Academic Catalog: Academic Programs

Degree requirements published in this catalog are effective for all new and reentering students, including those beginning their program in the summer session.

Denver Seminary offers ten programs of study. Information in this section describes each program and lists the course requirements to earn the degree or certificate.

  • A ninety-seven-hour program leading to the Master of Divinity (MDiv).

  • A sixty-two-hour program leading to the Master of Arts (Biblical Studies, Christian Studies, Philosophy of Religion, or Theology) degree.

  • A sixty-two-hour program leading to the Master of Arts in Christian Formation and Soul Care degree.

  • A sixty-six-hour program leading to the Master of Arts in Counseling (licensure) degree (with a concentration in clinical mental health counseling or school counseling).

  • A sixty-two-hour program leading to the Master of Arts in Counseling Ministries degree (with an optional twelve-hour concentration in chaplaincy).

  • A sixty-two-hour program leading to the Master of Arts in Leadership degree (with an optional twelve-hour concentration in intercultural ministry, outdoor leadership, or worship).

  • A sixty-two-hour program leading to the Master of Arts in Youth and Family Ministries degree (with an optional twelve-hour concentration in counseling ministries or outdoor leadership).

  • A thirty-hour program leading to the Graduate Certificate (with an emphasis in leadership, theology, Christian studies, or intercultural ministry).

  • A ten-hour program leading to the Certificate of Completion (with an emphasis in chaplaincy, Christian apologetics, Christian formation and soul care, intercultural ministry, or worship).

  • A thirty-four-hour professional program leading to the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree for those who are currently in ministry and who hold the Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent.

Students desiring to earn a second master’s degree may do so by adding additional hours to the already earned degree. Consult the Registrar’s Office for the specific courses that are needed to earn the second degree.

MDiv + two-year MA = a minimum of 127 hours
Two-year MA + two-year MA = a minimum of ninety-two hours (ninety-six hours if one of the degrees is the MA in Counseling)

Curriculum

Both the message and the mission of the Christian faith stem from the Hebrew-Christian scriptures. Con­sequently the Bible is at the same time the foundation and heart of the Denver Seminary curriculum. The truth of this one book permeates the entire program of study. No department can carry on its distinctive function apart from it and no course can stand in isolation from it. While all areas of the Seminary curri­culum are biblically oriented, the Old and New Testament departments focus the attention directly on the content of scripture. Here students become thoroughly familiar with the broad sweep of revealed truth, with the distinctive contents of the individual books of the Bible, and with the appropriate techniques of analysis and interpretation. Such knowledge is the source of all Christian ministry.

Historical Perspective on Ministry

Christianity is built upon a changeless historical foundation. The biblical message is not a statement of philosophical concepts, but rather, it stands as a witness to past events. Jesus Christ was crucified, as the early creed affirms, “under Pontius Pilate.” Thus the gospel, the good news of God’s work in Jesus Christ, is a declaration concerning a once-for-all event.

The primary mission of Christianity is to create and nurture the Christian communities called churches. These churches belong to that more comprehensive company of the redeemed, the communion of saints, the church of Jesus Christ.

Ministers today, then, are not creatures of their times. They proclaim an old story and foster a fellowship that reaches back to the apostles. If they are to preach and counsel, to teach and lead today’s church, they must gain a knowledge of and respect for the company that carried the faith to them.

Theological Content of Ministry

The Christian faith challenges the most profound human thought. Christianity’s affirmations probe the depths of people and history, God and his eternal purposes, the origin and end of the world, sin and sal­vation. Biblical doctrine relates to many of the most crucial questions people ask today. Students are en­couraged to see all of life in terms of Christian truth and its implementation in church and society.

The disciplines of apologetics, philosophy of religion, and systematic theology teach students how to think in order to formulate what to think. Opportunity is provided for mature interaction with other philo­sophically and theologically formulated faiths. Conflicting truth claims lead to examination of the nature of truth and the grounds on which it is established. Faith is related to reason. Students must know not only what they believe but also why. The implications of their position on individual and social conduct must be understood.

The theological field is integral to the entire Seminary curriculum. From the biblical and historical fields come the materials to be systematized and focused on ministry in church and society. Thus, in the theo­logical division, students formulate the faith which challenges their total commitment. Here students de­velop more comprehensively the convictions that will permeate their life-long message, as well as estab­lish the values and objectives that will guide their life-long mission.

