Program purpose
Preparation for thoughtful, accountable service.
Develop and evaluate a biblically grounded approach to congregational ministry. Evaluate scholarly sources and justify a theological research method. Communicate supported findings, ethical limits, and implications for Christian service.
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.
Graduate core 12 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.
Specialization 18 credits
MDV621 Advanced Expository Preaching3 credits
Develop and deliver sustained expository sermons grounded in careful exegesis. Evaluate theological coherence, structure, audience understanding, and responsible application.
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.
MDV622 Christian Worship and Ordinances3 credits
Construct a scholarly theology of worship and ordinances. Design a congregational teaching and worship plan with clear doctrinal rationale.
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.
MDV623 Pastoral Theology and Christian Care3 credits
Analyze pastoral responsibility through Scripture, ethics, presence, boundaries, and referral. Develop church-care responses without claiming clinical treatment competence.
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.
MDV624 Christian Education and Discipleship3 credits
Design and evaluate a church teaching ministry through biblical outcomes, curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Develop a coherent discipleship sequence.
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.
MDV625 Global Mission and Church Planting3 credits
Evaluate Christian mission, contextualization, partnership, church planting, and congregational renewal. Prepare a realistic proposal with accountable leadership and evaluation.
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.
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.
Research capstone 6 credits
GSR690 Specialized Theological Research Capstone6 credits
Complete a thesis or ministry inquiry in the named master field, with literature review, justified method, supported findings, limitations, and oral defense. The product must be distinct from supervised practice.
Prerequisites: All 30 taught credits in the selected 36-credit master program; accepted proposal and any required ethics review.
Workload: At least 270 documented learning hours.
Assessment: Defend the final research product before at least two qualified examiners; earn B or higher and at least 3 in every rubric dimension; complete accepted revisions.
Course sequence
- Complete the 12-credit graduate core before the 18-credit specialization; satisfy each course prerequisite.
- Complete all 30 taught credits and receive proposal approval before GSR690. Teaching or ministry projects and capstone submissions must be distinct.
Final project and examination
GSR690: a six-credit thesis or ministry inquiry in Christian ministry, with literature review, method, findings, limitations, and oral defense before two qualified examiners.
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 degree with at least 3.00 cumulative GPA or documented equivalent, transcripts, Christian ministry-purpose statement, theological writing sample, and suitable biblical, theological, and research preparation. Faculty-approved conditional admission below 3.00 requires B or higher in the first 12 graduate credits. Missing preparation is additional to the degree.
Completion standard
Progress must be demonstrated.
Complete all 36 credits in the prescribed course map. Earn B or higher in each applied course and at least 3.00 cumulative GPA. Complete the stated sequence, institutional-study minimum, required supervision, final assessment, and accepted revisions. GSR690: a six-credit thesis or ministry inquiry in Christian ministry, with literature review, method, findings, limitations, and oral defense before two qualified examiners.