Master of Divinity Degree
You’ve heard God’s call and are eager to answer. At Palm Beach Atlantic University, we are eager to help prepare you for the great journey the Lord has in store for you. The M.Div. is the “gold standard” for ministry degrees and will prepare you for a multitude of vocations, whether in a local church, an international context or a parachurch ministry.
We deliver an innovative and rigorous seminary education anchored in the areas of Bible, languages, history, theology and hands-on practical ministry. Our apprenticeships afford students the opportunity to apply their learning in vital local ministries and our thriving seminary community engenders lifelong friendships and pioneering partnerships in gospel ministry.
What Makes Our Master of Divinity Degree Unique
- A cohort model with classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays because we learn best in a thriving community.
- Because master-level education should build upon a solid foundation, the curriculum features advanced courses while avoiding the repetition of undergraduate introductory courses.
- Students study the Bible, Theology, and Practical Theology in paired courses across disciplines because real-life ministry requires integrated thinking.
- We have an engaging flipped classroom approach for biblical languages because we learn best in safe spaces of trial and error.
- Students develop their leadership skills in three apprenticeships, serving under a ministry leader and gaining over 450 hours of hands-on experience because practitioners need intentional practice.
- Students are able to meet for a weeklong intensive course with senior scholars and community pastors/leaders because we believe academic theology belongs to the church.
* Gospel of John, for example, is co-taught with Worship and Discipleship.
** In 2020, for example, the course Lament: Then and Now brought together senior scholars, local ministers, counselors, and community leaders, to reflect theologically in the areas of worship, discipleship, counseling, and community engagement. In 2015, the course Epistle of James and an “Urban Plunge” brought together New Testament studies and theological reflection, as students traveled to Miami to explore how ministries are serving the disadvantaged, displaced, and vulnerable.
Clinical Pastoral Education
MDiv students have a unique opportunity to develop and integrate theological knowledge and pastoral skills in a wide variety of clinical contexts through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), including:
- Hospitals
- Extended care facilities
- Social-service organizations
- Social-justice organizations
- Congregational settings
Program Details
The School of Ministry is all about equipping. We equip passionate young people with the earthly tools and spiritual perspective needed to create positive change in the world guided by the Word of God. We promise a connected, engaging and fulfilling learning experience that will equip you to use your gifts for His Glory. Our programs prepare students through expert instruction in Bible, theology, history and real-world ministry skills. PBA’s multi-cultural, multi-denominational environment is the perfect to prepare our seminary students for dynamic gospel ministries in an ever-changing world.
As a student majoring in any of the graduate programs offered in the School of Ministry, you’ll wade into an ocean of diverse learning opportunities designed to prepare you to positively impact lives.
- Gain specialized training in ministry
- Experience spiritual growth with a deeper understanding of God and His Word
- Practice your ministry abilities through internships, practicum experiences and field service activities
- Learn in a supportive community
Learn more about your classes and requirements in the course catalog.
Our M.Div. degree is on the cutting edge of seminary education in several ways:
- A 72 credit-hour M.Div. degree delivered in a traditional day format on-ground at the West Palm Beach campus, or in a non-traditional weekend format at our Orlando campus.
- An advanced seminary education that builds on solid undergraduate preparation in theology and ministry without repeating introductory courses
- An innovative seminary education that integrates its curriculum (e.g. 1 Corinthians and Pastoral Leadership) and thus combines knowledge, skills and character for effective ministerial training
- An academic and practical degree that includes a substantive apprenticeship (10-15 hours/week) under the direct supervision of a practicing minister, which provides valuable hands-on experience
- Earn a baccalaureate degree in Christian Ministry or Biblical Studies from a regionally accredited institution or a baccalaureate degree in another major with successful completion of 24 hours of specified, pre-requisite coursework on the undergraduate or graduate level
- Achieve cumulative undergraduate minimum GPA of 2.75 or above on a 4.0 scale
- Submit:
- Official transcript from college or university where bachelor’s degree was conferred and from college or university where prerequisite courses were taken
- Two specific confidential recommendations (academic and ministerial)
- One specific writing sample(requirements will be provided)
- Ministry and Calling Essay
- Informed consent form
- Faculty interview – Once candidates submit all required documents, the complete application is reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee to determine invitations for an interview.
* International students should inquire about additional admission requirements.
Admissions decision and notification
Applicants will be notified in writing of the Graduate Admissions Committee’s decision after completing the interview. To secure a spot in the program, accepted students must submit a non-refundable $100 depsit, which will be applied to tuition upon enrollment, no later thsn 30 days before classes begin.
