Seek Advanced Chaplaincy Credentials with Liberty University’s 75- and 93-Credit Hour Degrees
Take the next step toward your ministry goals with Liberty’s Master of Divinity in Professional Chaplaincy. Whether you want to work as a chaplain in a hospital, corporate office, community, law enforcement agency, or military setting, our divinity degree can help you earn the credentials you need.
Our professional chaplaincy program is designed with Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) opportunities to help you become more marketable in your field. By getting this kind of experience, you can set yourself apart and lead your ministry with integrity.
Please Note: Professional Chaplaincy has a general 75-credit hour degree program and 3 different 93-credit hour degree programs available.
*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
Accreditation
Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Your divinity degree is approved by ATS and has met rigorous accreditation standards, so you can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
Why Choose Liberty’s M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy?
If you are looking to pursue full-time ministry, a Master of Divinity is the best program for you. Our M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy offers you 63 credit hours of core ministry coursework to learn all the skills you’ll need to lead with confidence and integrity in your ministry. Whether you come into this program with a ministry-related bachelor’s degree or not, you can be confident that you will gain the skills you need to be career-ready when you graduate.
CPE-Accredited Training
With mentorship from experienced chaplaincy professionals, you will gain the skills you need without compromising your principles in order to serve as a chaplain. Our flexible format will allow you to choose how you complete your CPE-accredited units either as intensives or with a CPE program in your community. These units are available in our community, healthcare, and military specializations as on-campus modules accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) or as 100% online courses to guide you through your local CPE program.
CPE Residential Intensives Vs. Online Mentoring
Liberty University’s professional chaplaincy degrees offer 2 paths to complete your CPE-accredited training:
Residential Intensives
- These ACPE-accredited courses are taught as 1-week on-campus intensives by Liberty’s ACPE Certified Educators.
- You will work in a clinical site near you with guidance and approval from our CPE program director.
Online Mentoring
- These 100% online courses are taught by Liberty’s chaplaincy professors.
- You will work through an accredited CPE training program in your area and gain additional skills and training with the mentorship of Liberty’s experienced chaplaincy professionals.
Specializations
General
Community
Healthcare
Military
What Will You Learn in Our Professional Chaplaincy Degree?
No matter which of our professional chaplaincy specializations you choose, you will complete a core of 63 credits focused on major aspects of ministry leadership. You will complete courses that explore other religions, the history of Christianity, and best practices in bridging the gap between the two. Additionally, you will take Greek and Hebrew classes designed to increase your understanding of Scripture from its original languages.
Depending on the specialization you choose, you will dive deeper into specific aspects of professional chaplaincy. We offer courses in community, healthcare, and military chaplaincy to help you gain the skill set you need to succeed in your unique ministry field. Check out our specializations below to learn more about each of the programs we offer within our M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy.
Career Opportunities for Professional Chaplaincy Graduates
- Corporate chaplain
- First responder chaplain
- Hospice chaplain
- Hospital chaplain*
- Law enforcement chaplain
- Military chaplain
- Pastor
- Prison chaplain
- Youth pastor
*This position may require 4 units of CPE and board certification.
Highlights of Our Professional Chaplaincy Degree
- We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online professional chaplaincy degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
- Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
- Electronic textbooks are provided for many divinity courses* all for one convenient fee. To continue our mission of providing affordable education, this fee is waived for students who enroll by Summer 2024 D-term.
*Electronic textbooks are not provided for courses that fall under departments outside the School of Divinity.
Professional Chaplaincy Degree Information
- This program falls under the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity.
- View our Graduate Divinity Course Guides (login required).
Military Benefits for Our Online Professional Chaplaincy Degree Program
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.
As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering the following benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
- Discounted divinity block rate: $2,475 per semester – only $165/credit at 15 credit hours*
- Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
*Credits taken below 9 or above 15 credit hours for the online Master of Divinity are charged at the part-time rate.
Admission Requirements for Graduate Online Degrees
A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with a 2.0 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Admission application
- Application fee*
- Official college transcripts
- Unofficial college transcripts may be accepted with a completed official transcript request form**
- Pastoral contact information
- John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Questionnaire
- Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)
*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.
**An official transcript is needed within 60 days of acceptance or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first.
Transfer Policies
At Liberty, we want to help you make the most of your prior education by allowing you to transfer in previously earned college credit. That’s why you can transfer in up to 50% of your total credits for a master’s or doctoral program!
Some restrictions apply. Please visit our Transfer Policy page for more information.
