Seminary Academics

Master of Divinity

Curriculum and Program Requirements

North Park’s MDiv is designed to equip women and men to be knowledgeable and spiritually sensitive ministers in the Christian church at home and abroad. View the full list of degree outcomes in the North Park Theological Seminary catalog.

Degree Requirements

79 academic hours
11 field education hours

Co-Curricular Requirements

Vocational testing
Degree candidacy
Mid-Program Review
Financial Health Counseling

This degree can be completed in three years of full-time study, although many students choose to extend the program and utilize distance-learning options to pursue our five year distance and part-time studies pathway.

Please note: 27 credit hours required in residence at the main campus.

Total Academic Credits: 79

Bible and Languages, 24 credits

  • Greek I
  • Greek II
  • Greek Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching
  • New Testament I: The Texts and Their World
  • New Testament II: The Texts and Their Theology
  • Old Testament I: Pentateuch and Interpretation
  • Old Testament II: Prophets and Preaching Legacy
  • Old Testament III: Wisdom and Israel’s Praise

History, 9 credits

  • Christian History I: The Early Church to the Early Reformation
  • Christian History II: Global Christianity
  • Christian History III: North American Christianity

Theology, 12 credits

  • Christian Theology
  • Christian Worship
  • Christian Ethics
  • Seminar in Theology

Spiritual Formation, 4 credits

The spiritual formation sequence seeks to integrate the ongoing spiritual and academic dimensions of the seminary experience in order to facilitate conscious growth in personal and corporate spiritual life. The sequence includes one-credit courses which focus on the critical issues and practices for spiritual growth, including prayer, reflection, spiritual direction, and service in the church:

  • Journey: The Story of Our Lives
  • Intercultural Spirituality: The Road Together
  • 2 spiritual formation electives

Ministry, 15 credits

  • Religions and Cultures
  • Introduction to Preaching
  • Introduction to Pastoral Care and Counseling
  • Gospel Communication in Context
  • Leading and Teaching Ministry

Electives, 15 credits

  • Denominational elective (3 credits)
  • Cultural diversity elective (3 credits)
  • General electives (9 credits)

Field Education, 11 credits

You are required to complete 11 Field Education credits in addition to the 79 academic credit hours required for your degree:

Graduation Requirements

The master of divinity is awarded to students meeting the following requirements:

  1. Completion of a vocational and psychological evaluation; successful completion of Degree Candidacy and Mid Program Review.
  2. The completion of 79 semester hours of academic course work, plus 11 Field Education credit hours.
  3. A grade point average of 2.5 must be maintained. No grade under C- shall be counted toward the degree.
  4. Exemplification of a quality of life and commitment suitable for ministry.
  5. No outstanding incomplete grades later than week seven of the term in which they plan to graduate.
  6. Complete payment of all accounts and fees to the Seminary.
  7. Completion of the degree within seven years from the time of matriculation.

Full requirements for graduation are noted in the North Park Theological Seminary catalog.