The Master of Divinity prepares you for a future of faithful ministry wherever you are currently serving or preparing to serve. Whether you feel called to a pastoral role, overseas missions, Bible translation or something else, the M.Div. at Cornerstone Theological Seminary will form you holistically. We seek to see you grow academically and as a follower of Jesus so that you can lead well. Our program is designed to provide the training, learning and formation in context with the busy life of family, ministry and vocation you are already juggling.
The Master of Divinity is Cornerstone’s most comprehensive degree; the course work is rigorous and covers areas that are essential in a variety of ministry settings, including biblical languages, interpretation of Scripture, theology, church history, spiritual formation and much more. We are passionate about serving Christ and His church by preparing ministry leaders for effective service, and our M.Div. demonstrates this commitment.
A seminary education is meant to form both your mind and your soul. The M.Div. program at CTS is a journey that keeps both of these arenas of formation at the forefront. The environment of CTS is one of intellectual humility where character formation is central. We are deeply dependent on God and His Spirit to work in our hearts throughout the process. We study God’s word to hear His voice and to submit to His call.
The course work is thorough and is designed to train you to lead and serve with humility and wisdom. You’ll complete 75 credit hours in the areas of Bible, theology and ministry. We place a strong emphasis on reading the Bible on its own terms, so our students take courses in Greek and Hebrew grammar and exegesis. We value the great tradition of which we are a part, so M.Div. students take extensive coursework in theology. We want our students to have practical experience and be connected to hands-on ministry, so you will complete ministry leadership courses as well as a ministry residency practical training sequence.
Careers
An M.Div. will provide a wide range of opportunities for employment—whether you want to work in a church, para-church ministry, nonprofit or another Christian organization.
Opportunities
Pastoral ministry
International missions
Bible translation
Pastoral counseling
Nonprofit leadership
Christian Publishing
Ph.D. or D.Min. studies
Chaplaincy
Ministry Residency
Cornerstone Theological Seminary is committed to serving Christ’s church by developing ministry leaders. The Ministry Residency program is strategic and essential in this endeavor as it provides avenues for students to connect with ministry mentors and to serve in local churches and other ministry sites. Students put their classroom learning to practice, gain important ministry experience and learn valuable lessons in this unique experience.
• Select a ministry setting that fits with your career goals
• Invest four semesters in the context you choose
• Learn from a ministry mentor
• Earn eight credits toward your ministry degree
Opportunities
CHURCH MINISTRY
HIGHER EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS
CAMP MINISTRY
TEACHING ASSISTANT
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Ancient Languages That Form our Hearts
Studying biblical languages offers at least three unique, formative benefits:
Clarity: The Bible is a foreign text from a foreign land and culture, and its literary features such as repetition and sentence structure often only come clearly into focus in the original languages.
Humility: Reading the Bible in the original language helps us see clearly that we are not in control of this text.
Cultural Perspective: Studying the ancient languages is a cross-cultural experience. When we read Greek and Hebrew we learn things about the ancient cultures and perspectives in a new way.
Courses
The M.Div. program at CTS is designed to transform your heart and mind for a life of ministry through a rigorous academic and spiritual formation process. M.Div. students will earn 75 credit hours in the following subjects.
Bible and Languages Core Courses
The Bible core of the M.Div. program consists of 33 credits. This sequence will equip you to study the Bible in its original language and context. Some of the courses you may take include the following:
BBL-510 Greek I: A study of the elements of Koine Greek.
BBL-511 Greek II: A continuation of Greek I with exercises in reading
the Greek New Testament, introduction to NT Textual Criticism and the use of basic lexical and syntactical tools.
BBL-516 Hebrew I: An introduction to the basic grammar and vocabulary of biblical Hebrew.
BBL-517 Hebrew II: A continuation of Hebrew I with emphasis on grammar, syntax and expansion of vocabulary by means of translating simple texts.
BBL-501 Biblical Hermeneutics: An introduction to the process of determining the original meaning and contemporary significance of biblical texts.
BBL-514 Old Testament Foundations
BBL-515 New Testament Foundations
BBL-672 N.T. I: Intro to Exegesis: An introduction to the theory of translation and practice of exegesis. Selections in the Pauline epistles are used to apply grammatical and hermeneutical principles of Greek exegesis.
BBL-677 N.T. II: The Gospels: Students will become aware of the rudiments of historical, source, form, redaction and literary critical methods. They will also develop their own skills in the exegesis of Gospel texts with a view to biblical theology and the ministry of the word.
BBL-678 N.T. III: The General Epistles: An introduction to the study of Hebrews, the General Epistles and Revelation, emphasizing Greek exegesis and biblical theology. Students will consider the historical setting of these books and develop their exegetical skills by working with selected texts.
