Master of Divinity in Professional Chaplaincy Learn to Guide Others Spiritually
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Degree Options
100% online,* 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
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 Theological Seminary, as part of Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Your seminary 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.
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.
What Will You Study 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.
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity.
- View our Graduate Divinity Course Guides (login required).
Why Choose Liberty’s Online Degree?
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.
Potential 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.
Degree Options for the MDiv in Professional Chaplaincy
There are several specializations of varying lengths available for this program:
General
Our 75-credit-hour M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy – General track provides the in-depth chaplaincy training you’ll need to take the next step in your ministry. This shorter track also allows you to choose courses that best suit your career goals.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Community
Our 93-credit-hour M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy – Community program can train you to work as a chaplain in secular settings such as workplaces, college campuses, athletics, and first responder venues. You can choose to complete two units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) or a thesis project as a part of the program.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Healthcare
Our M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy – Healthcare program is designed to help you meet the needs of patients in various healthcare settings. You can choose to complete four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) as a part of the program.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Military
In our M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy – Military program, you can learn how to provide spiritual and emotional support to military service members and their families. You can choose to complete one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) or a thesis project as a part of the program.
View the Degree Completion Plan.
Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
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.
To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for many divinity courses* all for one convenient fee.
*Electronic textbooks are not provided for PACO courses or courses that fall under departments outside the School of Divinity.
Grad & Postgrad Divinity Block Rate (9-15 credit hours) | $2,750 |
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Grad & Postgrad Divinity Part Time (0-8.99 or over 15 credit hours) | $395/Credit |
Military Grad & Postgrad Divinity Block Rate (9-15 credit hours) | $2,475 |
Military Grad & Postgrad Divinity Part Time (0-8.99 or over 15 credit hours) | $275/Credit |
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for Our MDiv in Professional Chaplaincy Program
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
- Admission to this program also requires:
- The School of Divinity Questionnaire (login required).
- Submission of contact information (login required) for 1 pastoral recommender.
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Preliminary Acceptance
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
- Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
- Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
- Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
- If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
- Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.
Dual Enrollment
Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
Transcript Policies
Unofficial College Transcript Policy
Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:
- Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
- Cumulative GPA
- A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
- Degree and date conferred (if applicable)
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.
If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Admissions Office Contact Information
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Military
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
- Active Duty
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/Retirees
- Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
- Current Department of Defense Employees
Available Benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for part-time graduate and postgraduate divinity courses
- Discounted divinity block rate – $2,475 per semester*
- Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)**
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
*Credits taken below 9 and above 15 credit hours per semester are charged at the part-time rate.
**Not applicable to certificates.
Inner Navigation
- Overview
- What Will You Study?
- What Sets Us Apart?
- Potential Careers
- Specializations
- Tuition & Aid
- Admission Information
- Military
Have questions?