Advanced Master of Divinity (School of Theology)
School of Theology
Advanced Master of Divinity Program
The training you need to live your calling, wherever God calls you.
The Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Southwestern Seminary’s School of Theology is designed to prepare students for the broadest range of Christian ministries, especially in the local church.
Degree Highlights
- Available fully online
- Includes biblical languages
- Preparation for church and parachurch ministries
The Advanced Master of Divinity allows students to build upon undergraduate theological training by taking elective courses in place of the introductory courses in the regular Master of Divinity curriculum.
Entrance Requirements
The student must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The student’s undergraduate major should be in a discipline directly related to the courses in the Advanced MDIV curriculum. The Advanced MDIV is built upon 30 hours of prerequisites.
| Course Name | Hours |
|---|---|
| Old Testament I, and II | 6 |
| New Testament I, and II | 6 |
| Greek or Hebrew | 6 hours in one language |
| Systematic Theology I, and II | 6 |
| Baptist Heritage | 3 |
| Total | 30 |
The prerequisite courses must cover the entire range of material presented in the SWBTS courses and must be completed with a grade of B- or higher.
Students who have not fulfilled all prerequisites may complete the remaining prerequisites at the beginning of work toward the degree.
Degree Requirements
The 73-hour degree includes advanced courses in Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, Ethics and Philosophical Studies, as well as courses in Preaching and Ministry Studies and Evangelism and Missions Studies. In addition, the degree includes 12 hours of free electives. Free elective hours may not be used for basic survey courses.
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Biblical Hermeneutics | BIBST 3203 | 3 |
| Old Testament Elective | OLDTS XXXX | 3 |
| Biblical Hebrew I | HEBRW 4313* | 3 |
| Biblical Hebrew II | HEBRW 4323* | 3 |
| Syntax Elective | HEBRW 5003* | 3 |
| Hebrew or Greek Exegesis Elective | HEBRW or GREEK XXXX | 3 |
| New Testament Elective | NEWTS XXXX | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Church History I | CHAHT 3103 | 3 |
| Church History II | CHAHT 3113 | 3 |
| Church History Elective | CHAHT XXXX | 3 |
| Systematic Theology Elective | SYSTH XXXX | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Worldview and Cultural Engagement | ETHIC 4323 | 3 |
| Philosophy of Religion or Christian Apologetics | PHILO 4313 or 4374 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary Evangelism | EVANG 3303 | 3 |
| Introduction to Missiology | MISSN 3363 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Pastoral Ministry | PASMN 3313 (WOMIN 4223)** | 3 |
| Introduction to Expository Preaching | PRCHG 3313 (WOMST 4043)** | 3 |
| Advanced Expository Preaching | PRCHG 3322 (WOMST 4072)** | 2 |
| Church Leadership and Administration | SWBTS 3503 | 3 |
| CHOOSE 1 | MINISTRY SELECTIVE | 3 |
| Principles of Biblical Counseling | CNSLN 3203 | |
| Theology of Worship | WORSP 4323 | |
| Strategies for Disciple Making | EDMIN 3053 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual Formation 1 | SPFRM 3101 | 1 |
| Spiritual Formation 2 | SPFRM 3111 | 1 |
| Writing and Research | SWBTS 1300 | 0 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Free Electives*** | 12 |
Total Hours
73
* This presentation assumes the student completed 6 hours of Greek as prerequisites. If Hebrew was completed in the prerequisite category, the student takes GREEK 3313, 3323, and 4313 instead.
**Female students complete WOMST courses as listed in lieu of the required PRCHG/PASMN courses.
***Students seeking a concentration take specific courses in lieu of elective hours. See concentrations for details. Students may take up to 6 hours of MODLG courses for elective credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Qualifications are determined by meeting the necessary prerequisites and obtaining approval from the Registrar's Office.
Not necessarily. The fastest path is to have your transcript evaluated by our registrar and take Advanced Standing Exams for up to 33% of your degree.
The Advanced MDiv condenses the core curriculum of the MDiv and allows you to take a wide range of upper-level electives in place of the foundational classes in which you have already demonstrated competence. The Advanced MDiv is shortened to 73 hours (from 82) and allows you to tailor your electives to your interests.
Transfers
Masters courses from an eligible institution may transfer into the Advanced MDIV. The courses must be comparable to the Southwestern courses for which transfer credit is requested and be completed with a “B” or better.
Got Questions?
We’re here to answer them. Reach out to our Admissions Team and we’ll be in touch by phone, text, or email.