MDiv - Ministry
The MDiv is a 75 hour program that provides high quality, accessible, and economical ministerial training for pastors involved in local church ministry. Courses take place in online, blended, and on-site formats. To enroll in the degree, a person must have earned a bachelor’s degree and be officially engaged in ministry at least 20 hours a week and connected with a worshiping body of Christian believers with whom they can successfully complete course assignments relating to the local church. Students take required courses (60 hours) in a carefully sequenced cohort format, but also have 15 hours of elective work. Professors include not only a core seminary faculty, but also draw on the strength of undergraduate faculty from IWU’s School of Theology and Ministry, as well as on a cadre of prominent adjunct, affiliate, and visiting faculty who teach various courses each year.
Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University strives to promote the following key learning outcomes in the MDiv program. A student who has completed the MDiv should, with graduate-level competency, be able to:
- Relate an informed understanding of relevant theories to a lifelong practice of ministry.
- Faithfully and fruitfully participate in the mission of God, lead a local congregation, facilitate worship, proclaim the word of God, spiritually form a people, and foster healthy interpersonal relationships.
- Delineate and implement a process of positive change and transformation into a holy person in one's personal, spiritual, vocational, congregational, and community life.
- Soundly integrate the Bible, Christian theology, and church history with each other and into the practice of ministry.
The required courses (60 hours) of the Master of Divinity degree are offered in cohort groups that meet weekly online or onsite, in addition to intensive and blended classes, which are often electives (15 hours). Cohort programs take students through a sequence of courses as a group. The core of the MDiv. curriculum consists of six, six-hour praxis courses of 16 weeks each, offered in the Fall and Spring. Each praxis course is further accompanied by a one-hour spiritual formation course. In addition, students take three-hour foundational courses in Bible, theology, church history, and ministry context in an intensive, one week format, along with a three-hour orientation and then capstone intensive courses. An additional 15 hours of elective credits are then needed to complete the 75 hour degree requirement.
Students who have taken equivalent courses in their undergraduate program to BIBL-500 The Bible as Christian Scripture, THEO-500 Introduction to Christian Theology, and CHST-500 Global Christian History will be allowed/encouraged to substitute an advanced Bible, theology, or church history elective, or may apply for Advanced Standing with credit.
MDiv students who wish to take the online versions of BIBL-500, THEO-500, or CHST-500 must have permission from the Dean of Wesley Seminary.
Progression Policy - Students must have completed all core courses before enrolling in MDIV-695. Registration in MDIV-695 will be cancelled for any students who fail to satisfactorily complete all core courses. All requirements for the degree must be completed within ten years of enrollment.
Residency Requirement - The default expectation of the MDiv program is to take at least 24 credit hours of the degree in a face-to-face setting. The student can then take the remainder of the program either online or onsite. Intensive courses are often offered around a weekend of yearly convocation, during which most students and faculty in the program come to campus.
Transfer Credit - A maximum of 27 hours may be transferred from another accredited master's program, provided it falls within seven years prior to admission.
Previous IWU Credit - Courses taken at IWU more than seven years prior to admission or readmission to the Seminary cannot be used to fulfill the requirements for this degree.
Bible Content Exam - Students in the MDiv program must pass the Bible Content exam with a 70% or higher prior to taking SPIR-540 Goal Setting and Accountability. Students who fail to achieve a sufficient score on the exam will be automatically withdrawn from future courses until such time as they pass the exam.
Admission and Graduation Requirements for Wesley Seminary
M.Div. Program of Study
Foundational Courses
Praxis Courses
Spiritual Formation
| SPIR-500 | Spiritual Formation: Change & Transformation | 1 |
| SPIR-520 | Spiritual Formation: Self Awareness & Appraisal | 1 |
| SPIR-540 | Spiritual Formation: Goal Setting & Accountability | 1 |
| SPIR-560 | Spiritual Formation: Mentoring & Spiritual Direction | 1 |
| SPIR-570 | Spiritual Formation: Personal & Corporate Disciplines | 1 |
| SPIR-590 | Spiritual Formation: Recovery & Deliverance | 1 |
Electives
Total Credit Hours: 75
