DMin - Doctor of Ministry Degree Program
Master of Divinity Equivalency
Policy & Guidelines - Effective February 21, 2019
Objective for Policy & Guidelines
To establish a standardized formula and protocol for Master of Divinity Equivalency
What purpose does Master of Divinity Equivalency serve? Admission to a Doctor of Ministry program requires a Master of Divinity degree or its educational equivalent from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 (B) average. MDiv Equivalency serves the purpose of helping prospective students meet that eligibility requirement.
For whom is the Equivalency intended? For students who have completed a theological or ministerial master’s degree but lack the necessary requirements to enter the Doctor of Ministry Degree program.
What is Master of Divinity Equivalency?
MDiv Equivalency is a bridge over the gaps that exist for such students who lack the necessary coursework to advance to the Doctor of Ministry degree. It allows them to build upon their prior theological or ministerial master’s degree by acquiring the total number of credits required by BHU’s accrediting agencies and also obtaining the tools, experiences, and academic training requisite for doctoral work. In short, students can obtain the equivalent of an MDiv, and thereby pursue doctoral work without having to complete a second Master’s degree.
The Need
Many prospective students have already completed accredited Master’s programs other than the MDiv. Such degrees include but are not limited to:
MA in Religion
MA in Leadership Studies
MRE
MCE
MTS
In accordance with the accreditation requirement, Beulah Heights University holds the same prerequisite for entrance to its Doctor of Ministry program. In other seminaries and graduate schools, other programs, such as the Master of Theology (ThM) and certain endorsements, board approvals, and ordinations also require an Equivalency in the absence of a completed MDiv.
BHU’s Equivalency Standard
BHU has adopted and firmly adheres to the following policy: Admission to the DMin program requires the possession of the MDiv or its equivalent. MDiv equivalency is defined as 36 graduate semester hours that represent broad-based work in theology, biblical studies, and the arts of ministry and that include a professional master’s degree and significant ministerial leadership.
Benefits
With this Equivalency standard Beulah Heights University will be able to:
- Clearly communicate with and advise students and other programs through the use of a standardized instrument.
- Attract a whole new cross-section of students who do not desire to complete a second master’s degree, but who would need the Equivalency in order to commence doctoral studies.
- Address the needs of many students in Latin America and Europe. An increasing number of these students are obtaining Master’s degrees, but a number of them do not qualify for certain doctoral programs because they have not completed the MDiv. Many of these students may not desire a full MDiv but would consider an Equivalency.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for the MDiv Equivalency must meet the following minimum requirements.
Prior to Admission
- Prospective students must meet the standard admission requirements for the MDiv as outlined in the BHU official handbook.
- Equivalency students must be admitted into the Master of Divinity program.
- Students whose education was not in English will need to demonstrate proficiency as per Beulah Heights University’s admissions policy.
- Prospective students must have completed a theological, ministerial, or graduate degree of at least 36 semester hours.
- Equivalency students need a minimum GPA of 2.5 to enter the program. To remain in the program, and to complete the equivalency, they should maintain a 2.75 GPA. Students should also be advised about the minimum GPA requirements for admission to the Doctor of Ministry program (3.0 GPA).
After Admission
- Students must take and successfully complete a sufficient number of additional semester credits to complete the 36-credit Equivalency.
- Equivalency credits should be well distributed in the following areas: Bible, Theology, and Ministry Arts. The Doctor of Ministry advisement office will evaluate each applicant’s transcript and prescribe an appropriate course of study to achieve MDiv Equivalency.
Other Considerations
- Each Equivalency applicant will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Students can start the Equivalency at any time including summer semester.
- Students who desire to satisfy their Equivalency needs by taking courses at another seminary or graduate school should do so only with the prior, written course approval from the Doctor of Ministry Program Director, the Chairman of the Graduate Division, or the Academic Dean of Beulah Heights University.
- Admission to MDiv Equivalency does not guarantee admission to the Doctor of Ministry degree program. Rather, admission to the Equivalency signifies that the applicant has been approved to complete the coursework needed to apply to the desired program. Upon completion of all requisite courses, the MDiv office will inform the DMin office that s/he has completed the Equivalency. The applicant will then be eligible to apply to the program.