Based on extensive feedback from experienced pastors and church leaders, our MDIV is designed to ground students in the disciplines required for pastoral and other vocational ministry by engaging the whole person through rigorous academics, on-campus community life, and expanded opportunities for real-life mentored ministry experiences alongside seasoned local pastors and ministry leaders.
A distinct advantage of our program is the deep and long-lasting relationships formed as students live, learn, worship, and minister together—along with faculty who are fully engaged in the community—in a diverse urban and suburban context. And our enhanced field education program is integrated into the core curriculum, allowing students to put their training into practice through partnerships with local churches and ministries. This residential seminary experience enables students to participate fully in the life of the community and uniquely prepares them for God’s next call upon their lives.
Designed to be completed in either three or four years, the MDiv offers deep familiarity with the Scriptures in their original languages and broad vocational flexibility.
NEW HYBRID FORMAT! The MDIV can now also be completed in a hybrid format: 3/4 of the degree may be completed online with the rest being completed in as few as 6 visits to campus for intensive courses.
While we remain as devoted as ever to person-to-person mentored ministry training, our MDIV students now have even greater flexibility in how they choose to study.
See the MDIV Program Overview.
TWO PRIMARY DEGREE TRACKS
Students may pursue the degree through either of two primary ministry tracks:
- The Pastoral Ministry Track prepares men for ordained ministry and requires courses in homiletics and other areas of practical theology essential for traditional or nontraditional pastoral ministry.
- The Specialized Ministry Track prepares men and women for work in a variety of settings such as educational ministries, campus ministry, counseling, teaching, research, writing, or post-graduate study. This track prescribes practical theology electives (such as educational ministries, counseling, contemporary culture, and world mission) in place of preaching and one practical theology course.
ENHANCE YOUR MDIV WITH THESE ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
- Church Planting Track (CPT). This track is part of the Seminary’s ongoing commitment to meet the growing need for gifted and trained church planters in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and other denominations. Students may pursue the Church Planting Track either through on-campus residential study or through the new hybrid MDiv format, using a combination of online and on-campus intensive (week-long or weekend) courses to complete the degree. The track includes:
- Classes focused specifically on church planting and related issues.
- Multiple professional assessments of gifting and readiness to be a church planter.
- Mentored oversight and regular evaluation of developing church planters.
- Church planting internship and apprenticeship opportunities that fulfill Field Education and Presbytery internship requirements.
- Training in fundraising and related issues.
- A limited number of Church Planting Scholarships each year for qualified students.
Learn More About Church Planting
- The FSI Cultural Apologetics Track (FSI). MDiv students may augment their degree by pursuing the Cultural Apologetics Track, which requires the student to take 9 credit hours of courses from the Francis Schaeffer Institute Cultural Apologetics curriculum. See this degree plan.
- The Leadership for Community Transformation Track (LCT). Ideal for current and emerging ministry leaders who desire equipping for wholistic, systemic, and sustainable impact toward reconciliation and justice within today’s urbanized areas, this track requires 41 credits of core coursework, plus 13 credits focused on exploring contexts, models, processes, and leadership for city transformation. See this degree plan.
COHORT GROUP MODEL FOR PEER LEARNING AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH
After ten years of researching ministry resilience, our faculty found that a lack of emotional intelligence is one of the leading causes of ministerial burnout. Pastors and ministry leaders are called to shepherd God’s people, but they often don’t understand their own personal stories or struggles and how those affect the way they relate to others.
At Covenant, we try to cultivate a better sense of emotional intelligence and promote greater faithfulness in ministry through the use of a cohort-based learning model. Cohort Groups are groups of 8–10 first-year MDiv students who meet together once a week under the guidance of experienced group facilitators to learn with and from one another in the context of trusted peer relationships. As they share their own lives and stories in a safe, supportive, confidential setting, students experience firsthand the healing power of Christian community and the transformative grace of the gospel that empowers them for ministry.
MDIV PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Download full course sequences in PDF using the links below.
NOTE: The chart on this page offers an overview of the standard degree program f and assumes a fall semester start. For other possible customizations of the degree, talk to you Academic Advisor.
- MDiv Pastoral Ministry Track
- MDiv Specialized Ministry Track
- MDiv + MAC Dual Degree – Pastoral Ministry Track
- MDiv + MAC Dual Degree – Specialized Ministry Track
| Category | Course Name and Number | Credit Hours |
Biblical Languages (18 credits) | Greek I (NT302) | 4 |
| Greek II (NT304) | 2 | |
| New Testament Exegesis (NT305) | 3 | |
| Hebrew I (OT302) | 4 | |
| Hebrew II (OT304) | 2 | |
| Old Testament Exegesis (OT304) | 3 | |
New Testament (9 credits) | Gospels (NT320) | 3 |
| Acts & Paul (NT330) | 3 | |
| Pastoral & General Epistles and Revelation (NT350) | 3 | |
Old Testament (11 credits) | Pentateuch (OT320) | 2 |
| Old Testament Historical Books (OT330) | 3 | |
| Psalms & Wisdom Literature (OT340) | 3 | |
| Prophetical Books (OT350) | 3 | |
Biblical & Systematic Theology (15 credits) | Covenant Theology (ST300) | 3 |
| God & Humanity: Foundations for Counseling (ST310) | 3 | |
| Sin, Christ & Salvation (ST330) | 3 | |
| Spirit, Church & Last Things (ST350) | 3 | |
| Christian Ethics (ST360) | 3 | |
Communication (5 credits) | Communicating the Scriptures (CM310) | 2 |
| Preaching the NT (CM320) | 1 | |
| Preaching the OT (CM330) | 1 | |
| Preaching & Culture (CM340) | 1 | |
Contemporary Culture (3 credits) | Foundations for Apologetics & Outreach (CC310) | 3 |
Church History (6 credits) | Ancient & Medieval Church History (CH310) | 3 |
| Reformation & Modern Church History (CH320) | 3 | |
World Mission (3 credits) | God’s World Mission (WM310) | 3 |
Applied Theology (13 credits) | Cohort I (AT305) | 0 |
| Cohort II (AT306) | 0 | |
| Christian Formation & Calling (AT310) | 3 | |
| Theology of Ministry & Worship (AT340) | 3 | |
| Ministry Leadership (AT341) | 2 | |
| Field Education Practicum (AT411) | 2 | |
| Preparation for Licensure & Ordination Exams (AT490) | 3 | |
Counseling (6 credits) | Counseling in the Church I (CO320) | 3 |
| Counseling in the Church II (CO330) | 3 | |
Educational Ministries (3 credits) | Educational Foundations (EM301) | 3 |
Electives (7 credits) | Electives – May be taken in any term. | 7 |
| Total Degree Credit Hours | 99 | |
Program Requirements: Accredited Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 2.25 GPA
Bible Content Exam: Students must attempt the Bible Content Exam during their first semester of coursework and pass it prior to graduation.
Field Education: For all tracks of the MDiv, 400 hours of supervised practical ministry experience, the Field Education Practicum class, and the Theology of Work module are required for graduation with Field Education Office approval. Specific requirements vary by track.