MDiv Program
The Master of Divinity (MDiv) joins the study of religion to the arts of religious leadership, with fieldwork in multiple settings and a cohort that stays together for all three years.
Program Overview
The Master of Divinity (MDiv) is a three-year program that combines coursework in the study of religion and the arts of religious leadership with significant fieldwork in multiple settings. Students move through the degree in a cohort-based learning community that supports their intellectual, spiritual, professional, and personal formation.
The degree asks students to establish breadth of competence in religious studies and to develop a thorough understanding of the textual, historical, and philosophical foundations for religious leadership and engagement, joining reflective practice to scholarship.
Coursework
The MDiv consists of twenty-seven courses. Students work across the traditions' histories, languages, texts, theologies, philosophies, ethics, and anthropological study of living communities, which deepens their understanding of their own commitments and of the communities they will serve. MDiv cohort courses, offered in each of the three years, take up the arts of religious leadership and practice in students' own traditions and in others.
Field education and language
Community engagement and field education run through all three years of the program, in more than one setting. Students also acquire basic skill in a language relevant to their tradition, either a textual language focused on exegesis or a modern language that will help them engage the communities they hope to serve. MDiv students receive additional funding while completing field placements.
Rooted in the University of Chicago Divinity School's historic commitment to the training of scholarly ministers, the MDiv program welcomes students of many traditions: Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Confucian, Christian, and humanist. Some anticipate ordination and traditional vocations in religious community leadership. Others prepare for work in a wider range of settings. The program builds the knowledge and skills that work requires, and it prepares students for public engagement well beyond a single congregation or tradition.
The Divinity School sits at the center of a major research university, within walking distance of five seminaries and surrounded by Chicago's neighborhoods. MDiv students can shape the degree toward the settings they expect to serve through dual-degree programs, interdisciplinary certificate programs, or denominational studies at neighboring schools. Whether or not they pursue those options, all MDiv students are encouraged to take courses in other departments and professional schools of the University of Chicago. Coursework across the University prepares students for leadership, community building, and meaning making in complicated public settings.
For a full outline of degree requirements, including a typical timeline, consult the Ministry Program Handbook.
Applying to the MDiv Program
Dates and deadlines
Round 1 January 5, 2027
PhD Program: Application Deadline
AMRS, MA, and MDiv Programs: Priority Deadline
Round 2 April 2, 2027
AMRS, MA, and MDiv: Round 2 Application Deadline (final deadline for international students)
Round 3 June 14, 2027
AMRS, MA, and MDiv: Round 3 Application Deadline (final deadline for domestic students)
Admission into the MDiv program is offered on a yearly application cycle. The application usually opens in September and has three application deadlines: one in early January, early April, and early June.
Questions about the application process? Explore Application FAQs.
Scholarships and funding
Applicants are automatically considered for Divinity School scholarships upon admission. Scholarships are offered based on the strength of the application materials; applicants who want to ensure they are considered for the full range of funding options should apply by the January priority deadline.
Scholarships are renewable for the second and third years for students who maintain good progress through the program. Students can also receive funding for summer language study at the University, and MDiv students receive additional funding when completing field placements.
Tuition is charged quarterly. Please see the Bursar's fee schedule for tuition rates. For more information about scholarship and funding opportunities, please see Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Required Application Materials
The Director of Ministry Studies is Cynthia Gano Lindner, Clinical Faculty for Preaching and Pastoral Care in the Divinity School.