Students may enroll in any one of three graduate programs: a two-year 36-credit Master of Arts (MA) in Faith and Practice, a two-year 48-credit Master of Arts (MA) in Theological Studies and a three-year 90-credit Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree. For more information on the three degrees, read our Degree Outline information or download our complete 28-page program catalog. (You may need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the catalog.)

In addition to classes, all students will be required to participate in a Spiritual Formation group:

1. All students are involved in accountability groups for personal spiritual formation, prayer and growth in Christian character and conduct—ethics themes, also.
2. The accountability groups may include students from more than one degree track, but who nevertheless have taken similar courses.

Common Core Courses

All three degree programs have a set of nine core courses, including a required common-core of courses that are the same for all three degrees—including these nine, with a total of 27 credits. These courses are central to the mission of the new seminary as well as its distinctives and purposes. The also embody its motto: Bible-based, Christ-centered, and Spirit-led. The last three have a strong internship component:

Bible-Based – three courses = 9 credits

• Hermeneutics: Biblical and Cultural (3 credits)—An examination of the processes and resources available for truth-based interpretation of Scripture and of cultural contexts for applying Scripture.
• Surveys of the Old and New Testaments (2 courses, 6 credits total)—An English Bible study of the background and key themes of the nature, content, and history of the Old and New Testaments, with special attention to issues of culture and behavior.

Christ-Centered – three courses = 9 credits
[In the MA in Faith and Practice, the 3-courses Biblical/Christian Values sequence may be substituted for these 3-courses.]

• Christian Worldview and Theology I and II (2 courses, 6 credits total)—a philosophical/theological study of foundational Christian beliefs (including methodology of analysis, revelation and reason, God, Trinity, creation, human nature, family, government, evil, and sin) and these belief’s behavioral implications and outcomes.
• Strategic World Christian Movement (3 credits)—a multifaceted exploration of Biblical, Classical, cultural and strategic dimensions of evangelization and Christian service in the United States and around the world.

Spirit-led – three courses = 9 credits

• Personal Growth and Discipleship/Mentoring (3 credits)—Intensive training in Christian disciplines to nurture personal excellence and spiritual growth, found in the history of Christian spirituality and disciplines of the inward journey.
• Life Re-focus and Core/Biblical Values (3 credits)—Key Biblical leadership issues and skills that will enable students to see a more rapid development and deployment of their own leadership and of leaders in their organizations. Methodologies to refocus leaders’ lives are experienced, practiced and integrated so that these principles become transferable in various settings of leadership development.
• Leadership Coaching in Church, Workplace and Community (3 credits)—Implementation of skills for designing and leading contextual workplace and Church ministry that understands engages, challenges, transforms, transcends and utilizes cultural patterns and structures. Confidence grows through the application in coaching new leaders, as well as the recognition and ongoing resourcing of the student’s ministry calling.

While each of these seven courses addresses all of the mission, distinctives, and purposes of the new seminary in some way, the following chart helps to point out some of the main highlights of the competence and capacity of the common-core to help fulfill these essential standards.

The students participating in these common-core courses will include those in the MDiv degree program preparing for professional ministry, as well as students already in other professions (such as law, business, medicine, education, social work or fine arts) who are pursuing a research degree (the MA in Faith and Practice) studying especially some aspect of their profession or some related social/civic/economic issue.

This active cross-professional engagement will add a level of awareness and excitement that “cloistered” environments (Pastors-only) in secluded seminary campuses can miss. The cross-professional aspect is also enhanced by the additional students involved in significant theological training in the Master of Arts (MA) in Theological Studies, the multi-cultural background of our New York City students and the learning opportunities from skilled professors and articulate peers.

The excitement and relevance of the classes will be enhanced by the fact that the students come from a wide range of professions as well as different denominations and ethnic backgrounds. Rarely do pastoral students have such an opportunity to study side by side with people experienced in other professions who are also serious about Biblical and theological training.