BBL-640 OT I: Introduction to Hebrew Exegesis: An introduction to the methods of Hebrew exegesis, including textual criticism, syntactical and discourse analysis and lexical studies, with further development of skills in translating and understanding Hebrew narrative.
BBL-641 OT II: Exegesis in the Pentateuch: This course engages questions of composition, ancient history and culture, New Testament correlation, contemporary challenges to religion and ethics in the Old Testament, as well as the relevance and communication of the canonical message of these texts to contemporary culture.
BBL-642 OT III: Exegesis in the Prophets & Writings: A study of the content and biblical theology of Joshua through Malachi, including exegesis of selected texts from the Prophets, Psalms and wisdom literature. This course engages questions of composition, ancient history and culture, New Testament correlation, as well as the relevance and communication of the canonical message of these texts to contemporary culture.
Theology Core Courses
Through historical, systematic, moral, and philosophical theology students consider the context of the Bible as developed by God’s people in the history of the church and in contemporary cultures. Theology builds on the foundation of biblical exegesis with an aim to support the proclamation of the Gospel to the world.
THE-501 Program Introduction Seminar: This course prepares students for the rigors of graduate scholarship by honing the skills of graduate research, reading and writing
THE-540 Systematic Theology I: This course introduces and practices a metanarrative for doing theology. The biblical narratives and propositions are heard in the context of the story that begins with creation, is centered in Jesus’ first coming and reaches its culmination in the new heavens and earth
THE-640 Systematic Theology II: This course continues our metanarrative theology by examining the Christian story of creation, fall, redemption and consummation, with special attention given to the nature and task of humanity, the distortion of the world through sin and the redemptive work and person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
THE-641 Systematic Theology III: This course will examine in detail the doctrine of salvation (soteriology), the church (ecclesiology), the basic elements of pastoral theology (internal and external call to the ministry, ordination, ministry of the word and sacraments, church discipline and pastoral spiritual formation) and the four last things (death, judgment, heaven and hell).
Theology Electives (9 credits)
Ministry and Spiritual Formation Core Courses
Ministry courses guide the student to integrate biblical and theological studies into a philosophy of ministry for Christian service. Ministry programming equips the student to engage in practical theology through the proclamation of scripture, the spiritual formation of believers, and the extension of biblical witness to people around the world.
MIN-500 Christian Spiritual Formation: An investigation into the meaning of biblical Christianity and its relationship to faith and practice within contemporary cultural contexts. Special attention is given to the corporate dimensions of spirituality and spiritual formation.
MIN-685 Ministry Residency I -The student will get acquainted with their specific ministry culture. Through the student’s ministry, interaction with their mentor, contact with other ministry residency students and their own personal reflection, the student will lay a foundation for their journey in a ministry context while gaining feedback that will help them in preparation for ministry. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to articulate goals for personal growth and ministry competency, track and evaluate their time management, establish the discipline of journaling and reflection, apply regular feedback from their mentor and be relationally connected with their ministry context as they invest time and energy in establishing relationships and support.
MIN-686 Ministry Residency II Students will explore the importance of one’s personal spiritual formation in ministry (e.g., discipline of confession, dealing with grief, ministry burnout, ministry leader self-care, the discipline of simplification, etc.). Students will engage their ministry mentor on the following topics: leading board/committee meetings, strategic planning and facilitating staff meetings.
MIN-781 Ministry Residency III Explore ministry areas including classroom teaching; pastoral duties (e.g., funerals, pre-marital counseling, weddings, etc.); implementing a ministry initiative; cross-cultural immersion/engagement; and focusing on specificity of ministerial call.
We are committed to making the M.Div. affordable. As a result, we offer a wide variety of scholarships that help to cover an average of 25% of tuition. Contact your admissions counselor for more information.
Seminary students who are interested in applying for aid must complete both the FAFSA and the Seminary Scholarship Application. New students must receive acceptance for admission to be considered for scholarships. Scholarships can be applied for the fall and spring terms. Financial aid loans are available for all semesters, provided you maintain part-time enrollment status.
The priority deadline for the application is July 1 for new and readmit students and March 31 for returning students.
CTS prepared me to be a critical thinker. Rather than just telling us the answers, they have taught us how to search for them ourselves. In a world that has issues and problems that are changing and evolving, this has been a real gift that can be used for the rest of my life.
Anthony Raffa (’19)
Faculty
The M.Div. faculty at CTS have decades of teaching and ministry experience and are prepared to both teach you and mentor you as you prepare to serve faithfully in God’s church.
The Master of Divinity at Cornerstone Theological Seminary is one of several ministry-focused programs at CTS. Take a look at the other related programs at CTS.
