Graduate School of Theology | Escuela de Posgrado en Teología

Northwest Nazarene University’s Graduate School of Theology offers Doctor of Theology, Master of Divinity, and Master of Arts degrees, as well as several Graduate Certificate Options. These professional graduate degrees prepare women and men for vocational ministry and also offer students opportunities to focus their studies around a specialization of their own choosing. The Graduate School of Theology offers the following programs:

La Escuela de Posgrado en Teología de la Universidad Nazarena del Noroeste (NNU por sus siglas en inglés) ofrece Doctorado en Teología, Maestría en Divinidades y Maestría en Artes, así como varias Opciones de Certificado de Posgrado. Estos títulos de posgrado preparan a mujeres y hombres para el ministerio vocacional y también ofrecen a los estudiantes oportunidades para centrar sus estudios en torno a una especialidad de su propia elección. La Escuela de Posgrado en Teología ofrece los siguientes programas:

Doctoral Degree Program

Doctor of Theology

El programa del título de Doctor en Teología (Th. D.) está diseñado para proporcionar estudios e investigaciones avanzados para personas en el liderazgo pastoral, ministerial, educativo y/o de la iglesia en el área específica de la Teología Práctica. El programa de Th. D. brinda oportunidades para la exploración, el estudio, la investigación y el análisis en profundidad con respecto a la Iglesia, sus prácticas y el ministerio en campos interdisciplinarios seleccionados (es decir, bíblico, teológico, histórico y filosófico, un componente consistente con todos los programas de posgrado que el Colegio de Teología y Ministerio Cristiano – CTCM—ofrece), y en cursos enfocados en prácticas específicas de la Iglesia y el ministerio.

The Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) degree program is offered in the Spanish language and is designed to provide advanced study and research for persons in pastoral, ministerial, educational, and/or church leadership. The Th.D. program provides opportunities for in-depth exploration, study, research, and analysis regarding the Church, her practices, and ministry in selected interdisciplinary fields (i.e., biblical, theological, historical, and philosophical -- a component consistent with all graduate programs that the Graduate School of Theology), and in courses focused on selected practices of the Church and ministry.

Master Degree Programs

All of NNU's Master of Divinity and Master of Arts programs are fully online, with no residential requirements. Prospective students with a baccalaureate degree from a variety of undergraduate majors are encouraged to apply.

NNU's Graduate School of Theology has the historic distinction of being the first institution with fully online programs ever to be granted full membership by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). The Master of Divinity and the Master of Arts: Pastoral Ministry programs are both recognized by the Church of the Nazarene's International Course of Study Advisory Committee (ICOSAC) as validated courses of study, meeting the educational requirements for ordination in the denomination.

Master of Divinity

A professional graduate degree, the Master of Divinity is an extensive program designed to prepare students for vocational ministry and leadership. Master of Divinity students complete 75 semester credits, includes a 36-credit pastoral ministry core, a 32-credit specialization, four credits of supervised ministry experience to be completed near the end of the student's program, and a 3-credit advanced biblical exegesis course to be taken in one of the final two summers in the program. Master of Divinity students complete one seven- or eight-week course at a time over four-and-a-half years. Students may choose from three specializations:

Missional Leadership
Spiritual Formation
Youth, Children, and Family Ministry

Master of Divinity students are not required to serve in a ministry staff capacity during their enrollment, but they must be actively engaged in a local church where they can apply their studies and be accountable to ecclesiastical leadership. All students complete their course work by participating with students from both their self-selected specialization as well as a Pastoral Ministry learning community. Students may begin their studies with either learning community. After completing all work in one learning community, students enroll in the remaining learning community. In addition to their enrollment in both of the learning communities mentioned, students must also complete an advanced biblical exegesis course and a supervised ministry experience. The supervised ministry courses will normally be completed near the end of the student's program, and the advanced biblical exegesis course will be taken during one of the final two summers in the program. The degree is offered in a fully online environment and is typically completed one course at a time over the span of four-and-a-half years. To maximize contextualization, Master of Divinity students participate in a mentoring relationship in their own ministry setting. Ministry mentors receive a small stipend for the support offered.

Master of Arts

NNU’s Graduate School of Theology also offers the Master of Arts degree, an additional professional graduate program.

Students may select:

Master of Arts: Leadership and Formation, with a 36 credit-specialization in Missional Leadership; Spiritual Formation; or Youth, Children and Family Ministry.
Master of Arts: Pastoral Ministry, a 40-credit, validated course of study for Nazarene students pursuing ordination. This degree is comprised of twelve three-credit courses lasting seven weeks each, plus four credits of supervised ministry experience that can be completed in the spring or summer closest to the student's graduation. The Master of Arts: Pastoral Ministry can be completed in as little as five semesters, with students taking most of their summers off.

Master of Arts students are not required to serve in a ministry staff capacity during their enrollment, but they must be actively engaged in a local church where they can apply their studies and be accountable to ecclesiastical leadership. To maximize contextualization, Master of Arts students participate in a mentoring relationship in their own ministry setting. Ministry mentors receive a small stipend for the support offered.

Five-year Pastor-Scholar Program

The Five Year Pastor-Scholar Program is a joint degree program that combines the four-year Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program in one of the ministry majors offered by the Department of Philosophy and Religion (Christian Ministry, Intercultural Ministry, Worship Arts, Youth Ministry) with the 30-month Master of Arts (M.A.) program in Pastoral Ministry. This combined program enables students to complete both degrees in five years, rather than in 6.5 years.

In order to participate in this program, students must first apply for admission (generally before their first year at NNU and no later than the end of their second year). Students must also maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30. If a student’s GPA falls below the minimum GPA requirement during the first three years, they have one semester to restore it to the required level or be discontinued from the program (but continuing in the “regular” undergraduate program).

For Admissions and Graduation Requirements, see Graduate Theology Master Degree Requirements

Certificate Programs

Graduate Certificates

In addition to its degree-seeking programs (e.g., Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, and Master of Arts in Leadership & Formation), the Graduate School of Theology (GST) offers non-degree graduate certificates in the following seven areas of study:

Graduate Certificate in Missional Leadership (16 semester credits)
Graduate Certificate in Missional Leadership Studies (16 semester credits)
Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Formation (16 semester credits)
Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Formation Studies (16 semester credits)
Graduate Certificate in Youth, Children & Family Ministry (16 semester credits)
Graduate Certificate in Youth, Children & Family Ministry Studies (16 semester credits)
Graduate Certificate in Wesleyan Studies (16 semester credits)

Graduate certificates may be of interest to individuals for their own personal/professional development who do not desire a full degree program but wish to focus in a particular area of academic study, perhaps on a more relaxed pace. Depending on the graduate certificate selected, students may complete one or two eight-week courses per semester. Graduate certificates may also be attractive to prospective students who are considering a graduate degree and may later wish to transfer their graduate certificate coursework into a corresponding Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree track. Likewise, those who have already earned a graduate degree may find a graduate certificate helpful in focusing their study in a particular discipline beyond a previous degree/s.

These graduate certificates are not validated as meeting all educational requirements for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene. Students pursuing ordination with an interest in a graduate degree should consider NNU’s Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry programs, which are validated courses of study.