination as ministers of the Word. An applicant's call, therefore, must include a personal inner conviction created in the heart, mind, and conscience by God's Spirit and also a communal endorsement through a body of believers who can testify to the gifts for ministry possessed by an applicant. The central task of Calvin Theological Seminary is to nurture its students' gifts for ministry.

  1. Personal qualifications
    In order to evaluate the personal qualifications of each applicant, the seminary requires:
    1. An autobiography by the applicant including, among other matters, an indication of love for and commitment to Christ and his church, a statement of personal religious faith, a statement showing understanding of and a sense of calling to the Christian ministry, a summary of ministry experience, and an assessment of personal qualifications and gifts for ministry.
    2. A recommendation from the applicant's home congregation that identifies the applicant's personal qualifications for ministry, how those gifts have been demonstrated in the worship, life, and work of the congregation, and a statement detailing the ways the applicant shows promise for the ministry of the Word.
    3. Testimony in all personal recommendations concerning the applicant's personal qualifications and gifts for ministry.
    4. A psychological assessment, which will be used to enhance the student's growth during seminary studies.
  2. Academic qualifications
    1. To qualify for admission as a candidate for the M.Div. degree, an applicant, must possess a B.A. degree or its equivalent from an accredited college and have a grade-point average of 2.67 (B-) or higher. A mature, self-disciplined learner who is at least 35 years of age may be admitted with less than a B.A. degree. Admission of such applicants is limited to the persons with life experience that has prepared them for theological study at the graduate level. In no case will an applicant be admitted without at least two years of appropriate college-level work with a G.P.A. of 2.67 (B-) or higher.
    2. The following is required for admission to Master of Divinity degree candidacy:
      1. At least two years of Greek.
      2. At least two semester-length courses each in English (including literature), history, philosophy (preferably history of philosophy), natural science, social science, and speech.
      3. Upon review of the applicant's baccalaureate program, the admissions and standards committee may require additional work in given disciplines as a condition for admission to the status of degree candidate. Such conditional admission does not delay one's enrollment at the seminary because the seminary offers such courses focused on preparation for theological education. These courses are ordinarily completed during the first year of seminary study and may fulfill elective course requirements. However, potential applicants should be aware that one's M.Div. program is enhanced more by elective choices if all admissions requirements are completed in college.
    3. Further considerations
      1. An applicant may be admitted to seminary studies while completing admission requirements. Ordinarily all admission requirements must be completed during the first year of seminary study.
      2. Because churches exist in multi-cultural societies, and because the church is increasingly multi-ethnic, students are encouraged to study a foreign language in addition to Greek in their undergraduate programs. Languages such as Dutch, French, German, or Latin are important for persons considering graduate study in certain disciplines, while Spanish or a language of the Two-Thirds World are valuable for other types of ministry.
      3. Special circumstances in an applicant's background or present life situation may qualify for waiver of certain entrance requirements. Application for such consideration may be made to the director of admissions and registrar.
      4. An applicant who has not achieved the quality of academic work required for degree candidacy may be admitted in probationary status. Such status shall ordinarily not continue beyond four quarters.
  3. Application
    The application procedure is detailed in the section of the Catalog on "Admissions and Expenses: General Regulations" (pdf)
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Program Requirements (Revised June 2007) (show | hide)

"Formation for Ministry" is the integrating principle of the M.Div. degree at CTS. Formation is designed to take place in all three areas of the program: courses, Formation for Ministry (FFM) groups, and internships.

  1. Course requirements -- 134 credits
    Division Course Credit Hours
    Interdisciplinary      
      901 Theological Education as Formation for Ministry 2
      902 Theological Education as Formation for Ministry (cont.) 1
    Formation for Ministry Groups (details below) 9
    Cross-cultural Internship (details below) 2
    Congregational Internship (details below) 4

    Biblical
    Old Testament Department    		  
      101 Biblical Hebrew 6
      113 Intro to Hebrew Exegesis for Ministry 3
      115 Narrative Literature of the Old Testament 3
      126 The Message/Psalms and Wisdom Books 3
      One of the following two: 3
        128  The Major Prophets  
        129  The Minor Prophets (The Twelve)  
      One exegetical elective* 3
      New Testament Department  
      216 The Greek Text and New Testament Interpretation 3
      219 The Pauline Letters 3
      224 The Gospels 3
      One exegetical elective* 3

