Joint Degree Programs
Joint-degree programs allow students to earn two degrees concurrently with fewer credit
requirements than needed to earn the degrees separately. Joint-degree programs require separate admission applications to each of the respective schools. Students seeking to enter a joint-degree program must meet admission requirements for both schools participating in the joint program.
Beeson Divinity School’s primary degree is the Master of Divinity, and our student body is
small. As such, our course work offerings are limited. Classes are offered Tuesday through Friday only, with attendance required on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The curriculum structure is integrative and requires incremental progress from one semester to the next. Joint degree students are encouraged to plan their course work well in advance to minimize scheduling or sequencing conflicts. To receive divinity school scholarships, joint degree students are expected to take a minimum of nine divinity credit hours per semester.
The M.Div./Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) joint degree program offered by Beeson Divinity School and the Brock School of Business allows students to pursue the Master of Divinity degree and the M.B.A. degree concurrently. The program is designed to enrich the educational opportunities available to students in the separate disciplines by encouraging interdisciplinary approaches to ministry preparation and organizational problems that directly affect churches and other religious institutions. Students take 84 credits of course work at Beeson Divinity School and 21–39 credits at the Brock School of Business. Students interested in this joint program should apply to the Brock School of Business for admission into the M.B.A. program at the conclusion of the first year of the M.Div. program. To inquire, please contact the Brock School of Business at 205-726-2931 or Beeson Divinity School at 205-726-2066.
The M.Div./Master of Science in Education (M.Ed.) joint degree program combines work in Beeson Divinity School and Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies. Twelve (12) credits of education degree course work are accepted as part of the elective requirement of the M.Div. degree. Crossover credit from the divinity degree to the education degree is determined case-by-case as may be allowable within government regulations concerning teacher certification. Students normally are required to complete the first year of the M.Div. before beginning work in the education school. To inquire, please contact the Orlean Bullard Beeson School at 205-726-2019 or Beeson Divinity School at 205-726-2066.
The M.Div. with emphasis in church music and the M.Div./Master of Music (M.Mus.) joint-degree programs, offered through collaboration with the School of Performing Arts, are designed for individuals who desire a stronger foundation in biblical, historical/theological, and ministry studies as preparation for ministry through music. To inquire, please contact the Samford School of Arts at 205-726-4524 or Beeson Divinity School at 205-726-2066.
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Beeson Divinity School and The Cumberland School of Law offer two dual degree programs. The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) – Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is a 158-159 credit hour program which takes approximately six years to complete. The Master of Arts in Theological Studies (M.A.T.S.) – Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is a 106 credit hour program which takes approximately five years to complete.
Students must apply for admission to each school separately. They must complete their first semester of law school before applying to the divinity school. Law students applying to the dual degree program must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average.
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Juris Doctorate (J.D.)
The divinity school will grant 12-13 semester hours of elective credit for law school courses, and the law school will grant 15 semester hours of elective credits for divinity courses. This effectively reduces the total number of hours for the two degrees by 27-28. Pursued separately, the J.D. (90 hours) and the M.Div. (96 hours) degrees would require a total of 186 semester hours. Pursued together, the total number of required semester hours is 158-159.
Hours in the dual M.Div. – J.D. program:
Law: 49 Required Divinity: 83-84 Required
26 Law electives 12-13 Law credits
15 Divinity credits 96 Total
90 Total
Master of Arts in Theological Studies (M.A.T.S.) and Juris Doctorate (J.D.)
The divinity school will grant 8-9 semester hours of elective credit for law school courses, and the law school will grant 12 semester hours of elective credits for divinity courses. This effectively reduces the total number of hours for the two degrees by 20. Pursued separately, the J.D. (90 hours) and the M.A.T.S. (39 hours) degrees would require a total of 129 semester hours. Pursued together, the total number of required semester hours is 109.
Hours in the dual M.A.T.S. – J.D. program:
Law: 49 Required Divinity: 30-31* Required
29 Law electives 8-9 Law credits
12 Divinity credits 39 Total
90 Total
* The balance of required and elective divinity credits
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