|
Degree Programs
Non Degree -Schedule -Tuition and Fees Faculty Recognition of Student Achievement NBTS Catalog Registrar's Office Supervised Ministry |
M.DIV.The Master of Divinity degree program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of Christian ministry. This program, required by many denominations for ordination, is offered at the New Brunswick campus through day and night classes and at the St. John's site through night classes. Education for ministry is not a matter of simply accumulating certain knowledge and skills. It is the beginning of a process of personal transformation whereby the student appropriates the knowledge and skills pertinent to ministry in a way that shapes the student's self-understanding and life within the church and the world. Thus, both the integration of the diverse fields of knowledge and skill, and the integration of these fields with the actual experience and practice of ministry, are essential to a theological education. The course of study for the M.Div. falls into three major categories. The first consists of the core academic courses, grouped into three fields: Biblical Studies; Historical, Theological and Ethical Studies; Ministry Studies. The second consists of the experience and practice of varieties of ministry. This is found principally in a student's Supervised Ministry placements, but also in the various aspects of life in the seminary community. Those courses which seek to integrate the various academic fields, and academic learning with practical experience, form the final category. The Ministeriums and required integrative courses constitute this category. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTSThe application deadline for a term is two months before the first day of classes. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for admission in the following semester. The applicant must: 1) hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with an academic record indicating scholarly ability and academic achievement, including a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Official transcript(s) of all undergraduate and graduate work pursued to date are required. Applicants completing undergraduate study are accepted on the basis of a partial transcript, but a transcript showing a baccalaureate degree must be provided prior to matriculation; 2) complete the application form supplied by the Seminary's Office of Student Services which includes two letters of recommendation, and an indication of the applicant's area of concentration within the M.A. program; 3) pay a $50.00 non-refundable application fee; 4) once admitted, pay a $250.00 admissions deposit 30 days prior to the beginning of the first day of the new term to indicate acceptance of admission. This deposit is applied to the student's first-term tuition. New students are required to complete their registration two weeks before the first day of classes for the term. Registration after that date will be assessed a $100.00 late fee. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS In addition to the admissions procedures mentioned above, applicants who seek to enter the US to pursue a degree program at NBTS must: • Submit transcripts of undergraduate degree programs, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose written in English • Demonstrate their proficiency in English (see English Proficiency Requirements) • Apply to the US Government for an F-1 nonimmigrant student entry visa. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY Applicant whose native language is not English (with the exception of those who have graduated from a 4-5 year degree program where the language of instruction is English) must demonstrate their proficiency with a score on TOEFL, the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Minimum score requirements are 213 (Computer-based), or 80 (internet-based). Information about the TOEFL is available at http://www.toefl.org/. New Brunswick Theological Seminary’s TOEFL school code is 8937. Applicant with TOEFL scores lower than those listed must also be evaluated by taking a placement test administered by the Program in American Language Studies (PALS) at Rutgers University’s New Brunswick Campus. Applicants may be required register for intensive English language coursework prior to matriculation in NBTS courses. Information about Rutgers PALS is available at http://pals.rutgers.edu/. When beginning a Seminary degree program, English-as-a-Second-Language students must successfully complete the NBTS courses ESL Theological Writing I& II. F-1 NONIMMIGRANT STUDENT VISAS Once the Admissions Committee approves an application from an international student, the Office of Student Services sends information on how to obtain Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 Nonimmigrant Student Status in the United States. Prospective students use the form and supporting documentation to apply for an F-1 visa. The United States Government makes all visa decisions according to its regulations: • F-1 applicants must document in advance that they (and/or their financial sponsors) have sufficient funds available to cover tuition, fees, textbooks, and living expenses for the entire course of study at the Seminary. • F-1 visa applications must demonstrate to the consular officer at a US embassy or consulate abroad that they seek to