News

Last December, the Regent College Faculty and Senate approved a refreshed curriculum for Regent's Master of Divinity (MDiv) program. The changes come into effect in Fall 2024.

The new curriculum will continue to have a robust foundation in biblical studies, languages, history, and theology. Courses such as Soul of Ministry, Pastoral Ethics, Introduction to Preaching, and two years of Supervised Ministry will continue as requirements. 

The main differences between the current MDiv requirements and the new ones are:

• The new MDiv will be 81 credits long instead of 90 credits.
• History of Christian Doctrine (THEO 608) and Advanced Exegesis (BIBL 701 or 702) are no longer required.
• Students may now choose 9 credits from a range of pastoral courses, including Pastoral Care (APPL 546), Missional Church (APPL 581), and new courses on Intercultural Ministry, Trauma-Informed Ministry, and Working with Conflict

The new curriculum will continue to have a robust foundation in biblical studies, languages, history, and theology. Courses such as Soul of Ministry, Pastoral Ethics, Introduction to Preaching, and two years of Supervised Ministry will continue as requirements. There will also be exciting new elective courses with a pastoral ministry focus, such as this summer's intensive course in the Downtown Eastside. A new course on Intercultural Ministry is being developed for the 2024–25 academic year, and courses on Trauma-Informed Ministry and Working with Conflict are planned for Fall 2025.

The new MDiv curriculum also has an allotment of 18 credits for general electives, giving students the flexibility to pursue a broad array of interests or focus their studies along the lines of one of Regent's concentrations.

Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology Mark Glanville shared his enthusiasm about the new curriculum.

"Crikey—this is exciting stuff! These curriculum changes grew out of research and consultation with an amazing team of students, alumni, and current pastors. I'm thrilled that Regent is responding to many of the needs, hopes, and dreams that they expressed.

"You know, when I became a pastor, I looked back at my MDiv and realized that I'd learned a lot about the Bible—which is vital—but less about the practical skills I needed Monday to Friday as I dealt with the complex and often messy realities of community life.

"Our new curriculum really aims to prepare students for those complex realities. How do we embody Christ's love for people coming from various cultural contexts, for people who are hurting, for people who are marginalized, for people who don't get along? These are all important questions that deserve serious consideration as part of pastoral training. I'm so excited to learn alongside Regent students from many different backgrounds as we explore these topics together."

If you have questions about Regent’s MDiv program curriculum, please feel free to reach out to our Admissions team at [email protected].

Information for Current MDiv Students

Students admitted prior to Fall 2024 are not required to switch to the new curriculum requirements, but they may choose to do so. There is no option to complete a combination of the current and new curricula. If current students are unsure whether they should change to the new requirements or stay with the current ones, they should discuss their options with Vivian Lee in Academic Advising ([email protected]).