Other Curricular Considerations
Supervised Ministries
The programs in supervised ministries teach students how to gain professional competence, build frameworks for raising practical theological issues, acquire comprehensive and realistic views of the Church and its ministries, and develop ministerial identities. While supervised ministry is a requirement of the M.Div. program, it is open to all YDS students in degree programs. The sixteen-hour seminar on preventing ministerial misconduct, required of all M.Div. sutdents, is a prerequisite for both the Part-Time Internship with Practicum and Leadership in Public Ministry. For more information about requirements and policies regarding supervised ministries, please consult Office of Supervised Ministries (OSM) literature.
Students may participate in one or more of the following programs. Completion of one is required for the M.Div. degree. These programs carry elective credits and do not apply toward Area IV.
Programs Offered by Yale Divinity School
Part-Time Internship with Practicum (3 Credits per Term)
The part-time internship is taken for two consecutive terms starting in September. Internship sites include churches, social service agencies, campuses, and other institutions. The internship, under the mentorship of a trained supervisor, is combined with a peer reflection group (Practicum) taught by a practitioner, for a total of fifteen hours a week. The Part-Time Internship with Practicum carries three credits each term. Both terms must be completed for any credit to be received.
Leadership in Public Ministry (Summer: 3 Credits; Academic Year: 3 Credits per Term)
This internship program teaches students how to create change in community. Students learn how to practice justice and use power in ways that are biblically based and theologically grounded.
The Summer term program is full-time. It begins with two weeks of training and then continues with nine weeks of internship under the supervision of an experienced practitioner. Interns gather for four afternoons during the summer for further training. The program concludes with an immersion trip to study one of the sites related to the program.
The Academic Year program is part-time. It is taken for two consecutive terms starting in September. It begins with seven weekly class sessions in September and October, followed by biweekly class sessions throughout the fall and spring terms. It then continues with an internship of twelve hours per week throughout the academic year. The program includes two immersion trips to sites related to the program. Both terms must be completed for any credit to be received.
Programs Offered by Other Educational Institutions–Transfer Credit
Students may transfer supervised ministry/field education credit from other educational institutions so long as the programs include the following:
- 1. training by theologically educated instructors
- 2. a minimum of 400 hours of work
- 3. supervision by a mentor with an M.Div. and/or ordination
- 4. a peer reflection group
Examples of qualified programs include:
Clinical Pastoral Education (3 credits) Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is offered by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. One unit of CPE, which can be taken during either a summer or an academic year, fulfills the supervised ministry requirement. CPE sites include hospitals, hospices, geriatric care facilities, and occasionally community organizations and churches. CPE brings students into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. It provides an in-depth pastoral experience with individual and group supervision by certified teaching chaplains. Each program has its own application procedure, schedule, and policies. Eligible students may receive a stipend through the Office of Finance and Administration.
Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education Summer Program (3 credits) SCUPE is located in Chicago. SCUPE programs are scripturally based and shaped around the conception of “principalities and powers,” which are seen as decisive to understanding pastoral issues in urban ministry, as well as to identifying forces in the urban struggle that must be confronted. The SCUPE summer program consists of an introductory two-week intensive course called Cross Cultural Ministry followed by a nine-week full-time internship with a peer group practicum. Interns are placed in sites in the city of Chicago. Housing and financial support are generally available.
Seminary Summer (3 credits) Seminary Summer is a ten-week summer internship program sponsored by the Interfaith Worker Justice and the AFL-CIO. Interns attend a weeklong training period on religion and labor organizing and then work directly with labor unions and other labor organizations to engage the religious community in workplace issues. Interns receive stipends to help with costs, and a mentor for theological reflection.
Intern Year
The Divinity School does not offer Supervised Ministries credit or academic credit for an intern year unless that year of study is formally supervised and credited by another seminary. However, students who wish to maintain their student status at Yale while participating in an intern year may do so by making an application to the Professional Studies Committee, explaining how the intern year fits into their educational goals. If the committee approves the intern year, then students will be allowed to complete a technical registration that will allow the student to continue his or her current student status at Yale and to continue to use Yale e-mail. Because the student status continues, the individual will not need to start repaying student loans, and will not have to reapply for admission to the Divinity School at the end of the intern year. Upon completion of the intern year, students are expected to supply the Professional Studies Committee with a brief written evaluation of the intern year.
