NBTS Unveils New Master of Divinity Curriculum

May 3, 2015

New Brunswick Theological Seminary, the first seminary established in North America, is once again at the forefront of theological training as it launches a new Master of Divinity curriculum imbued with transformational leadership, inclusion and a global perspective.

The cutting-edge curriculum, which includes new courses, innovative intensives and a streamlined credit requirement system, will be implemented beginning in the fall of 2015. Upon graduation, students will possess the essential knowledge and skills to be successful in any ministry setting, and to understand, engage and impact the world beyond the walls of the church.

“We are teaching our Seminarians to be global citizens who can function in many worlds,” explained Dr. Willard Ashley, Sr., Dean of the Seminary and Associate Professor of Practical Theology. “Many of our students do not know where God will send them post-graduation, so to equip students in only one type of ministry is a disservice. Our new curriculum is designed to help students assess, analyze and take action in multiple environments.”

To achieve the most effective and impactful learning experience, it is imperative that every student be able to see and hear his or her own voice in the curriculum. The NB TS faculty incorporated student feedback into the curriculum design process, and leveraged the Seminary’s strength and expertise in diversity (the student body is more than 50 percent female, more than 70 percent people of color and one out of every five students was born outside of the United States) to design each and every course to reflect perspectives of race, gender, class, justice, power and privilege.

“The minute students walk onto our campus, he or she hear from us that transformational leadership is important. Issues of race, gender and class cannot be escaped,” stated Dr. Ashley. “At the end of the day, we will learn from each other, and we do it through collaboration, cooperation and contextualization.”

NBTS remains deeply committed to making theological education affordable and accessible. With this new curriculum, four credit courses will be replaced by three credit courses, and the total number credits required to earn a Masters of Divinity degree will be reduced from 96 to 84. This streamlined approach will benefit the Seminary’s students as they balance their studies with employment and family responsibilities.

The first new courses offered as part of the revised curriculum are Transformational Leadership, Christian Experience and Witness, Our Christian Traditions in Context, Contextualized Ministry and Spirituality, and Race, Class and Gender. Additional courses and intensives will be phased in during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic years. The new NBTS curriculum meets the requirements the Association of Theological Schools as well as the States of New Jersey and New York.