“What are you studying?”

“Master of Divinity.”

“Master of Diva?” (Confused face.)

“No, it’s Master of Divinity.”

“Ohhhh…..” (Blank face.)

“Sorry, what is that?” (Still confused.)

 Many of my conversations about my degree end up with questions or blank faces. To be honest with you, I did not really know what the term “Master of Divinity” meant until I started to explore options for further studies. So I understand when people give me a confused face!  Allow me to explain what these terms mean . . .

 To be a bit more exact I googled the definition of a Seminary. According to www.dictionary.com , the first definition says that a Seminary is a “special school providing education in theology, religious history, etc.” That is the definition that fits Ambrose.

However, every single Seminary is unique. Ambrose Seminary doesn’t only offer a Master of Divinity degree, it also offers other programs such as a Master of Arts in Leadership and Ministry, a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies, a Master of Christian Studies, and a Master of Arts in Biblical/Theological studies. On top of that we have certificates and graduate diplomas.

So what is a Master of Divinity? It’s first of all a degree that can be taken after an undergraduate degree (that’s the “Master” part; an undergraduate degree, by contrast is labelled “Bachelor”).

“Divinity” means “the study or science of divine things” and “the Divine” refers to God—so this degree is really all about studying God (definitions taken from Dictionary.com). A Master of Divinity program gives you the opportunity to study biblical languages, such as Hebrew and Greek. You will also study biblical and theological context to enhance and rebuild your previous knowledge of how we understand God in the Christian tradition.

A Master of Divinity degree also prepares you to serve cross-culturally or locally in a church or another ministry setting. The program requires an internship to be completed before graduation, which gives you a hands-on experience.

One of the neat things about being in Seminary in general is that the class sizes are small. Students and professors can easily interact and learn from each other. Professors know your name too!

I hope this description gives you a better understanding of what a Seminary and a Master of Divinity degree is.