Special Courses and Programs
Divinity School Special Programs
- Undergraduate Program in Religious Studies
- Certification in Ministerial Studies for Ph.D. Students
- Ph.D. Application for Hyde Park Seminary Students
- The Jerald Brauer Seminar
- Visiting Students from Foreign Universities
- Senior Research Fellows
Other Programs in the University
- Buddhist Studies at Chicago
- Committee on Jewish Studies
- Graduate Workshops in the Humanities
- Graduate Student-at-Large Program
- Traveling Scholar and Exchange Scholar Programs
Outside Programs
Certification in Ministerial Studies for Ph.D. Students
The program of Certification in Ministerial Studies is intended for students whose ultimate educational and professional goals require scholarly attainment in one of the fields of religious studies, and who desire as well the professional educational qualifications for religious leadership. A sequence that is pursued during one full year of a student's Ph.D. program, the certification program includes requirements in field education, arts of ministry, and major papers in theology, ecclesiology, and a problem in ministry. Before receiving the certification, the student must complete all requirements for the Ph.D. degree, including the dissertation. In general, the certification program will add one full year to the normal student career.
Program Requirements
The requirements for the Certification in Ministerial Studies are as follows:
1. Completion of nine approved courses. The student is required to take the three-quarter sequence in the Arts of Ministry (CHRM 35500, 35600, 35700) in the autumn, winter, and spring quarters.
2. Completion of three quarters of congregation-based education and the Field Education Practicum.
3. Submission of three papers on ministry to an examining committee. One paper must be an exposition of foundational theological resources on which the student draws in conceptualizing and performing ministry. A second paper must develop a normative understanding of religious community in relation to the foundational position. A third paper must explore a problematic context within which the religious community exists and its ministries are performed. This paper may focus upon the personal, societal, or cultural dimensions of a problem. The student should select courses other than those in the Arts of Ministry sequence to assist in the preparation of the three papers on ministry.
4. Successful completion of an oral examination based on the three papers on ministry. The oral examination will be conducted by a committee of at least four faculty members, including a chairperson. The examining committee may recommend additional requirements to be fulfilled by the student before awarding the Certification in Ministerial Studies.
5. The Certification in Ministerial Studies is conferred upon successful completion of the above program and the successful completion of all requirements for the Ph.D. degree, including the dissertation. In no case will the Certification in Ministerial Studies be given to a student who fails to complete all requirements of the Ph.D. Program.
How to Apply
To enter the Certification in Ministerial Studies program, a student must have the consent of his or her academic adviser and the Director of Ministry Studies, and submit a petition to the Committee on Degrees in the winter quarter prior to the desired certification year. See the M.Div. Program for more information.
Ph.D. Application for Hyde Park Seminary Students
By virtue of an agreement between the Divinity School and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 
, McCormick Theological Seminary , and the Catholic Theological Union , a student enrolled in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program at one of these seminaries may undertake to coordinate studies with the intent of gaining admission to the Ph.D. program at the Divinity School. A student at one of these seminaries may pursue the normal course of M.Div. studies at the home institution while completing certain requirements for application to the Divinity School's Ph.D. program.
After completing two years of full-time study at one of these Hyde Park seminaries, the student may apply for admission to the Ph.D. program in the Divinity School in the winter quarter of the third year if the following conditions have been met:
a) Prior endorsement of the dean of the student's home seminary.
b) Completion of sufficient course work at the Divinity School, including at least three courses of biregistration at the Divinity School in the area of proposed Ph.D. concentration.
A student who wishes to pursue this should contact the Dean of Students in the Divinity School and declare this intention, reviewing the requirements at his or her earliest convenience.
Visiting Students from Foreign Universities
A student pursuing a doctoral degree at a foreign university may apply to be in residence as a non-degree student if that student is formally and actively sponsored by a Divinity School faculty member. For more information, contact the Dean of Students in the Divinity School.