enter the US temporarily and solely for the purpose of full-time study at the Seminary. Once students enter the US in F-1 status, regulations require that they maintain full-time study at NBTS. The Seminary defines full-time as 12+ academic credits per semester. NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS Under exceptional circumstances, a student without a baccalaureate degree many be admitted with a probationary status to the M.Div. Program. Non-traditional students admitted will be on probationary status until the college courses are completed with a grade of “B” or better and 16 credits of NBTS course work has been completed. At that time, the student’s faculty advisor in consultation with the faculty will review the student’s progress in the M.Div. Program and make the appropriate recommendations for the student. The faculty will vote on the status of non-traditional students enrolled in the program at least once each year. Such a student shall complete the process described above, and: a) be at least forty years of age; b) have demonstrated distinguished service to the church and shows a sense of vocation and commitment to professional ministry; c) prepare for the M.Div. program by completing five college courses with a grade of “B” or better at an accredited college or university. At least three of these courses must be completed with a transcript submitted and with a plan for the completion of the other two courses before the admissions committee will process the application. These course must cover five areas: English composition, history, philosophy, behavioral science (psychology, sociology, or anthropology), and literature. Please contact the Admissions office for information, transcript review, and aid in selecting the needed college courses, and the ordaining body within your church and/or denomination about the possibility of ordination without a college degree. Admission to the non-traditional program does not guarantee you are eligible for ordination within your church. FITNESS FOR MINISTRY AND ORDINATION The Seminary acts on behalf of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America not only in providing education for ministry, but also by evaluating students to determine their suitability for ordination to the denomination's ministry of Word and Sacrament. Testimony to a student's readiness for ministry is given through a Certificate of Fitness for Ministry, recommended by the Faculty and granted by the Board of Trustees. A classis is not permitted to ordain a candidate for ministry who has not been granted this Certificate. Application for the Certificate of Fitness must be made 15 months before the intended date of graduation. Although no Certificate of Fitness for Ministry is granted to students from other churches, since the M.Div. is a professional degree, the Faculty evaluates all candidates to determine suitability for ministerial leadership in the church. The Faculty will not recommend that an M.Div. degree be granted to a student who, although academically qualified, does not exhibit the moral, spiritual and personal qualities requisite for ministry. The ordination requirements of the student's church may also be taken into consideration in decisions concerning the awarding of the M.Div. degree. HONORS THESIS THE URBAN MINISTRY CONCENTRATION IN THE M.DIV. PROGRAM Applications for admission to the concentration should be made to the Professor of Metro-Urban Ministry during the semester in which the student is completing 32 credit hours of work in the regular M.Div. curriculum. Consideration will be given to candidates who have: 1) maintained a 3.0 GPA up to the point of admission to the concentration; 2) expressed a passion for, and knowledge of, the dynamics of urban living, and; 3) can articulate, in written and oral form, an understanding of a particular issue or problem on the urban scene. All correspondence concerning admission to the concentration should be addressed to the Professor of Metro-Urban Ministry. Applicants are required to furnish the following materials: 1. A letter making formal application for admission to the concentration, and identifying the person giving the reference mentioned below; 2. A 500-1,000 word essay describing the applicant's leadership style and interest in urban ministry, placing emphasis on a particular urban issue or problem as the reason for entering the program; 3. A letter of reference from the applicant's local church or denominational office. After submission of the written application materials, the student should seek a personal interview with the Professor of Metro-Urban Ministry. The concentration comprises five courses totaling 16 credit hours. These are as follows: Foundations of Urban Ministry - 4 credits (taken after 32 credits
of course work) M.DIV. INTERNSHIP TRACK This internship is pursued in a setting assigned or designated
by the Director of Supervised Ministries and approved by the Dean
of the Seminary. While engaged in the internship, the person is
a full-time student, subject to all the policies of the Seminary.
Students pay an internship fee equivalent to the charge for two
Supervised Ministry Units. Students wishing to receive a third and
fourth Supervised Ministry Unit for their internship pay an additional
fee. |
|
|
News and Events |
| Site Map | Contact Us | Accreditation | Privacy Policy |