Richards Divinity School

The MDiv degree program is designed to prepare persons for ordained ministry and for general pastoral and religious leadership in congregations and other settings. The MDiv degree is the recognized basic credential for such vocations. The program offers a structured opportunity for students to develop a thorough, discriminating understanding and personal appropriation of the heritage of the community of faith, its Scripture, traditions, doctrines, and practices in both its historical and contemporary expressions. It intends to assist students in understanding the cultural realities and social settings within which religious communities live and carry out their missions. The program incorporates the insights of cognate disciplines, such as the social sciences, the natural sciences, philosophy, and the arts. It will enable students to obtain a knowledge and appreciation of cross-cultural and global contexts of the religious tradition and practice. MDiv students will also have opportunities to develop the personal qualities that are essential for the successful practice of ministry. Although the program is especially oriented to help provide for the pastoral education needs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the region of the Pacific Union Conference—California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah—it is also prepared to serve the needs of Adventists elsewhere as well as those of other faith traditions.

For the most current information about the MDiv program, please see the latest ediion of the La Sierra University Graduate Bulletin.

MDiv/MBA

The Divinity School and the Zapara School of Business provide students with the opportunity to pursue both the MDiv and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree programs simultaneously. This provision is designed especially for persons interested in congregational leadership, church administration, church planting, and the use of entrepreneurial skills to enhance congregational and community life.

Up to twelve units completed in the Divinity School by a student jointly enrolled in these programs may be used to fulfill requirements for the MBA, and up to twelve units completed in the School of Business by such a student may be used to fulfill requirements for the MDiv. This results in a total reduction of up to twenty-four units in the combined MDiv and MBA programs.

A student who wishes to pursue these degree programs simultaneously must apply to and be accepted into both the MDiv and the MBA programs. For further information, contact the Divinity School dean’s office or the School of Business dean’s office.

Master of Divinity Requirements

The MTS degree program is a broad graduate academic program oriented toward general religious and theological studies, normally requiring two academic years of full-time study.
For the most current information about the MTS program, please see the latest ediion of the La Sierra University Graduate Bulletin.

Master of Theological Studies Requirements