Concentrations

Students wishing to specialize in one of the concentrations listed below will take an additional 6-12 credits beyond the 78 credits required for an MDiv degree. The required 6 credits of electives are utilized as part of the concentration. 

*Students wishing to pursue campus chaplaincy should register for DSRE 664 Advanced Campus Ministry as their choice of core elective.

Chaplaincy is a highly qualified and dynamic expression of ministry based on the Bible and supported by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The chaplaincy concentration provides the basic training and preparation for service beyond the church borders in various chaplaincy ministries, such as in healthcare, military, campus, prison, police and fire department, community, and corporate settings. It also prepares pastors and church leaders to advance in their caregiving and empathic ministry skills for an immediate impact in the church and the surrounding communities.

Course

Credits

CHMN 507 - Introduction to Chaplaincy Ministry 2
CHMN 516 - Death & Grief in Contemporary Society 2
CHMN 643 - Trauma & Advanced Crisis Intervention 2
CHMN 549 - Philosophy & Ethics of Chaplaincy (Prerequisite: Undergraduate Ethics course or THST 605) 3
Practicum in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) 2
Students taking military chaplaincy can also take the following:  
CHMN 641 - Practicum in Military Chaplaincy 2

Healthy, spirit-filled marriages and families are the backbone of Christian life and most clearly reflect the character of Christ in our churches and in the world. When marriages and families are broken, our churches suffer. The Concentration on Marriage and Family Life Ministry is designed to prepare MDiv students to equip their churches to be vibrant and healthy in the way they foster relationships in their individual families as well as in church and the community. Students who take this concentration will be better equipped to educate their congregations in areas of family life. They will also be better prepared to address the family issues that will come to them for counseling. Pastors with these courses will be able to create healthy churches and more positively impact their communities for Christ.

In addition to the core MDiv requirement DSRE 503 - Marriage, Family, and Interpersonal Relationships for 2 credits, students who choose this concentration will take 12 credits in the following courses:

Course

Credits

Choose one of the following courses:  
DSRE 635 - Christian Perspectives on Professional Ethics 3
DSRE 659 - Human Sexuality 3
Choose one of the following courses:  
DSRE 655 - Families in Society 3
DSRE 658 - Internal Dynamics of Families 3
Choose one of the following courses:  
DSRE 678 - Spiritual Nurture of Children 3
DSRE 679 - Parenting Education and Guidance 3
Choose one 3-credit course from the following:  
DSRE 610 - Teaching for Discipleship 3
DSRE 626 - Ministry to At-Risk Youth 3
DSRE 651 - Foundations of Biblical Counseling 3
DSRE 652 - Personal and Family Finance 3
DSRE 657 - Social Policy 3

A Youth and Young Adult Ministry (YYAM) Concentration is available for students wishing to gain specialized skills and knowledge to serve in pastoral and administrative leadership that will address the needs of youth and young adults. 

In addition to the core MDiv requirement DSRE 534 - Ministry to Youth and Young Adults for 2 credits, students who choose this concentration will take 12 credits in the following courses:

Students who choose this concentration must select 2 credits of CHMN 632 Contextualized Preaching: Youth to fulfill the Christian Ministry requirement for an Advanced Preaching Core Elective (CHMN list).

Course

Credits

DSRE 564 - Advanced Youth and Young Adult Ministry Leadership 2,3
DSRE 608 - Youth and Young Adults in Contemporary Culture 2,3
DSRE 636 - Seminar in Youth Ministry 1-3
DSRE 656 - Counseling Youth and Young Adults 2,3
Y&YA Ministry Core Electives (choose at least two)   
DSRE 610 - Teaching for Discipleship 2,3
DSRE 626 - Ministry to At-Risk Youth 2,3
DSRE 630 - Fostering Spiritual Growth 2,3
DSRE 651 - Foundations of Biblical Counseling 2,3
DSRE 664 - Advanced Campus Ministry 2,3
DSRE 669 - Reaching the Secular Mind 2,3
DSRE 678 - Spiritual Nurture of Children 2,3

The Urban Ministry concentration is designed for students who want to learn how to make a decisive impact in the cities and to be prepared for the specific challenges of mission and ministry in the urban context. As part of the core requirements, students will take the following courses:

In addition to the core MDiv requirement PATH 562 - Field Evangelism (urban setting) for 3 credits, PATH 560 - Advanced Ministerial Development (urban setting) for 2 credits, PATH 632 - Contextual Preaching in a Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethic Setting for 2 credits, and MSSN 618 - Mission to the Cities for 3 credits, students who choose this concentration will take 18 credits in the following courses:

Course

Credits

MSSN625 - Creating Collective Impact and Project Management 3
MSSN644 - Ministry of Reconciliation through Social Innovation 3
MSSN635 - Diversity, Cultural Intelligence, and Leadership 3
MSSN667 - Urban Ministry Project 3
MSSN655 - International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Certification 1
PATH554 - Clinical Pastoral Education (Urban Setting) 3
Discipleship Core Elective (choose one) 2
DSLE669 - Reaching the Secular Mind 2
MSSN695 - Topics: Reaching Post-Moderns 2
DSLE626 - Ministry to At-Risk Youth 2
DSLE656 - Counseling Youth and Young Adults 2
PATH553 - The Church & Social Issues 2
MSSN645 - Ministry Among Immigrants 2