Ministry Studies Support
The Divinity School enables women and men to prepare for the lay or ordained ministries of Christian churches. As part of that preparation, YDS offers a ministry studies support program to each Master of Divinity degree student. The program accommodates the student’s needs and expectations for the degree, and Yale’s requirements. Support for ministry studies within the context of the degree includes the help of academic advisers, the assistant dean for ministerial studies, and the Berkeley Divinity School director of studies.
The M.Div. is a professional degree, required by many Christian denominations for ordained ministry. Utilizing the Divinity School faculty and student body as well as the gifts of the broader Yale University academic community, M.Div. students engage in a three-year program of intellectual discovery and personal formation. The M.Div. degree, when a part of an intentional plan for study, prepares students for their denominational ordination process, in a program that is theologically informed, professionally competent, academically rigorous, and oriented to the life of the church. Yale offers the context and support for this journey of the mind and spirit, providing all of the course work required for most denominational ordination requirements, as well as a broad system of support in the midst of this process. The degree also prepares students who are not ordination-bound for a wide range of careers in professional ministry and church service. Assessment of progress is offered throughout the academic program so that students in the M.Div. program can move forward, with broad institutional support, into the ministries that are most appropriate for their interests, their gifts, their hopes.
In addition to academic work, ministry studies include possibilities for regular worship with the YDS community at Marquand Chapel, at Berkeley Center, and in a wide range of denominational and other settings. The Annand Program for Spiritual Formation, sponsored by Berkeley Divinity School and open to all students, encourages learning the fundamentals of prayer and Christian discipleship from seasoned clergy and lay teachers. The Supervised Ministries programs offer rich opportunities for professional growth within congregational ministry and non-parish settings.
In all aspects of ministry studies, consideration of issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality, and the broad scope of social justice concerns are of central importance.
The Annand Program for Spiritual Formation
A gift from the Berkeley Divinity School to the wider Yale Divinity School community, this endowed program prepares students for lay and ordained ministry through the integration of the spiritual and intellectual life. Annand programs are intended to foster personal spiritual formation; provide experience with a variety of other spiritual disciplines; and offer students a broad view on trends in spiritual expression. Annand offers individual and group spiritual direction, retreats, small group programs, special worship services, and a provocative speaker series highlighting our faculty and other campus leaders. We continue to expand our vision for Annand, drawing the rigor of the University together with a centeredness in prayer allowing our students to remain open to new ways of knowing God in their lives.
For more information, please call Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, 203.432.9285.
Educational Leadership and Ministry Program
This program seeks to prepare students of all denominations for leadership and ministry in schools and colleges.
ELM focuses on preparing leaders to serve as ordained and lay chaplains, administrators, and teachers of religion in a variety of schools. It addresses some of the factors involved in the spiritual and moral formation of primary and secondary school students. It provides insight into the roles and responsibilities of those who hold other leadership positions in schools. The program also seeks to help future leaders understand and prepare for various types of chaplaincy at universities and colleges.
Sponsored by Berkeley Divinity School, ELM is still in the process of final formulation. Its core course is REL 864, Leadership Ministry in Schools and Colleges. The program includes field trips, presentations by visiting practitioners, and help with placements in schools and colleges. As ELM develops, the intention is that it will lead to the granting of a Diploma in Educational Leadership and Ministry in addition to the M.A.R. or M.Div. degree.
Ministry Resource Center
The center focuses on the practice of ministry and provides resources to faculty, students, graduates, and congregations for those ministries. The center provides consultation and training related to social service agencies and ministries of congregations, the use of resources, and program planning. It provides a media library of videos, DVDs, CDs, software, and print resources on the practice of ministry ranging from social issues to congregational care to curriculum resources. The center supports students in internships in the community by providing program resources, planning assistance, and training for their work. The Ministry Resource Center works to expand visions and meet faith needs through the life of congregations.
Denominational Preparation
Courses in denominational history and polity are offered in Area II of the curriculum and as an integral part of the work in a variety of courses. Each student is urged to consult with the proper denominational authorities at the outset, and to keep them informed, with regard to particular denominational requirements for ordination. Students should be aware that most denominations require specific courses in history and polity, for example:
Episcopalians
As a seminary of the Episcopal Church, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale is characterized by its unique setting within Yale Divinity School, commitment to academic excellence, and vibrant community life. When Episcopal students come to Yale to prepare for vocations in the lay and ordained ministries, they come to one of the world’s premier centers of theological learning.
