By Matthew Taylor, student news writer, Office of University Communications

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University is offering a new Master of Divinity online program that is designed “to prepare God-called men and women for a lifetime of ministry,” according to Dr. Terry Wilder, director of the program.

Most Master of Divinity (M.Div.) programs require students to complete courses totaling roughly 85 to 95 credit hours for the degree. However, Campbellsville University's Master of Divinity degree, without sacrificing needed preparation, calls for students to complete 75 credit hours to earn the degree.

Six 8-week terms are offered per year. Because Campbellsville University's M.Div. degree is 75 credit hours, it can be completed in two years compared to three to four-year programs offered at other universities and seminaries.

The university also offers the Master of Theology and the Master of Marriage and Family Therapy degrees. Wilder said the difference in content between the shorter Master of Theology degree and the longer Master of Divinity degree is that “The Master of Divinity degree offers a fuller scope of both academic and practical courses for pastoral ministries than does the Master of Theology.”

Through the Master of Divinity, students will explore the Bible and Christianity in depth and develop the leadership skills it takes to do Christ's work in the church and in the world. Delivered online without a traditional fixed-time course schedule, the M.Div. allows students to balance their professional responsibilities with their studies while they prepare for their ministerial vocations, Wilder said.

A Master of Divinity degree enables students to follow their callings and prepare to serve as pastors, chaplains, cross-cultural and international missionaries, or leaders of nonprofit, faith-based organizations.

Dr. John Hurtgen, dean of Campbellsville University's School of Theology, also said, “Having a Master of Divinity degree better prepares you to do a doctorate.”

Wilder said classes in the M.Div. program at Campbellsville are taught by “scholars who love the gospel, know their fields of study, are engaged in research and writing, involved in ministry and firmly rooted in local churches.”

Tuition for the Master of Divinity program is $299 per credit hour, which makes it more affordable than most other seminary and university M.Div. programs, Wilder said.

Although the program is fully online at present, future plans include offering the M.Div. in seat on the university's main campus and at her regional centers in Harrodsburg and Louisville.

The program began in January, and six students are currently enrolled. “I think it's a great program, and as it grows, I would like to encourage other people serving in ministry to take a look at it,” Jasmine Barnett, M.Div. student, said. Barnett is director of church outreach and associate campus minister at Campbellsville University.

Prospective students can go to https://www.campbellsville.edu/apply to find an online application for the Master of Divinity program. For more information, contact Dr. Terry Wilder at  tlwilder@campbellsville.edu, or phone (270) 789-5039 in Campbellsville University's School of Theology.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 14,000 students offering over 100 programs of study including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. The university has regional centers located in Louisville, Harrodsburg, Somerset, Hodgenville, and Liberty with instructional sites in Elizabethtown, Owensboro, and Summersville. Out-of-state centers include two in California at Los Angeles and Lathrop, located in the San Francisco Bay region. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.

Campbellsville University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award certificates, associate, baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees. Contact SACSCOC at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the status of Campbellsville University.