Berkeley Divinity School students typically enroll in one of three academic programs. Within the curriculum for the relevant degree, Episcopal and Anglican students take specific courses in Anglican history, theology, and worship, as well as undertaking co-curricular commitments, in order to qualify either for the Diploma or Certificate in Anglican Studies. The three degree programs are:

Master of Divinity

The Master of Divinity (MDiv) is the professional degree intended for those students preparing for ordained ministry, as well as for lay persons with pastoral and related goals. For full-time students, it is typically a three-year course of study, with courses across the range of theological disciplines, and approved supervised ministry.

Master of Arts in Religion

The Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) is a two-year degree supporting lay ministry or service or advanced academic work. The MAR can be undertaken either as a comprehensive (general) degree or (with approval) with an academic concentration. Some students apply during their second year for a third year of study, typically to undertake additional requirements for further graduate study.

Master of Sacred Theology

The Master of Sacred Theology (STM) offers an additional year of study for persons who already hold the MDiv or equivalent, and is undertaken for a variety of purposes, including to prepare for some specific ministerial focus, to deepen  theological knowledge mid-career, or to prepare for doctoral studies.

The core curriculum is supplemented by additional programs that add other dimensions to broaden a student’s ministerial formation. Among these programs are:

Leadership Formation

The Wesley-Royce Leadership Formation Program is an endowed series of colloquia and symposia that provide focused training in the skills and capacities of effective leadership in parishes, schools, and other institutions. All Anglican Studies Diploma and Certificate candidates participate in the spring leadership colloquium, which focuses on the transformational leadership skills that are vital to the health of the Church in the 21st century.

Yale Center for Faith and Culture

Through the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, students can be involved in a number of outreach initiatives aimed at addressing critical current issues in religion and society. Central to the Center’s work are programs in inter-faith dialogue, exploring the relationship between faith and the workplace, and a project to inquire how faith in the God of Jesus Christ is related to human flourishing.

Yale Department of Religious Studies

Yale’s Department of Religious Studies maintains a full faculty offering courses in world religions, Jewish and Christian studies, and the philosophy of religion—all open to Divinity School students. Anyone interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in religion at Yale should apply through this department and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Joint Degree Programs

Students are able to take advantage of the curricular offerings of the wider university through a number of joint degree programs with other professional schools at Yale, including the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies; Law School; School of Management; School of Medicine; School of Music; School of Nursing; and the School of Public Health.

For those interested in a career in social work, joint degree programs leading to the MSW are available through the University of Connecticut and Yeshiva University.

More information about each of the degree programs is available on the Yale Divinity School website, especially in the Divinity School Bulletin.