Program purpose
Preparation for thoughtful, accountable service.
Advanced biblical and theological study, accountable leadership, mentoring, ministry inquiry, and a defended research capstone.
What you will study
A coherent academic pathway.
The complete program requires 36 semester credits.
- Graduate core — 12 credits
- Specialization — 18 credits
- Research capstone — 6 credits
Courses and requirements
Your complete course map.
Select a course to read its scope, prerequisites, learning hours, and assessment requirements. Follow prerequisite order; the course list does not promise a delivery date.
Required courses 36 credits
GRA501 Graduate Theological Research and Writing3 credits
Develop a graduate research question and theological argument using credible primary and secondary sources. Evaluate literature, distinguish evidence from assertion, use accurate citations, and prepare a defensible proposal. Assessment includes a literature review, research design, and oral explanation of the proposed inquiry.
Prerequisites: Graduate admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
GRA502 Advanced Biblical Interpretation and Exegesis3 credits
Apply advanced methods of contextual biblical interpretation and exegesis. Examine genre, literary structure, historical setting, theological coherence, and interpretive alternatives. Produce a sustained exegetical study that supports its conclusions and acknowledges methodological and evidentiary limits.
Prerequisites: Graduate admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
GRA503 Advanced Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God3 credits
Investigate the Kingdom of God across Scripture and theological scholarship. Evaluate relationships among Christ’s work, the Church, discipleship, mission, justice, and Christian hope. Develop a supported theological argument with a responsible ministry implication.
Prerequisites: Graduate admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
GRA504 Christian Leadership Ethics and Accountability3 credits
Evaluate Christian leadership through biblical ethics, stewardship, authority, truthfulness, boundaries, and accountability. Analyze difficult ministry cases and develop a reasoned governance or accountability response that protects people and permits fair review.
Prerequisites: Graduate admission.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
APM601 Apostolic Ecclesiology and Church Order3 credits
Examine apostolic ecclesiology, church order, leadership functions, and shared ministry in biblical and theological sources. Evaluate competing models accurately and construct a context-sensitive church-order proposal grounded in GDICU’s Christian mission and accountable practice.
Prerequisites: GRA501 through GRA504.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
APM602 Prophetic Ministry and Theological Discernment3 credits
Analyze theological claims concerning prophetic ministry, spiritual gifts, discernment, and church accountability. Evaluate evidence, interpret Scripture responsibly, and design a process for testing ministry claims. Academic assessment concerns reasoned discernment, not validation of personal spiritual status.
Prerequisites: GRA501 through GRA504.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
APM603 Christian Leadership Formation and Mentoring3 credits
Investigate Christian leadership formation, mentoring relationships, discipleship, and succession through theological study and ministry evaluation. Design a mentoring plan with clear learning outcomes, ethical boundaries, appropriate feedback, and a method for evaluating progress.
Prerequisites: GRA501 through GRA504.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
APM604 Church Renewal and Mission Strategy3 credits
Evaluate congregational renewal and mission strategies using biblical theology, contextual inquiry, and responsible ministry evidence. Develop a feasible renewal proposal with stated assumptions, resources, responsibilities, evaluation, and limits on predicted outcomes.
Prerequisites: GRA501 through GRA504.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
APM605 Christian Peacemaking and Pastoral Leadership3 credits
Apply advanced biblical and theological reasoning to conflict, reconciliation, pastoral responsibility, and the exercise of authority. Evaluate fictional or appropriately protected cases and defend a peacemaking response that includes safeguarding and referral where needed.
Prerequisites: M.A.: graduate core and APM601–APM604. M.Div.: graduate core, APM601, APM603 and MDV623.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
APM606 Supervised Apostolic Ministry Project3 credits
Implement an approved supervised ministry project under a learning agreement. Document the intervention, receive supervisor feedback, evaluate outcomes and limitations, and relate practice to theological study. Faculty grade the project evidence and reflection; unverified service time alone earns no credit.
Prerequisites: GRA501 through GRA504 and APM601 through APM604.
Workload: At least 135 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
GRA690 Thesis or Ministry Research Capstone6 credits
Complete a supported theological thesis or ministry inquiry with a literature review, explicit method, findings, limitations, and oral defense. The assessed research product is distinct from APM606.
Prerequisites: Graduate core, APM601 through APM604, and accepted proposal.
Workload: At least 270 documented learning hours.
Assessment: The published course outcomes, required assessed work, and degree-level rubric govern; the verified syllabus supplies assessment weights.
Academic standards and transfer requirements
Each semester credit requires at least 45 documented learning hours: approximately 15 hours of instruction or equivalent faculty-guided engagement and 30 hours of independent work. A 3-credit course requires 135 hours; a 6-credit course requires 270. Shorter terms do not reduce workload.
Undergraduate and certificate courses require C or higher and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00; graduate and doctoral courses require B or higher and at least 3.00. Grades: A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79, D 60-69, F below 60. Complete at least 67% of attempted credits within 150% of the published program credits. Existing repeat and appeal procedures continue.
Each syllabus specifies measurable outcomes, readings, learning activities, workload, prerequisites, assessment weights, accessibility, and integrity rules before teaching. Assess Scripture and theology, evidence and method, ministry application, and ethics and communication. Final projects require at least 3 on the four-level rubric in every dimension, the minimum course grade, and accepted revisions.
Bachelor students complete at least 30 credits through GDICU, including all 12 advanced field and capstone credits. At least half of each certificate and master degree, and every required culminating project and GDICU-supervised practice component, must be completed through GDICU. All doctoral credits are completed through GDICU. Transfer requires documented content, level, workload, and outcome equivalence; C minimum undergraduate, B minimum graduate.
Count each course once within a credential. Approved certificate courses may apply once to a bachelor degree after admission and a course-by-course equivalency review. Undergraduate work cannot become graduate credit. Previously awarded graduate-degree work cannot be reused in another graduate award. Experience, attendance, ordination, or office alone earns no academic credit.
No recruitment, intervention, or data collection begins before proposal approval and documented institutional ethics review, consent, confidentiality, safeguarding, and site permissions where required. A theological text or archival study also requires source integrity and any access permissions. Existing examination, one-revision, and appeal policies continue.
Academic requirements do not open applications or enrollment. Faculty assignments, complete teaching packages, library access, supervision, accessibility, student support, systems, financial terms, and applicable authorization must be verified before program release. Existing student catalog rights and written transition plans remain in force.
Read the complete academic catalog for the governing program and student policies.
Who may apply
Admission begins with verified preparation.
A verified earned bachelor’s with at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA or documented equivalent, prior transcripts, a Christian ministry-purpose statement, a theological writing sample, and suitable biblical and theological preparation. Conditional admission below 3.00 requires faculty approval.
Completion standard
Progress must be demonstrated.
Complete all 36 required graduate credits, earn B or higher in applied courses, maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA, and complete every required research, defense, and supervised-learning component.