At the same time, through Berkeley students participate in a focused community of worship and formation steeped in the Anglican tradition. Founded in 1854 to be a mediating seminary during a time of theological division in the Episcopal Church, Berkeley historically has been open to the spectrum of worship practices and theological perspectives within Anglicanism. It has found its unity in a rich sacramental and community life, as well as a shared commitment to rigorous intellectual engagement with the Christian tradition. Since its affiliation with Yale in 1971, Berkeley Divinity School has retained an independent board of trustees and dean, but its students are fully enrolled in Yale. Just as it funds faculty and lectures at the Divinity School, Berkeley offers scholarship support to students through Yale Divinity School.
Upon graduation, students receive, in addition to their Yale degree, a Diploma or Certificate in Anglican Studies from Berkeley, which oversees their Anglican formation. The Diploma in Anglican Studies includes courses in the seven canonical areas, a three-year colloquium series on leadership, involvement in the Annand Program for Spiritual Formation, and regular attendance at chapel services. Seminars, workshops, and class retreats focus on the acquisition of professional skills for the practice of ministry.
All M.Div. students must complete a year of supervised ministry in a parish or social service ministry, or a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education. Most dioceses of the Episcopal Church require for ordination both a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education and one or two years of supervised parish internship.
Morning and evening worship is held daily in St. Luke’s Chapel, and Wednesday evenings the whole community gathers for a special service of Holy Eucharist. The Berkeley Center, located one block from the Yale Divinity School campus, functions as a center of hospitality and community where Berkeley students, faculty, and staff congregate for worship, events, and informal conversation.
All admissions are administered and considered through either the Yale Divinity School or the Institute of Sacred Music. Applicants interested in pursuing the program at Berkeley Divinity School should use one of these applications for admission. For further information on the Berkeley Divinity School and its program, please contact the dean of Berkeley Divinity School, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven CT 06511, telephone 203.432.9285, or visit the Web site at www.yale.edu/berkeleydivinity.
Lutherans
Lutheran students are reminded that all candidates for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America must register with their synod’s candidacy committee. Candidates are expected to affiliate with a Lutheran seminary and to plan an internship year as part of their seminary career. Arrangements for internships are made through the Lutheran seminary with which the candidate is affiliated; arrangements for field placements in Lutheran churches are made through the Office of Supervised Ministries.
Candidates for ordination enrolled at non-Lutheran seminaries are normally required to spend a year in residence at a Lutheran seminary. Candidates often meet this requirement by spending a fourth year at a Lutheran seminary after completing their program of study at Yale. Alternately, Yale Divinity School has established a partnership with the Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries (Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, and the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary) that permits students enrolled at Yale to take up to two terms at an Eastern Cluster school as part of their Yale program.
The Lutheran Studies Program at Yale is designed to prepare candidates for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The program has two components: activities supporting formation for ministry and a course of studies adopted by the Oversight Committee. Those participating in the formation for ministry component qualify for a Certificate in Lutheran Studies. Those participating in both components qualify for the Diploma in Lutheran Studies. For information about the program, contact the director of the Lutheran Studies Program, Paul Stuehrenberg.
Methodists
United Methodists should keep in mind the ruling of the General Conference that candidates for both deacon and elder orders in an Annual Conference must include in their graduate theological studies the areas of Old Testament, New Testament, theology, church history, mission of the church in the world, evangelism, worship/liturgy, and United Methodist doctrine, polity, and history. The specific requirement for United Methodist history, doctrine, and polity is the equivalent of two credit hours in each of the fields. This requirement may be met by successful completion of REL 791a and REL 793b when taken in sequence. Annual Conferences may have additional requirements for ordination beyond those specified in The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Many Annual Conferences require both a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education and one or two years of supervised ministry. Students should be in touch early in their seminary career with their Board of Ordained Ministry to determine specific requirements.
Candidates for ordination are reminded that they should contact their District Superintendent and District Committee on Ordained Ministry to begin the candidacy process as described in The Book of Discipline. It is advisable to begin this process early in the seminary experience. Courtesy mentoring for candidates is sometimes possible through the Connecticut District of the New York Annual Conference.
An informal group of students and faculty known as the Methodist Society meets from time to time for worship, for lunch and discussion of United Methodist issues, and gathers for fellowship several times each term. Chapel services with a Methodist emphasis are conducted several times a year.
