MDiv Degree Equivalency Requirement
The Doctor of Ministry program at Andrews University offers a doctoral-level professional degree for those who serve the church around the world. A Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent in theological education for ministry is required. When an applicant possesses theological/ministerial degrees other than an MDiv, a process of evaluating the educational equivalency to an MDiv must be applied. The educational experience must meet standards for equivalency approved by the Doctor of Ministry Committee and Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, and in harmony with the Association of Theological Schools, which is the body accrediting the program. The SDATS takes seriously the ATS standard that requires "the possession of an ATS-approved MDiv degree or its educational equivalent." (ATS standard F.4.1.1)
The globalization of mission and ministry is vital in our service context. Andrews University (AU) is the flagship educational institution of the Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) denomination and operated by its General Conference. As such, it is called to serve its world-wide membership, about 95% of whom reside outside North America. The church operates many seminaries world-wide, and some have DMin degree programs, but AU is expected to be a place where the global nature of the church can be experienced. About 18% of AU students are international; about 25% of the students in the MDiv program of the SDATS are international. Our faculty themselves represent a broad diversity of world cultures. Their doctoral degrees are earned from universities that prepare people for research and teaching in higher education from several continents. Students attend from around the world because of the excellence of the SDATS faculty and programs.
In calculating an MDiv equivalency the SDATS must be sensitive to the global nature of its mission. We welcome such globalization, aware of the challenge it brings. We recognize that educational systems vary around the world. We also find our own journey here in the United States is enriched as we are required to understand other contexts or ministry in our shrinking world.
Regardless of the location or structure of undergraduate and graduate degrees in theological education for ministry, three years of applied church ministry subsequent to the MDiv or its equivalent are required for admission.
Following are the guidelines used by the Doctor of Ministry Committee to assure that an MDiv equivalency exists and that the applicant is prepared for the level of work required. It should be noted that in no circumstance is undergraduate education, including a theological degree, in a North American institution calculated in any of its years for advance standing for an MDiv equivalency.
North American Educational System Graduates
Master of Divinity
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Students with a Master of Divinity degree may qualify for admission to the DMin program if all other admission requirements are met. The MDiv degree is considered the basic prerequisite degree.
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Intermediate Greek or Hebrew at the graduate or undergraduate level is also part of the requirement.
M.A. in Youth Ministry or M.A. in Pastoral Ministry
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Students with a Master's in Youth Ministry or in Pastoral Ministry will need 30 additional semester credits in a professional program such as the Master of Divinity, or 24 credits in an academic degree such as the Master of Arts in Religion.
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The additional credits should be well-distributed in the following areas: Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Christian Ministry, World Mission, and Church History.
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Intermediate Greek or Hebrew at the graduate or undergraduate level is also part of the requirement.
M.A. in Religion or Theology
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Students with a Master of Arts in Religion or Master of Theology degree of 32 credits will need to earn 30 addiitonal MDiv credits or 24 M.A. credits. Students with a M.A. degree with fewer than 32 credits of full-time academic work will need additional class work.
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The additional semester credits should be well-distributed in the following areas: Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Christian Ministry, World Mission, and Church History.
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Intermediate Greek or Hebrew at the graduate or undergraduate level is also part of the requirement.
Graduates of Selected European or Other International European-Derived Educational Systems
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Andrews Seminary notes that an ATS-accredited MDiv program consists of no less than 72 theological/ministerial credits, and is the preparatory degree for admission into the DMin program.
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Applicants from educational systems outside of North America may present significant professional ministry emphasis in a professional theological/ministerial degree program unique to educational systems outside of the United States and parallel to the MDiv degree or its equivalency.
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Andrews University recognizes the post-secondary three-year degree earned in European countries that follow the Bologna Accord to meet the American educational standard for entrance requirement into a graduate degree program. Hence, we consider the fourth and fifth years of study in these countries as equivalent to graduate-level education. European institutions that offer a professional theological/ministerial degree program would fall under this protocol and students coming from these institutions could see their fourth and fifth year of study counted toward the MDiv equivalency. Only ministerial/theological credits from the fourth or fifth year are calculated for MDiv equivalency. Up to 12 credits taken for biblical languages in the three-year degree can also be counted toward the MDiv equivalency.
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Other applicants with four-year professional theological/ministerial degrees earned outside of North Americaa will be granted such advanced standing on a case-by-case basis. Advanced standing of up to 30 credits, plus up to 12 credits for biblical languages, is granted for such four-year professional theological/ministerial degrees in calculating the MDiv equivalency. In some cases, applicants may have a graduate degree beyond a first professional theological/ministerial degree. Such degrees will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to see if they can be applied to an MDiv equivalency.
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International applicants may take 9 or fewer credits of masters'-level credits concurrent with their DMin work to satisfy equivalency standards.
10/12/2011