Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Chaplain Ministries
Offer Spiritual Care and Support with an MDiv in Chaplain Ministries
Chaplains serve as trusted spiritual leaders, offering guidance, comfort, and non-denominational support to individuals in times of need. Their work spans a wide range of settings – including healthcare facilities, correctional institutions, corporations, schools, and the military – meeting people where they are with compassion and care.
Liberty University’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Chaplain Ministries seeks to help provide the comprehensive biblical and theological foundation needed to serve in these diverse environments. Through this program, you can develop the skills to offer emotional and spiritual support to those facing life’s most difficult moments. Whether you’re hoping to minister to believers or reach those unfamiliar with the Christian faith, this degree can help equip you to extend Christ’s love and hope wherever you are called to serve.
Credit Hours
View CoursesNext start date: Aug 18, 2025
ATS Accredited
Highlights
Highlights of Our MDiv in Chaplain Ministries Degree
Cutting-Edge Homiletics and Teaching Lab
As an MDiv student, you’ll have access to our state-of-the-art homiletics and teaching lab located in the School of Divinity building. This space is designed to help you refine your preaching and teaching skills in a professional, practice-based environment.
Experienced Theologians and Missionaries
You’ll engage with web-based content created by Liberty’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity faculty, professors who bring years of real-world ministry, theology, and mission field experience to the classroom. Their insight can help prepare you for effective leadership in diverse ministry contexts.
Explore Scripture and History in the Scriptorium
Step into the Scriptorium, home to the Rawlings Foundation rare books collection valued at over $1 million. Inside, you’ll find a 111-foot-long Torah scroll from the 16th century and a functioning replica of the Gutenberg Printing Press, immersing you in the history and preservation of God’s Word.
Complete Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)
As part of your MDiv journey, you’ll complete one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). This experience allows you to serve in real ministry contexts, like hospitals or care centers, while studying how to offer spiritual support to those in crisis.
Train for Ministry Where It Happens
Local church ministry training is embedded into the core of our MDiv programs. You won’t just study ministry, you’ll live it through practical experiences that prepare you to serve with confidence and compassion.
Church and Parachurch Ministries
You’ll have opportunities to engage in experiential learning through both church and parachurch organizations. These hands-on experiences can help you apply classroom knowledge to real ministry challenges and grow in both skill and calling.
Accreditation
Your seminary degree is approved by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and has met rigorous accreditation standards. You can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
Career Potential
What Can You Do with a Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministries Degree?
Liberty University’s Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministries can help prepare you to pursue the following occupations:
- Community chaplain
- Corporate chaplain
- First responder chaplain
- Healthcare chaplain
- Hospice chaplain
- Law enforcement chaplain
- Pastoral counselor
- School chaplain
- Senior pastor
- Spiritual care coordinator
- Spiritual care director
- Sports chaplain
- Visitation pastor
#4 Best College Campus in America
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education designed to help equip students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence has earned us recognition as the #4 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com.
Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Courses
What Will You Study in Our MDiv in Chaplain Ministries?
Liberty’s Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministries offers comprehensive training to help you serve in a wide range of ministry contexts. This program is structured to support your development for chaplaincy roles in military, healthcare, community, and other secular or pluralistic environments, allowing you to explore how biblical principles can be applied in contexts beyond traditional church ministry. You can also develop biblical language and interpretation skills, which are essential for enhancing your understanding of Scripture and allowing you to share it more fully with others.
In addition to theological study, you’ll explore foundational leadership principles and how they can be used to guide and support individuals in times of need. The program also addresses ethical challenges chaplains may face and how to navigate those situations with wisdom and integrity. You’ll study how to express and practice your own faith respectfully while engaging with people from various worldviews and belief systems.
As part of your training, you will complete 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) under the guidance of a Liberty-trained mentor. This experience allows you to further develop your pastoral care skills in real-world settings. Through this program, you can be equipped with spiritual and professional training that aims to help you pursue impactful service in chaplaincy.
Featured Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministries Courses
CHPL 598 – Spiritual and Professional Development of the Chaplain
CHPL 615 – Chaplain Ethics for Advisement and Pastoral Care
GICE 500 – Global and Intercultural Engagement
PACO 603 – Premarital and Marital Counseling
Degree Information
- This program falls under the Liberty Theological Seminary
- View the Degree Completion Plan (coming soon)
- Check out our course catalog
- Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
BENEFITS
Why Choose Liberty’s Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministries?
Prepare for Ministry in Diverse Settings
Liberty’s Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministries is designed to help equip you to serve in both Christian and secular environments. Whether you feel called to businesses, college campuses, sports teams, or first responders, this program offers the biblical foundation and practical skills to meet people where they are.
Experienced Chaplaincy Leaders
As a student at Liberty Theological Seminary, you’ll study under faculty who are actively involved in ministry and deeply committed to your growth. Their experience and guidance can help you develop the wisdom and compassion to support the spiritual well-being of others.
Apply What You Study Through Local Ministry
You won’t just gain knowledge, you’ll put it into practice. Local church ministry training is built into the program, and Liberty’s partnerships with churches and parachurch organizations offer you meaningful opportunities to serve and grow throughout your studies.
Move Forward with Credit for Prior Experience
If you have previous ministry experience or have completed seminary coursework elsewhere, you may qualify for transfer credit or Institutional Challenge Exams (ICE). This flexible approach can help you avoid repeating material and focus on what matters most: preparing to bring the hope of the Gospel to those who need it.
Admissions
How Do You Become an MDiv in Chaplain Ministries Student?
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official transcripts showing a regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.0 GPA for admission in good standing
- John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Questionnaire
- Pastoral recommender contact information
- Self-certification form (for students who are in the final term of their bachelor’s degree)
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
Have Questions?
We’ll make sure you have the information you need to take your next step.