The estimated tuition for the entire M.Div. program is $41,580*. This includes tuition for 72 credit hours ($515 per credit) and the Resource Fee ($298 per semester). This is based on the two-year full-time accelerated degree plan.
*Cost based on 2019-2020 fee schedule and is subject to change. Additional fees may apply.
Financial aid may include work study programs and student loans. Students must apply for financial aid each year at www.fafsa.ed.gov to determine eligibility. Contact finaid@pba.edu with all financial questions.
- Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration
- Master of Divinity/M.S., Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Divinity/M.S., Leadership
- Master of Divinity/M.A., Intercultural Studies
- Master of Divinity/M.A., Philosophy of Religion
Four Master of Divinity Concentrations:
- Bible Translation
- Intercultural Studies
- Biblical and Theological Studies
- Philosophy of Religion
Paracurricular Initiatives
The final evening was a panel discussion held at the historic Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church and included community leaders and pastors. The 2020 forum was “War and Peace.” We welcomed Professor Nigel Biggar (University of Oxford), Dr. J. Daryl Charles (Acton Institute), Dr. Janna Hunter-Bowman (Mennonite Biblical Seminary), and Dr. Myles Werntz (Logsdon Seminary). Breakout lectures covered topics such as immigration, humanitarian intervention, drone warfare, and peacemaking. At the heart of what we do each week, however, is community chapel and lunch. Chapel is led by a student chapel team, and we draw in local community leaders to speak into the lives of our students. Following worship, we continue in our fellowship with community lunch, which is provided by the school (at a subsidized price). Students and faculty share their lives with one another around the table.
Our learning community comes together for an annual Faith and Culture Forum. For this daylong event, we invite scholars and leaders to our campus to address important contemporary issues. The 2020 forum was “A Dialogue on Racism: Looking Back, Looking Forward.” We welcomed Jemar Tisby (author of The Color of Compromise), Rev Dr. John Nunes (President, Concordia College, NY), and Dr. Oscar Garcia-Johnson (Assistant Provost for the Center of the Study of Hispanic Church, Fuller Theological Seminary).
Faculty Members Doing Cutting-Edge Work in the Real World
Dr. Brittany N. Melton
Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies
Dr. Brittany N. Melton (PhD, Cambridge) is delivering the 2020 Tyndale Old Testament Lecture, “Towards an Old Testament Theology of Hospitality.” She is currently writing the New Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (Baker Academic) and a commentary on Esther (Bible in God’s World Series; Cascade). Dr. Melton serves as Co-Chair of the Tyndale Fellowship Old Testament Group, is on the ETS Wisdom Committee, and is an elder at Providencia Church (ECO Presbyterian).
http://cambridge.academia.edu/BrittanyMelton
Dr. Ryan Gladwin
Associate Professor of Ministry and Theology
Dr. Ryan Gladwin (PhD, Edinburgh) is the author of Streams of Latin American Protestant Theology (Brill) and the forthcoming Towards a Liberating Latin American Ecclesiology: The Local Church as a Transformative Historical Project (Pickwick). He has numerous chapters in edited books and has broad research interests that include Latin American and Latinx religion and theology, Anabaptism, Pentecostalism, Christian ethics, and practical theology. He has served with the Mennonite USA South Eastern Conference among the Latinx community and in activism for issues of immigration and racial reconciliation. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Christian Ethics, and the Latin American Theological Fraternity. Dr Gladwin is also the Coordinator of the BA, Ministry (Spanish) and the Christian Social Ministry Program.
Dr. Kathy Maxwell
Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies
Dr. Kathy Maxwell (PhD, Baylor) teaches students the biblical storytelling technique as a fresh approach to critical study, as well as for reaching a wide range of people with the story of God. She is a member of the Network of Biblical Storytellers International, for which she was the annual keynote speaker in 2019, and she contributes to Biblical Performance Criticism. For eight years, she served on the Steering Committee for the SBL Section on Performance Criticism and the Bible and Other Ancient Texts. Locally, she is on the planning committee for PBA’s national Art of Storytelling Conference, in its third year, which focuses on different modes of storytelling (e.g. fiction, non-fiction, painting, sculpture, dance, journalism). Area churches and community groups regularly invite Dr. Maxwell to tell biblical stories and to train others to do the same. She attends Community of Hope, the fastest growing UMC church in America.
