Launch Your Calling: The Master of Divinity (MDiv) to Equip You for Meaningful Ministry
- Focus: Your pathway to a fulfilling career in church leadership, chaplaincy, specialized ministry, and beyond starts here. We’re provide you with the practical skills, theological depth, and denominational connections you need to thrive.
- What You’ll Gain:
- Prepare for Ordination: Meet the specific requirements of numerous denominations, setting you on the path to leadership within your faith tradition.
- Develop Practical Ministry Skills: Gain hands-on knowledge and tools you can immediately apply in real-world ministry settings.
- Explore Diverse Ministry Paths: Whether you feel called to the pulpit, the chaplaincy, or a unique specialized role, we’ll help you explore and prepare for your specific calling.
- Build a Strong Theological Foundation: Deepen your understanding of theology and religion, providing a solid base for your ministry and future learning.
- Open Doors to Further Study: If you’re considering advanced academic work, this program provides excellent preparation for ThM, PhD, and other doctoral programs.
The MDiv is your next step in answering your call and making a real impact through faithful leadership and service.
Cohort Themes
All course work in the MDiv will flow from BST’s four thematic concentrations:
Creative Church & Community
- Focus: Learn practical strategies to build genuine and inclusive communities within your church, where everyone feels a sense of belonging and spiritual connection.
- What You’ll Gain: Gain skills in navigating organizational change, fostering church renewal, resolving conflicts constructively, providing compassionate care, leading ethically, and living out your faith publicly to create a vibrant and welcoming environment.
Spirituality & Resilience
- Focus: Discover how to cultivate deep spiritual, emotional, and professional well-being for yourself and those you lead, enabling you to thrive and support others in flourishing.
- What You’ll Gain: Learn to draw strength from scripture, history, prayer, community practices, pastoral care, trauma-informed approaches, effective communication, the arts, and other valuable resources to build resilience and lead with compassion.
Justice & Reconciliation
- Focus: Discover how to put your faith into action and embody justice in your community. Explore the powerful connection between God’s love, justice, and reconciliation.
- What You’ll Gain:
- Understand the gospel’s call to justice and develop practical strategies for long-term impact.
- Explore the vital link between environmental care and social justice.
- Learn from the inspiring histories of social and restorative justice movements.
- Grow your confidence and skills to effectively address injustice in your local community, nation, and the world.
Border Crossing & Bridge Building
- Focus: Equip yourself with the essential skills to overcome social barriers and build meaningful connections in a diverse world.
- What You’ll Gain:
- Develop practical intercultural skills through hands-on learning and real-world experiences.
- Design and implement your own creative projects to foster understanding and connection.
- Gain valuable experience through innovative internship opportunities that bridge divides.
- Master digital tools like podcasting and social media to promote common good and build bridges across communities.
The BST classroom is a laboratory (both physical & cyber) where a diverse group of learners comes together to critically address the increasingly more complex socio-cultural concerns of our day through biblical, ethical, and theological reflection toward the goal of creating a theo-praxis relevant to our time and location.
Dr. LeAnn Snow Flesher
VP of Academics & Dean of the Faculty
Professor of Biblical Interpretation
GTU Core Doctoral Faculty
Quick Facts
72 Units
Can be completed in as little as three years.
Multiple Locations Available
Courses can be taken from BST or through cross-registration at any of our partner schools, centers, or affiliates (Graduate Theological Union (GTU), UC Berkeley).
45 Units of Core Coursework
In Biblical Studies, Theology, History, Ethics, Leadership, Preaching, and Pastoral Arts.
Access to The Flora Lamson Hewlett Library
A world-class theological library (e-resources available), as well as the 26 libraries on the UC Berkeley Campus.
18 Units of Customizable Elective Coursework
With chosen emphasis in one of the four thematic concentrations.
Onsite, Online, or Remote
Courses taught onsite, online and through remote formats.
3 Units of Capstone Project
A culminating academic and practical experience in student’s chosen concentration.
6 Units of One-Year Internship
One-year internship in ministry setting of student’s choice.
Rolling Admissions
BST is a founding member school of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) – a consortium of eight schools, six centers, six affiliates, nine projects and initiatives, and a world-class theological library.
One of the Most Interculturally Diverse Seminaries in the Country
Since our founding 150 years ago, the core values of soul freedom, service leadership, social justice, public witness, religious liberty, and the centrality of the Word (written and spoken) still guide and sustain BST to this day. These Jesus-centered values, rooted in our inclusive inter-cultural heritage, have made BST an attractive school for students of many faith and denominational affiliations.
Here you will truly enter a spiritual “world-house” of teaching and learning, with a world-class faculty and students from every habitable continent on earth.