Context of Ministry – Church and Society

The imperative to proclaim Christ in the world motivates the church to action; effective action is the ul­timate focus of all Seminary courses. Through evangelism, preaching, teaching, worship, counseling, prophetic witness, and pastoral care, the servant of Christ seeks to establish the church and equip it to fulfill its ministry in the world. The church, wherever it may be found, lives in response to God’s revela­tion of Himself in his Word.

In this context, students will carry on their ministries. Various communication skills are necessary to serve both individuals and groups. Students learn to put their theology into action so they can apply the Bible to the culture with meaning and purpose. Theory and action are brought together in classroom ac­tivities, field work assignments, and internship and mentored ministry experiences. Preparation for and involvement in ministry are inseparable. Effective mission and ministry require diversification of role and method. The Seminary engages in the preparation of men and women for varied ministries in con­temporary societies around the world.

Philosophy of Education

Christianity, centered in the gospel of redemptive grace, is a systematic corpus of doctrine, a coherent and integrated body of belief. It is, however, infinitely more than just another world view competing for human allegiance in the marketplace of ideologies. Christianity is both the truth and the power of God. As God’s truth, it meets human need intellectually; as God’s power, it meets that need in the midst of life. It provides a framework for thinking as well as a directive and dynamic for living. Hence, Christianity is a faith which, on the one hand, provides an orienting framework and, on the other hand, demands a life-embracing discipleship. The Christian message, in other words, creates the Christian mission with its many dimensions. Christianity is an imperative which must be implemented on every level of witness—evangelistically and pastorally, academically and socially, intellectually and ethically, personally and institutionally. This means that no subject matter exists in isolation; each department of Denver Seminary presupposes and requires all the other departments. This disciplinary integration prepares students for many Christian ministries.

Training and Mentoring Program

Denver Seminary is committed to equipping leaders for God’s kingdom who think biblically, live faith­fully, and lead wisely for a lifetime. This vision requires intentional and purposeful partnerships between the Seminary, churches, and parachurch ministries. Character is forged when truth is obeyed and tested in relational environments. The ministry setting is the best laboratory for developing essential ministry skills.

Denver Seminary’s training and mentoring process helps students prepare for a wide range of ministry vocations through facilitated mentoring relationships and personalized learning contracts. Many aspects of the mentoring process are tailored to the student’s personal gifts, calling, and passion. As part of the core curriculum for every degree program at Denver Seminary, the training and mentoring experience helps develop the whole person for faithful, healthy, sustainable ministry. This takes place as various components of the training and mentoring process provide multiple environments in which the Holy Spirit can bring about significant growth.

The process is driven by six core values related to ministry training:

  1. Integration: We seek to prepare the whole person to minister in an integrated manner.
  2. Intentionality: We strive for clear growth goals based on clear assessment of student needs.
  3. Theological reflection: We explore the integration of theology, life, and ministry.
  4. Multiple sources of input: Our educational process involves feedback from a variety of perspectives and resources.
  5. Ministry-based learning contexts: We design our learning process to develop the specific character traits and skills needed in specific ministry settings.
  6. Lifelong learning: We provide self-directed learning tools that help students continue to grow in the face of a rapidly changing world.

The training and mentoring process reflects these core values through a structure that includes:

    1. Selecting a local church for spiritual nurture and ministry involvement. All students are expected to be regularly involved in a local church.
    2. Recruiting a local mentoring team for weekly support, interaction, and theological reflection.
    3. Writing and implementing personalized learning contracts that purposefully address issues of charac­ter and competence needed in ministry.
    4. Participating with other students in a spiritual formation group.

      Students are responsible to locate and secure their own mentors, although mentoring directors are availa­ble to offer assistance as needed in locating churches and mentors and for developing learning contracts.

      All full-time degree-seeking students enrolled in nine hours or more (except those in the MA in Coun­seling program) should register for T/M 500 Introduction to Christian Formation and Training and Men­toring during their first semester. This course provides a foundation for addressing issues of spiritual formation and for entering the training and mentoring sequence.

      After completing T/M 500 and a minimum of nine semester hours of course work, students may enter the learning contract sequence. MDiv students enroll for five consecutive semesters while MA students enroll for three consecutive semesters.

      Through this multifaceted mentoring process, seminary training is much more than a classroom educa­tion. It is a life-transforming journey with people willing to stand alongside and who are committed to the building of leaders. 

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