Trinity Lutheran Seminary

Academic Resources

“Prepared for ministry?  Well, there is always room for more learning. There are always surprises. However, ask me if Trinity has prepared me for a life of faithful service?  For ministry rooted in relationship and God’s love?  Then, yes!  After study at Trinity, I am prepared to passionately share my faith and love in a world constantly in need of resurrection.  I am prepared to encounter the unexpected, the surprises, and the challenges.” 

Kimberly Knowle
Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
Toledo, Ohio
 

Master of Divinity

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Provides preparation for the ordained ministry of the church.
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Academic Requirements

90 semester hours of coursework
  • 53 hours in core courses, including 15 hours in the Bible Division, 18 hours in the History-Theology-Society Division, 17 hours in the Ministry Division, and 3 hours of integrative coursework.
  • Option courses: Six semester hours must be earned in this way in the Bible Division; five or six in the History-Theology-Society Division; and six in the Ministry Division.
  • Students may use elective course work to concentrate in one area of interest, or may make selections from offerings in all divisions.
  • At least two January Term courses.
Language Requirement
  • Hebrew I and Greek I are required of all M.Div. candidates.
Degree Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Divinity program at Trinity Lutheran Seminary should be able to:

1. …think and act biblically and theologically, using the resources of scripture and the church’s historical and theological tradition faithfully and imaginatively for the mission of the church.

2. …proclaim and communicate the gospel clearly in oral and written forms.

3. …read and interpret critically and accurately contexts of mission and ministry.

4. …practice the art and skills of pastoral leadership in ways that embody the gospel both in congregational settings and the public realm.

5. …demonstrate competence and sensitivity in engaging a diverse, multifaith, globalized world, and to be able to respond in light of the gospel.

6. …possess a healthy, integrated, and resilient faith and a capacity for appropriate interpersonal relationships, together with emotional maturity and moral integrity.

Areas of Concentration

1. The Bible in Mission and Ministry
2. Leadership for a MIssional Church
3. Youth and Family Ministry
4. Christian Spirituality
5. The Church in a Diverse World

Contextual Requirements
  • Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at a certified CPE site. CPE programs typically involve 400 hours of clinical experience and may be completed in the summer.
  • Ministry in Context (MIC) in the ELCA student’s first two years of study.
  • Internship, internship/residency, or other parish-based contextual experience under the auspices and supervision of the seminary; usually completed between the second and third years of academic study.