Presbyterians
Presbyterian students should remember that Greek and Hebrew languages and exegesis are required for ordination. Students expecting to be ordained by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) should read chapter 14 of the Book of Order. They should also be in touch with the Committee on Preparation for Ministry in their own presbytery with regard to the scheduling of ordination examinations. Typically, the Bible Content Examination is taken in the first year and the remaining examinations in the third year or following graduation. Presbyterians should enroll in the church polity course in the fall term of the second or third year. Presbyterian Polity should be taken before scheduling the ordination exams in Polity and Worship and Sacraments. At least one course in Reformed theology should be taken before scheduling the ordination examination in Theology.
Reformed Studies Certificate
Beginning in the academic year 2009–2010 it will be possible for students to complete a Certificate in Reformed Studies at the Divinity School. Drawing on the considerable resources of those faculty members who identify themselves with the tradition, and the students from the PCUSA, UCC, RCA, PCA, CRC, and Disciples of Christ, YDS has formed a broad-based community of people committed to exploring the historical and contemporary issues facing the Reformed churches. The purpose of the certificate is to demonstrate to presbyteries and other denominational bodies that while at YDS students in the Reformed tradition are offered the courses and formation needed for ministerial preparation; to answer students’ request for a greater knowledge and awareness of what it is to be a part of that Reformed tradition; and to build community among those on campus who identify with the Reformed tradition. In addition to the courses required for completion of the certificate, students need to be aware of the specific requirements of their denominations, including, for instance, the requirements in biblical languages of the PCUSA. Students interested in enrolling in the certificate should contact Professor Bruce Gordon.
Roman Catholics
Over the past three decades the number of Roman Catholic faculty and students at the Divinity School has flourished. Since the majority of these students are members of the laity who cannot at the present time become candidates for ordination in the Catholic Church, no formal programs for priestly formation currently exist at the Divinity School. However, many Catholic students at the Divinity School are enrolled in the Master of Divinity program and are preparing to hold lay ministry and lay leadership positions in the Catholic Church.
In order to provide a formative experience for these students, the Yale Divinity School Catholic community has been established as an informal body of students, staff, and faculty who gather throughout the academic year for worship, meals, and lectures. Mass is celebrated weekly on the Divinity School campus followed by refreshments and socializing. Once a month, the liturgy is followed by a dinner and a lecture offered by a Catholic individual involved in academic, ecclesial, or ministerial work. Throughout the year different activities, such as small prayer groups or volunteer groups committed to working in poor areas of New Haven, develop according to the interests and needs of the students. Opportunities for supervised ministry and formation experience are also available through the St. Thomas More Catholic Chaplaincy at Yale. The variety of denominations and traditions represented at the Divinity School allows the students a rich opportunity to participate in ecumenical dialogue and worship in addition to their studies. Each of the programs in which the Catholic community engages is intended to deepen the students’ awareness of the ways in which they can serve the church through education, parish ministry, and pastoral care, while also cultivating friendships and support among themselves and the broader Yale Divinity School community.
Interdisciplinary Study
Interdisciplinary study may be undertaken by Divinity School students in two ways: by taking courses elsewhere to be credited to a single degree, Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) or Master of Divinity (M.Div.), or by pursuing, concurrent with a Divinity School degree, a program leading to a second degree, granted by either Yale or another university.
Joint-Degree Programs
The School also encourages its students to pursue concurrent degree programs that lead to the receipt of more than one degree when such programs constitute a coherent and well-defined preparation for ministry. Currently the Divinity School has joint-degree programs with the Schools of Social Work of the University of Connecticut and Yeshiva University. In addition, certification for secondary-school teaching in a variety of subjects is available for a limited number of Divinity students through Yale College’s Teacher Preparation Program.
Students may work simultaneously toward a Divinity School degree and a degree in another school or department of the University or other approved graduate program. Currently the Divinity School has agreements for joint-degree programs with the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Law School, Epidemiology and Public Health, the School of Management, the School of Medicine, and the School of Nursing. Students interested in pursuing any of these programs can get further information from the dean of academic affairs.
In all cases where concurrent degrees are sought, admission to the school or department must be obtained through the normal admissions processes established by each school. In most cases, the period of study required to complete two degrees is less (usually by one year) than would be required to complete those degrees if they were pursued independently. Assessment of tuition and other fees is arranged by the administrative officers of the schools concerned.