    Theological
    Historical Theology Deparment    		  
      311 General Church History I 3
      312 General Church History II 3
      313 General Church History III 3
      (Students with a strong background in history may substitute an elective for a core course with special permission of the department and the registrar)  
      332 Christian Reformed Church History 3
      (Students not seeking to be ordained as ministers of the Word in the CRC may substitute any elective in historical theology)  
      Systematic Theology Department  
      415 The Doctrine of God and Creation 3
      425 The Doctrine of Christ/Salvation 3
      435 The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Church and Kingdom 3
      One departmental elective*
    (For students seeking to be ordained as ministers of the Word in the CRC, this elective should be either 477 Ecumenical Creeds and Reformed Confessions or 491 The Heidelberg Catechism)     		3
      Philosophical and Moral Theology Department  
      521 Fundamental Apologetics 3
      531 Basic Christian Ethics 3
      One of the following three departmental electives: 3
        555 Church and Society  
        568 Reformed World and Life View  
        574 Readings in Christian Social Ethics  
      Two Theological Division electives* 6

    Ministry
    Church Polity and Administration Department    		  
      603 Church Polity 3
      605 Church Administration 3
      Preaching and Worship Department  
      650 Introduction to Christian Worship 3
      651 Principles of Expository Preaching 2
      652 The Practice of Expository Preaching 2
      656 Intermediate Preaching 2
      657 Advanced Preaching 2
      Pastoral Care Department  
      701 Introduction to Pastoral Care 3
      702 Pastoral Care II 3
      Educational Ministry Department  
      750 The Teaching Ministry of the Church 3
      Missions Department  
      805 Personal Evangelism, Discipleship and Cross-Cultural Ministry Skills 3
      One Ministry Division elective* 3

    General    		      
      Three general electives* 9
      Major research paper** or one general elective* 3
     
    Total hours
    134

    * In addition to the electives, which are generally open to all M.Div. students, the courses that are designed for Th.M. students and so designated in the Student Handbook may be taken by senior M.Div. students with a grade-point average of 3.00 (B) or higher by permission of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

    ** This is a major research paper of not less than 7,500 and not more than 12,500 words. Subjects are arranged individually with a particular professor. This paper constitutes one elective in the regular senior curriculum. Specific rules are found in the Student Handbook.

  2. Formation for Ministry (FFM) Group -- 9 credits

    Students receive one FFM credit per quarter of FFM group involvement for nine quarters, for a total of nine credits.

    The FFM group is a faculty- or pastor-led group of 6 to 8 students that meets regularly over the student's entire seminary career (or first three years, if one's program extends longer than three years). These groups are designed to be communities of trust and reflection in which spiritual formation, theological integration, and ministry skill development take place. During the fall, winter, and spring quarters FFM groups focus upon certain areas of personal development or ministry practice. Integral to the success of the FFM group is the student's involvement with a vocational mentor and regular involvement in a local church.

    Activities related to the FFM group are expected to take approximately 40 hours per quarter. Each quarter the student should spend approximately 6 hours with their vocational mentor, 14 hours with their FFM group and related activities, and 20 hours doing required ministry practices, completing documentation for their Formation for Ministry Folio (FFMF), practicing their Rule of Life first developed in Course 901, and participating in the life of the church. This 20 hour figure includes a wide variety of activities but is intended to especially highlight the student's Rule of Life and regular involvement in the life of a local church as an integral part of the formation process.

    List of Grand Rapids CRC Churches


  3. Internships - 6 credits
    All students will ordinarily complete two summer internships over the course of their M.Div. program.
    • cross-cultural summer internship - 2 credits (200 hours minimum)
    • congregation-based summer internship - 4 credits (400 hours minimum)
    1. Cross-cultural summer internship: This will be a student's first internship and will place the student in a ministry setting in a cultural context distinctly different (economically, ethnically, etc.) from the student's own background. As much as possible this will be an immersion experience. Typically, this internship will be five to six weeks in length, with a minimum of 200 hours of ministry involvement. The student will be challenged to participate in ministry, but will not have a primary role and/or heavy leadership responsibilities. On-site mentoring, a written reflection and peer evaluation are possible ways of guiding/documenting this internship. In this internship, students will be encouraged to complete various ministry practices requirements/documentation for their FFMF. Also, students will be expected to maintain contact with and meet (via e-mail, and/or phone) with their vocational mentor. Sites for these summer internships involve collaboration with ministries such as:
      • Facing Your Future (FYF) ministry settings
      • Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM)
      • Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC)
      • Christian Reformed Home Missions (CRHM)
      • Border-Plex Ministries (El Paso, Texas)
      • Christian Ministry in the National Parks
      • Urban ministry settings in Grand Rapids
      • Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE)
      • Prison Fellowship Jail Ministries

      The student will earn 2 credits for this internship. This internship experience will be processed with the student's FFM leader/group during the subsequent fall quarter.

