Master of Divinity

The Master of Divinity program is designed to fully equip men for pastoral ministry. To prepare its pastors to that end, the Master of Divinity program requires 98 units, including 9 biblical language courses so the student can master the original languages. To complete this degree, students must also complete five preaching courses, including labs where men are mentored in the art of expository preaching. Students in this program are also required to complete two-thirds of their classes in person. This allows them to fully benefit from the value of in-person education at The Master’s Seminary.

The Master of Divinity online courses enable you to complete one-third of the M.Div. program online, allowing you to remain in your present ministry. Because the in-person experience is a crucial part of the education at TMS, students must come to our main campus in Southern California or one of our distance learning locations for the final two-thirds of the degree.

Students are not required to attend Grace Community Church while they are at The Master’s Seminary. Thankfully, there are many biblically focused, Christ-exalting churches in the greater Los Angeles area. However, the seminary is located on the campus of Grace Community Church and many of our faculty and administration are elders and leaders at Grace Church. By attending Grace Church, students will fully benefit from the church-seminary partnership—including discipleship and ministry opportunities—that are at the foundation of the training model.

You do not need prior theological training, but you do need a bachelor’s degree. Along with a degree in biblical studies, students enter the Master of Divinity program with degrees in the humanities, the sciences, business, and communications, to name a few. Students without a bachelor’s degree can enter the Bachelor of Theology or Diploma of Theology program. For information on those programs, see here.

To enroll in the Master of Divinity program, students must have a bachelor’s degree. However, students without a bachelor’s degree can pursue the Bachelor of Theology or Diploma of Theology at TMS.

There is no age requirement for admittance to The Master of Divinity program. Our student body ranges from early-twenties—students fresh out of college—to retired age—older men eager for theological training. Many of our students move to Southern California with their families to begin theological education. Others come here single, marry, and start a family by the time they have finished. Since its beginning, The Master’s Seminary has not catered to any age group but has been the right choice for men of varying ages.

Through the generosity of many donors, TMS is able to provide Master of Divinity students with a wide range of scholarship opportunities. Visit our financial information page to see a complete list of our scholarships.

Missions is one of the four key pillars of The Master’s Seminary. The Master of Divinity program prepares men to shepherd people in any culture or context. Along with the classroom preparation, there are several practical partnerships that encourage missions work for TMS graduates. The Master’s Seminary shares its building with The Master’s Academy International, a fellowship of training centers established and run by our alumni. Grace Ministries International is a ministry of Grace Community Church that sends out missionaries—many of whom are TMS graduates—who provide leadership training, church strengthening, church planting, and Bible translation around the world.

The Master’s Seminary offers a variety of ministries and programs for wives and families, including Seminary Wives Discipleship, Every Woman’s Grace, Adventure Club, and The Master’s Kids. Along with those official programs, life on a local church campus provides families ample opportunity to develop relationships and enjoy community.

Although we don’t have on-campus housing, we do our very best to accommodate students. We have a housing scholarship that helps significant numbers of our students afford to live close to the seminary campus. If you are considering TMS, and you have concerns about housing affordability in Los Angeles, please make sure you visit our housing scholarship page and talk to an admissions counselor.

For the Master of Divinity program, students must complete at least 50 credits at TMS. That means the students can use a maximum of 48 credits from other accredited institutions, provided those credits closely mirror the TMS M.Div curriculum. Transfer credit decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Depending on their training background, students may also test out of some language and Bible survey courses.

Alumni with our Master of Divinity program serve in many different settings. Along with pastoral and preaching ministry, our graduates work as military chaplains, missionaries, Bible translators, teachers, biblical counselors, and youth leaders. Some men are fully equipped lay elders who are pursuing God’s calling beyond vocational ministry.

When we say a united-faculty of pastor-theologians, we are saying that our faculty are united behind the school’s doctrinal statement. That does not mean faculty members have to agree on every non-essential issue in Scripture.