Students take courses toward their degree according to their own pace as long as they continue to make progress. Since most potential students have full employment in addition to their level of service in ministry, they will rarely be able to take more than twelve (12) credits in a semester. The MDiv degree may take four years or five years according to the student’s required pace. Students will be urged by their faculty advisors to keep pace toward their degree, as much as is reasonable according to the students’ responsible use of their time and attention.

On the one hand, every student will be in a degree track and will be advised to continue to progress to the degree for which they have been admitted and matriculated. On the other hand, “commencement occurs at the end of every class” as students immediately apply what they are learning in their lives, ministries, and professions—and measurably benefit from their seminary training now.

Additional Courses Required for Each Degree

In addition to the common-core of seven courses, each degree has additional core courses that embody the primary purposes of each degree.

For the MA in Faith and Practice, there are two (2) additional required courses with total of nine (9) credits, for a total of 11 required courses, or 36 credits:

• Research Methods (3 credits)
• Research and Thesis (6 credits)

For the MA in Theological Studies, there are four (4) additional required courses, for a total of 13 required courses, or 39 credits:

• Bible-based: Content, Understanding, and Application
• An Old Testament Book Study
• A New Testament Book Study
• Christ-centered: Consciousness, Conduct, Culture and Cogency
  • History of Christian Thought and Conduct I or II
• Spirit-led: Personal Development and Ministry-Skill
  • Preparation of Biblical Messages

For the Masters of Divinity (MDiv), there are nine (9) additional required courses, for a total of 18 required courses, or 54 credits:

• Bible-based: Content, Understanding, and Application
  • An Old Testament Book Study
  • A New Testament Book Study
  • Elementary Hebrew
  • Elementary Greek
  • Greek or Hebrew – Syntax and Exegesis
• Christ-centered: Consciousness, Conduct, Culture and Cogency
  • History of Christian Thought and Conduct I
  • History of Christian Thought and Conduct II
• Spirit-led: Personal Development and Ministry-Skill
  • Preparation of Biblical Messages
  • Pulpit Ministry

Elective/Specialization Courses

At least one Elective/Specialization cycle of three 3-credit courses will begin each semester and continue for three sequential semesters. By the third semester there will be at least three Elective/Specialization courses available each semester. Masters of Divinity students must take twelve elective specialization courses, completing at least three specializations of three courses. MA in Theological Studies students may take any three of these elective/specialization courses whether or not from the same specialization area.

Biblical Counseling—three-course sequence
1. Personal Counseling
2. Psychology and Theology of Family Relationships
3. Marriage and Family Counseling

Prison-release Ministry—three-course sequence
1. Introduction to Prison Ministry
2. Advanced Prison Ministry
3. Prison-Release Ministry

Strategic Evangelism and Missions—three-course sequence
1. Urban Evangelism
2. Church Planting
3. Evangelism Practicum

Ministry with Moslem-background people—three course sequence
1. Effectively Reaching out to Moslems in America
2. Ministry among Moslem Groups
3. Building Ministry among Moslems

Marketplace Decisions and Biblical Values—three-course sequence
1. Biblical/Christian Values in the Professions
2. Biblical/Christian Values in Social, Civic, and Economic Decisions
3. Biblical/Christian Values in Personal Ethics

Victim Chaplaincy for ministry with the traumatized—three-course sequence
1. Introduction to Victim Chaplaincy
2. Critical issues in Victim Chaplaincy
3. Restoration Ministries in Victim Chaplaincy

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)—one and a half (1.5) units = 9 credits

Spiritual Formation Groups

All students are expected to participate in a spiritual formation group during the period in which they are taking classes. Groups will meet on a regular basis and will be given readings and assignments associated with issues of spiritual formation. The focus of these groups will be integrate theory and practice and share experiences that nurture spiritual growth, that discover and clarify one’s ministry call and that cultivate the kind of character, integrity, relational skills, and spiritual resources required for that ministry.

Course Scheduling

Proposed sequences of courses may be requested from the student advisor. However, most courses do not have prerequisites so that students may begin their studies at various points in the sequences of courses.

For the convenience of pastors and lay people who work during the day, the NYDS courses will be offered primarily during evenings and weekends. Scheduling will allow for each three-credit course to have forty-two class hours, according to traditional “Carnegie” standards. While adult learners may not need that much actual class time, these hours together in classes are also beneficial for building vibrant community awareness among the commuting students.