The Divinity School has established the following policies for joint-degree programs:
- 1. Each Divinity School student who undertakes joint-degree work must secure a faculty adviser in the Divinity School who will supervise such work.
- 2. The student will submit to the faculty adviser and to the director of studies a program draft containing the following information:
- a. The student’s reasons for undertaking joint-degree work.
- b. A description of how the student’s expectations are to be met in the other program.
- c. A designation of someone in the other program who may serve as a contact for the Divinity School adviser.
- 3. The faculty adviser will review the student’s progress periodically through contact both with the student and with the designated person in the other program.
Students interested in enrolling in a joint-degree program should notify the registrar and consult the dean of academic affairs for further information.
Studies for Hartford Seminary Students
Students who are enrolled in the M.A. program at Hartford Seminary are eligible to apply for the M.Div. program at Yale as part of a cooperative agreement between the schools.
Students admitted through this program may transfer up to half of their M.Div. requirements (thirty-six hours) from Hartford Seminary.
Applicants must be endorsed by the Hartford Seminary faculty and admitted to the Divinity School through the YDS Admissions Committee. Once admitted and enrolled, students must coordinate their Yale course schedules under the guidance of the associate dean of academic affairs.
Interested Hartford students should contact Kelton Cobb at Hartford Seminary.
Joint Master of Social Work Degree
Yale Divinity School students may apply for a joint M.S.W. degree through the University of Connecticut’s School of Social Work or the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. Candidates for the joint-degree program may be eligible to count up to twelve credit hours at the other school to satisfy course work in each program. Thereby students taking the M.A.R./M.S.W. are able to complete both degrees in a minimum of three years, and candidates taking the M.Div./M.S.W. are able to complete both degrees in a minimum of four years. Field education/supervised ministry may be coordinated between the two programs. Students interested in pursuing a joint M.Div./M.S.W. are encouraged to apply to both programs at the start of the application period in the fall. For more information on the joint program, please contact the YDS Admissions Office and visit our partners’ Web sites at http://web.uconn.edu/ssw/ or www.yu.edu/wurzweiler.
Interdepartmental Studies
The Divinity School offers opportunities for study in other schools and departments of Yale University. Divinity students are eligible to enroll in graduate or professional school courses, within the context of their M.Div. or M.A.R. programs, and are encouraged to do so, as long as they meet the general prerequisites for the course as prescribed by its instructor and with the instructor’s express permission. At the time of registration for a fourth course in the same school or department, the student’s program of study comes under review by the Professional Studies Committee.
Work taken elsewhere at the graduate or professional school level may be credited toward Divinity School degrees so long as the student meets the normal distributional requirements. These courses are governed by the regulations for the transfer of credit (see Transfer of Credit, in chapter on Standards and Requirements).
In every case, at least half of each term’s work must be taken in the Divinity School, and the courses taken outside the Divinity School must be clearly relevant to the student’s professional or vocational goals.
Reading Courses
Reading courses may be arranged on materials, subjects, and concerns not included in the courses being offered, or may have a narrower focus than those courses. Reading courses require at least the same amount of work as other courses. They may normally not be taken during a student’s first year in the Divinity School, but exceptions may be made for M.A.R. students who have done exceptional work in their first semester. Only one reading course may be taken in any term. Reading courses may count toward distributional requirements across areas of the curriculum, but may not be counted as fulfilling particular requirements within the area. Reading courses may be offered only by full-time faculty at Yale University.
A student desiring to work with a faculty member on a reading course will submit to the instructor a written proposal on a form provided by the Registrar’s Office which includes the following: a brief description of the topic or area of interest, a tentative bibliography, an indication of the way in which the work will be evaluated, and a suggested schedule of meetings with the instructor. After the instructor approves the proposal, it will be submitted to the associate academic dean for review prior to course registration. No reading course may be approved for any course currently available in the YDS curriculum.
Students on probation or otherwise in academic difficulty may not take reading courses. Reading courses will normally not be approved after the date specified in the academic calendar.
Students with Disabilities
The faculty and staff of the Divinity School make every reasonable effort to facilitate the learning of students capable of graduate-level seminary work. Any student who has a condition that may prevent full demonstration of her or his abilities should contact the Resource Office on Disabilities to request disability-related accommodation or service. Students should also contact their teachers to discuss learning needs and accommodations to ensure the students’ full participation and evaluation in their courses.
