Joint Degree Programs
Joint-degree programs allow students to earn two degrees concurrently with fewer credit
requirements than needed to earn the degrees separately. Joint-degree programs require separate admission applications to each of the respective schools. Students seeking to enter a joint-degree program must meet admission requirements for both schools participating in the joint program.
Beeson Divinity School’s primary degree is the Master of Divinity, and our student body is
small. As such, our course work offerings are limited. Classes are offered Tuesday through Friday only, with attendance required on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The curriculum structure is integrative and requires incremental progress from one semester to the next. Joint degree students are encouraged to plan their course work well in advance to minimize scheduling or sequencing conflicts. To receive divinity school scholarships, joint degree students are expected to take a minimum of nine divinity credit hours per semester.
The M.Div./Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) joint degree program offered by Beeson Divinity School and the Brock School of Business allows students to pursue the Master of Divinity degree and the M.B.A. degree concurrently. The program is designed to enrich the educational opportunities available to students in the separate disciplines by encouraging interdisciplinary approaches to ministry preparation and organizational problems that directly affect churches and other religious institutions. Students take 84 credits of course work at Beeson Divinity School and 21–39 credits at the Brock School of Business. Students interested in this joint program should apply to the Brock School of Business for admission into the M.B.A. program at the conclusion of the first year of the M.Div. program. To inquire, please contact the Brock School of Business at 205-726-2931 or Beeson Divinity School at 205-726-2066.
The M.Div./Juris Doctor (J.D.) joint degree program offered in collaboration between the Beeson Divinity School and Cumberland School of Law allows students to use 15 credits from each degree as crossover electives for the other degree, thus reducing the credits for both professional degrees from 186 to 156.
The M.T.S./J.D. joint degree program allows students to use 12 credits from each degree as crossover electives for the other degree, thus reducing the credits for both professional degrees from 150 to 120 or 126, depending on the student’s chosen course work in biblical languages.
Scheduling is difficult to balance between programs, and students should probably allot six
years to complete the M.Div./J.D. dual degree or five years to complete the M.T.S./J.D. Students must complete their first year of law school before beginning work in the divinity school. To inquire, please contact the Cumberland School of Law at 205-726-2400 or Beeson Divinity School at 205-726-2066.
The M.Div./Master of Science in Education (M.Ed.) joint degree program combines work in Beeson Divinity School and Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies. Twelve (12) credits of education degree course work are accepted as part of the elective requirement of the M.Div. degree. Crossover credit from the divinity degree to the education degree is determined case-by-case as may be allowable within government regulations concerning teacher certification. Students normally are required to complete the first year of the M.Div. before beginning work in the education school. To inquire, please contact the Orlean Bullard Beeson School at 205-726-2019 or Beeson Divinity School at 205-726-2066.
The M.Div. with emphasis in church music and the M.Div./Master of Music (M.Mus.) joint-degree programs, offered through collaboration with the School of Performing Arts, are designed for individuals who desire a stronger foundation in biblical, historical/theological, and ministry studies as preparation for ministry through music. To inquire, please contact the Samford School of Arts at 205-726-4524 or Beeson Divinity School at 205-726-2066.