Two models are followed. Both models involve, in fact, 35 hours of 60 minutes each, for 2100 minutes—equivalent to 42 education hours of 50 minutes each. This is the traditional interpretation of semester hours, and it is the pattern that the leadership of the new seminary has followed for the past five years in administering the Southern Seminary extension program that was licensed in New York.

• Evening classes will generally be offered from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM, each course once a week, for fifteen weeks (2.5 hours x 15 evenings = 37.5 clock hours, or 45 educational hours).
• Weekend classes will meet from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM Friday evenings, and then the same class will continue from 9:00 AM until 1:30 PM on Saturday for five weekends (7.5 hours x 5 weekends = 37.5 clock hours or 45 educational hours).

Academic Regulations

A student taking nine semester credits is considered a full-time student. Students have outside employment or ministry obligations should consider the demands of the rigorous graduate ministry education program when planning their academic program.

Students are urged to attend all classes. Under no circumstances will a student be given credit for courses in which he or she has been absent more than 25% of the total number of class meetings, unless a student has made up for those classes by listening to class recordings. Students who attend class and are passing, but have not finished the class responsibilities will be given an “I” for incomplete. The student must complete the incomplete portion of the course and receive a final grade before the last class day of the next semester, or else the grade will become an “F” after that period. An “I” grade is not counted in the grade average until after the last day to complete the work or when the work is completed.

The following grades are given: A, B, C, D, F, WF (withdraw failing) and WP (withdraw passing). Grade pluses (+) and minuses (-) can be given where appropriate. Grade point averages are computed on the basis of hours attempted, not hours completed. Credit transferred from other school does not affect the NYDS grade point average.

Not more than half the credits required for a graduate degree at NYDS may be transferred from another seminary. No grade lower than a “B” or its equivalent will be transferable.

Any student whose grade point average falls below 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale shall be placed on probation at NYDS for one semester. Depending on the student’s needs, time management or writing skills or other needs will be addressed. If the student’s work improves to higher than 2.0 that semester, the student will be taken off probation. If there is evidence of improvement, but the grade point average for the first probationary semester is still below 2.00, the student may be allowed one more probationary semester. If there is inadequate improvement, the student may be dismissed from the program, and counseled concerning alternatives.

Standards of Conduct

The Seminary has established standards of conduct for maintaining public order on the Seminary campus and other Seminary owned properties. These principles, regulations, and procedures are in compliance with provisions of Section 6450 of the Education Law of the State of New York.

No member or guest of the Seminary may engage in any of the following behaviors on the premises: Obstruction or disruption of any sanctioned and authorized Seminary activity; possession or use of firearms and explosives; possession or use of dangerous, destructive, or obnoxious chemicals or any dangerous or apparently dangerous weapons, other than as allowed by law and Seminary regulations; possession or use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or illegal drugs; detention, physical abuse, or conduct that threatens bodily harm or endangers the safety or health of any person; intentional damage or theft of Seminary property or the property of any person when it is located on the premises of the Seminary or during an authorized function of the Seminary; entry into living quarters, private offices, or working areas of another person without expressed or implied permission of that person or of an authorized Seminary official; or the invasion of the privacy of records, data, or communications belonging to individuals, to the Seminary, or to others.

Violators of these policies are subject to disciplinary action, which may result in academic suspension or employment termination. It is the student’s responsibility to become informed and to observe all regulations and procedures for degree completion required by the New York Divinity School. This includes strict attention to all internal deadlines, such as applications, degree completion, registration, and graduation, as well as satisfying all requirements leading to completion.

Appearance

The Seminary expects that all faculty, staff and students’ appearance and dress will be in good taste and appropriate to the functions they perform in the Seminary. The Seminary believes that a person’s appearance is reflective of that person’s view of self. More specific guidelines or rules may be established by administrative heads, at their sole discretion. In addition, certain articles of clothing and accessories may be prohibited because of the nature of the work, or to satisfy certain health, safety, and other regulations.