Master of Divinity
The Master of Divinity degree is the basic graduate degree in theological education. The eighty-one hour program of study leading to this degree is designed to prepare students for various forms of ministry in the church. In recognition of the great diversity of students’
undergraduate preparation and vocational goals, the M.Div. curriculum is flexible and allows much freedom in the selection of courses.

A concentration of elective courses in Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling is available within the structure of the general M.Div. program, as is an elective concentration in pre-Ph.D. studies and Black Church Studies.

Master of Arts in Christian Service
The Master of Arts in Christian Service degree is a forty-eight semester hour degree for persons who practice (or plan to practice) vocationally or bi-vocationally as lay ministers or as permanent deacons. The degree combines a basic understanding of theological disciplines with a mixture of practical coursework in order to focus on Christian service in various church settings.

United Methodist students preparing for deacons’ ordination may fulfill, with assistance from the Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, UMC expectations and utilize this degree to meet specific educational requirements.

Master of Theological Studies
The Master of Theological Studies degree is a forty-eight semester hour degree for persons who do not plan to be ordained. The degree provides a basic understanding of theological disciplines for those who plan to engage in further graduate study, or for those who wish to acquire a general theological education at the master’s level.

The M.T.S. is an appropriate degree program for (1) lay persons who seek to enrich their theological understanding; (2) persons who seek to enhance the theological foundations of their church leadership; (3) persons who wish to examine and develop religious and theological perspectives on their life situations; (4) persons who plan to use the M. T. S. degree as preparation for further graduate study. According to ATS standards, the M.T.S. is not a degree in preparation for ordained ministry.

Master of Theology
The Master of Theology degree is an advanced masters degree program at Brite Divinity School. The twenty-four hour program leading to this degree is designed to provide students with a more complete mastery of a particular area of theological study than is normally provided at the M.Div. level. Students who enter the program may seek a variety of objectives: to prepare for further graduate study at the doctoral level, to prepare for some forms of teaching (in institutions, public or private, where masters preparation is expected for entry level positions), to use scholarly study to enhance ministerial practice, or to engage in disciplined and critical reflection upon a specialized form of ministry. By the end of the program, students will be expected to demonstrate an advanced understanding of their chosen area of study through the completion of a thesis project.

Certificate of Theological Studies
A Certificate of Theological Studies is offered by Brite Divinity School to persons who do not project the completion of a degree program, but engage in a twenty-one semester hour program of graduate theological studies in order to enhance the quality of their lay leadership within the church and broaden their perspectives on contemporary faith and life.


Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is an advanced professional program (30 or 36 hours) intended to enhance the practice of ministry for persons who hold the M.Div. degree or its equivalent, who have worked in a ministerial context for at least three years after earning the M.Div. degree, and who continue in the tasks and responsibilities of ministry during the course of their doctoral study.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Brite offers the Doctor of Philosophy in two areas: Biblical Interpretation and Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling.

Biblical Interpretation The Ph.D. program in Biblical Interpretation (BIIN) is an advanced academic degree designed to prepare students for independent research and vocations of teaching biblical interpretation and related historical and theological areas in theological schools, colleges, and universities, or for the scholarly enhancement of ministerial practice. The Ph.D. program provides opportunities for study of the Hebrew Bible, Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and Literature of Early Judaism; New Testament and Literature of Early Christianity; Themes and Issues in Biblical Theology; the History of Biblical Interpretation; and Theological Hermeneutics. Students are guided to develop competence in original research and writing that advances theological understanding for the sake of church, academy, and society, as well as in pedagogical skills to convey this body of knowledge to others.

The Ph.D. program in Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling is designed to train women and men in the academic disciplines of pastoral theology, pastoral care, and pastoral counseling. In keeping with the mission of Brite Divinity School, graduates of this program will make significant contributions to the Church’s ministry with individuals, families, congregations, and social systems. Graduates will serve the Church as pastors and pastoral care specialists in local churches, as teachers and supervisors in educational institutions (universities, colleges, seminaries, medical schools), and as chaplains and pastoral counselors in clinical contexts (pastoral counseling centers, medical centers, hospitals). Graduates will be prepared to make further contributions to these disciplines and the Church by engaging in original research within any of these settings.


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