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Although the specific constituency of La Sierra University and the Richards Divinity School is the Seventh-day Adventist Church, both the University and the Divinity School welcome students from other faith traditions. These programs represent the University’s recognition of these fields as scholarly disciplines. They provide appropriate contexts for those who wish to engage in research and writing or who plan to further their education in these disciplines or for those who want to develop skills for the professional practice of Christian ministry.
Graduate programs in the Divinity School include the following disciplines: general religious studies, biblical languages, biblical studies, Near Eastern archaeology, Christian ethics, Christian theology, history of Christianity, Seventh-day Adventist studies, and pastoral studies. Most of these disciplines have three levels of courses: foundational courses, core courses, and elective courses. Typically, students who have completed an equivalent or comparable undergraduate course will not be required to complete a foundation course in that discipline. Most programs require all students to complete the core courses in the disciplines. Students who are not required to complete a foundation course in a discipline will take an elective course in addition to the core course in the discipline.
The graduate programs offered by the Divinity School fall into the categories of graduate professional and graduate academic. The former classification refers to programs, such as the MDiv and CMin programs, that serve mainly to prepare students for the professional practice of Christian ministry. Professional master’s degrees may also prepare students for future professional doctoral studies (as well as academic doctoral programs in certain fields). The latter classification refers to programs, such as the MA and MTS programs, that serve mainly to engage students in advanced academic studies in the fields of religion or Near Eastern archaeology beyond the baccalaureate level. Academic master’s degrees may also prepare students for future academic doctoral studies in these disciplines.
Programs at a Glance
Graduate Program | Min. Time To Complete | Total Units |
| Master of Divinity (MDiv) - Regular Program | 3 years | 108 |
| Master of Theological Studies (MTS) - Regular Program | 2 years | 72 |
| Master of Arts (MA): Religion - Regular Program | 2 years | 60 |
| Master of Arts (MA): Near Eastern Archaeology - Regular program | 2 years | 56 |
| Doctor of Ministry (DMin): Public Theology | 4 years | 48 |
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Graduate Programs
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
The purpose of the doctor of ministry degree is to form religious practitioners (certified with terminal formal education) who embody the role of a critical public intellectual-practitioner.
The educational experience will enable those who complete the degree to use critical tools that assess, address, and serve various publics. Furthermore, they can offer informed responses to questions, such as "whether and to what extent religious positions that claim ahistorical authority, wisdom, and direction are useful in charting the course of a public school curriculum, a welfare agency, or even a policy for war"?
(Russell T. McCutcheon, Critics Not Caretakers: Redescribing the Public Study of Religion, 131)
Addressing these questions requires a re-description and re-appropriation of Christian historical and systematic theology. In light of human reality, a "narrative that is larger than a legislative cycle" requires attention to the "forms of human caring that are not captured in political debates" (Ellen Ott Marshall, Christians in the Public Square: Faith that Transforms Politics, 109) To this end and in order to offer Christian practitioners a more effective and relevant ministry, this degree is offered.
Master of Divinity (MDiv)
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.
Fast Facts MDiv | ||
| Regular Program Length | 3 years | |
| Quarter Units | 108 | |
| Maximum Transfer Credits | 54 quarter units | |
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
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.
Fast Facts MTS | ||
| Regular Program Length | 2 years | |
| Quarter Units | 72 | |
| Maximum Transfer Credits | 36 quarter units | |
I TRULY BELIEVE THE EDUCATORS at La Sierra University make up one of the premier faculties in theology, not only in Adventism, but in the world’s leading theological institutions
Patrick Reynolds, Master Of Divinity Program
AT LA SIERRA I KNEW they would give me a big picture: It’s about what we do for other people. Our call is ultimately to serve others.
Maritza Duran, Master Of Arts
Master of Arts (MA): Religion
The MA program in religion provides advanced academic study and research beyond the baccalaureate degree in the general disciplines of religious studies. It may serve as a foundation for further graduate study. Full-time students typically complete the program in two academic years.
For the most current information about the MA program in religion, please see the latest ediion of the La Sierra University Graduate Bulletin.
Fast Facts MA: RELIGION | ||
| Regular Program Length | 2 years | |
| Quarter Units | 60 | |
| Maximum Transfer Credits | 30 quarter units | |
Master of Arts (MA): Near Eastern Archaeology
The MA program in Near Eastern archaeology provides advanced academic study and research beyond the baccalaureate degree. It may serve as a foundation for further graduate study. Full-time students typically complete the program in two academic years.
For the most current information about the MA program in Near Eastern Archaeology, please see the latest ediion of the La Sierra University Graduate Bulletin.
Fast Facts MA: NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY | ||
| Regular Program Length | 2 years | |
| Quarter Units | 56 | |
| Maximum Transfer Credits | 28 quarter units | |
Graduate Certificate in Ministry (CMin)
The CMin program is a 36-unit foundational professional curriculum designed to introduce students to the study of the various traditional disciplines comprising theological studies, and acquaint them with an aspect of ministry. The program is not a federal aid eligible program.
Certificate in Ministry Requirements
Meet our Faculty & Staff
Friedbert Ninow
PhD, Dean
Maury D. Jackson
DMin, Associate Dean
Connie Penick
Executive Coordinator
Kent Bramlett
PhD
Marlene Ferreras
PhD
Kendra Haloviak Valentine
PhD
Wonil Kim
PhD
Igor Kokhan
PhD
John W. Webster
PhD
Ronald Osborn
Ph.D
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