    2. Congregation-based summer internship: This will be a student's second internship, and will give the student an immersion experience in a congregational setting where a pastoral identity can be confirmed and further honed. Typically, this internship will be 10 weeks in length with a minimum of 400 hours of ministry involvement. On-site mentoring, written reflections and a council evaluation are possible ways of guiding/documenting this internship. Also, students will be encouraged to complete various ministry practices requirements/documentation for their FFMF. Students will be strongly encouraged to maintain contact with their vocational mentor (via e-mail or phone). Ideally, these ministry placements will be in ministry settings outside the West Michigan area and throughout the U. S. and Canada. They may include opportunities to work alongside a pastor or in a congregation with no current pastor. This internship experience will be processed with the student's FFM leader/group during the subsequent fall quarter. Students will do a thorough assessment of their FFMF with their FFM leader and will begin discerning plans for the coming year(s).

    3. Elective residency: A residency program will be offered for students who want the equivalent to a year-long, full-time internship. This residency may be developed along the lines of a student's plans for continuing preparation for specialized ministry such as New Church Development (NCD) or Chaplaincy. In other cases, a student simply may express a desire for more ministry experience in a congregational setting under the direct mentoring of an experienced pastor in the context of a one-year, full-time residency.

      A residency might be recommended for students who would profit from additional ministry practice experience before entering ordained pastoral ministry. In these cases this decision will have been reached through a process of discernment by the student with the student's FFM leader and in consultation with the Director of Ministry Formation and the faculty. A residency will be developed with the student's particular needs in view, and incomplete or inadequate aspects of a student's FFMF will be completed in this context.

      An appropriate administrative fee will be charged for arranging and monitoring the residency. If the student needs to make up unearned FFM credit, the student will also be credited/billed on a per unit basis for the amount of credit needed to complete their degree program.

  4. Formation for Ministry Folio (FFMF) is the collection of the documents that are generated in the Formation for Ministry program as listed below:
    1. Local Church and Vocational Mentor Commitment Form
    2. Three student-written progress reports
    3. Three FFM group leader response paragraphs to progress reports
    4. At least three vocational mentor assessments
    5. At least two assessments from summer internships
    6. Six integrative papers (5 pages each; one for each ministry practice area)
    7. Final Assessment by FFM group leader

  5. Comprehensive examinations

    In addition to taking regular quarter examinations, candidates for the M.Div. degree are required to sustain four comprehensive examinations: a written examination on Bible content, written examinations testing competence in the use of biblical Hebrew and Greek*, and a one-hour oral examination by representative members of the faculty in the field of theology as a whole.

    *For M.Div. students at Calvin Theological Seminary, the requirements for demonstrating competence in both Hebrew and Greek can be met in one of three ways:

    1. Take an Exam
    2. Take a Course
    3. Take a Seminar

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Exiting Requirements (show | hide)

  1. In order to be approved by the faculty for graduation, students must have satisfactorily completed the admission requirements, program requirements, and the comprehensive examinations.
  2. In order to be recommended by the faculty for candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church, students must meet the synodical requirements for candidacy; must have demonstrated academic, personal, and professional readiness for ministry, and must ordinarily have a cumulative GPA of 2.85.
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Urban Ministry Concentration (show | hide)

Students pursuing a concentration in Urban Ministry devote three general elective courses plus the "Major research paper or one general elective" requirement to courses in urban missiology. Any of the following elective courses qualify:

Course Quarter
Hours
831 Missions Seminar on Europe* 3
832 Missions Seminar on Africa* 3
833 Missions Seminar on Asia* 3
834 Missions Seminar on Latin America 3
840 The Church and the Urban World 3
842 Travel Course on Ministry in the Urban Setting 3
848 Seminar on Missiology* 3
898 Research Course: Missiology* 3
899 Research paper (with an urban focus) 3

* with an urban focus for the major paper

They also do an internship in an urban setting as approved by the director of ministry formation.

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