Yes. While a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is required, that degree may be in any field. MTS has students with educational backgrounds in psychology, history, religion, engineering, finance, law… you name it.
If you do not have a bachelor’s degree it is possible to audit courses at MTS. Auditors are those students who take a course without receiving academic credit. Most classes are available for auditing, and permission of the instructor may be required. Contact the Admissions office to receive an application form for auditors.
Make sure you meet the admission criteria above, then contact the Admissions Office for an application packet. The deadlines for application on the master's level are August 10 for the fall semester, and January 10 for the spring semester. The deadline for D.Min. applications is March 31 of the year you plan to begin the program.
The Master of Divinity and the Master of Arts in Religion. Both are broad-based degrees in which students do not claim a major field of study, but instead have the freedom to choose electives in such a way as to focus on a specific area of interest or to take full advantage of the wide range of course offered. The Doctor of Ministry degree is for ordained ministers who have been in full-time ministry for at least three years since earning their Master of Divinity.
Limited financial aid opportunities are available. For more information about Federal Financial Aid through the Stafford Loan program, United Methodist and Cumberland Presbyterian Denominational Service Loans, Veterans' Benefits and other scholarships, please contact the Coordinator of Financial Aid, Dorothy Jemison (djemison@MemphisSeminary.edu.)
All of our classes are on block scheduling, which means that each class meets one day a week for three hours. Click here to see a schedule of classes. Approximately one-third of our students live over 100 miles away and commute to school. Overnight housing for commuters is available, which means that you can be a full-time student and still only be away from home and work one or two days a week.
The M.Div. is an 87 hour program, which is designed to be completed in three years. The M.A.R. degree is a 48 hour program, which is designed to be completed in 2 years. Your actual time for completion will depend on how many classes you are able to take each semester.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most people whom God calls take a while to figure out the details of their call. Switching from one degree program to the other is easy if done early enough. You may also apply as a non-degree-seeking student and earn up to 12 hours credit while deciding which degree to pursue.
Yes. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was one of the first church bodies to ordain women as elders and ministers. Louisa Woosley was ordained to the ministry of word and sacrament in 1889. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church and MTS continue fully to support women in ministry. Approximately one-third of our student body is female.
