Advanced Master of Divinity—Billy Graham School

The Advanced Master of Divinity in the Billy Graham School is an accelerated professional degree program for students who have a baccalaureate or Master of Arts degree in religion or biblical studies.

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Admissions Requirements

In addition to the online application, transcripts, and pastor/church recommendation, the Advanced M.Div. application requires the following:

  • A baccalaureate degree in religion or biblical studies
  • 3.3 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
  • Applicants must have completed the following in their undergraduate work:
    • 12 hours in biblical studies,
    • 12 hours in history and theology,
    • 12 hours in ministerial, theological, or related electives,
    • 3 hours each in ethics, philosophy, hermeneutics, preaching, elementary Hebrew and elementary Greek

    (51 hours total)

  • Passing grade on Greek and Hebrew placement tests (see below)
  • Academic Paper – Applicants will upload a writing sample to the application. Please submit an unmarked sample from your previous schooling. It should be a clean copy and may account for former professor’s editorial comments.
Placement Tests

Once applicants have submitted all requirements through the online application, they will be reviewed for provisional admission into the Advanced M.Div.

If admitted into this status, students will then be contacted by the Center for Student Success about taking Language Placement Tests for both Greek and Hebrew.

Applicants must pass both of these placement tests to qualify for full admission into the Advanced Master of Divinity Degree.

Program Requirements

Note: Continuing students should consult the Academic Catalog for the year in which they started for course requirements as the current requirements may have changed.

Contact the Student Success Office with questions.

Biblical and Theological Studies 27
20440 Hebrew Syntax and Exegesis 3
22440 Greek Syntax and Exegesis 3
26200 Southern Baptist Heritage and Mission 3
27800 Theology of the Old Testament 3
27820 Theology of the New Testament 3
40150 Personal Spiritual Disciplines 3
   — Church History Elective1 3
   — Systematic Theology Elective1 6
Apologetics, Ethics and Philosophy elective1 3
Mission, Evangelism and Ministry 30
28700 Christian Apologetics 3
30000 Christian Preaching2 or 3
45400 Christian Teaching
32100 Personal Evangelism 3
32960 Introduction to Missiology 3
32980 World Religions and Christian Mission 3
33820 Introduction to Church Planting or 3
36550 Introduction to Church Revitalization
34300 Introduction to Biblical Counseling 3
40200 The Worshiping Church 3
40080 Christian Leadership 3
45260 Discipleship and Family Ministry 3
Applied Ministry 1
44920 Applied Ministry: BGS or 1
44930 Applied Ministry: Mission Trips/Partnership
Unrestricted BGS or SOT Electives1 12
Total Advanced Master of Divinity—BGS Requirements 73
40375 Advanced MDiv Thesis Research and Writing (if required)3 +2

1All introductory or survey courses including 25100, 25120, 27060, 27070, 27080, 28500 and 29250 do not fulfill the elective requirements. Unrestricted Electives can be taken in either the Billy Graham School or the School of Theology.

2Christian Preaching (30000) is reserved for, but not required of, men.

3Students interested in pursuing the thesis option must consult with the Billy Graham School office and take 40375.

Next Steps

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