Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Community Chaplaincy
Provide Spiritual Support and Guidance with an MDiv in Community Chaplaincy
Chaplains serve as a source of comfort, guidance, and spiritual care for those in need, offering support in diverse settings such as healthcare, prisons, corporations, schools, and the military. As a community chaplain, you may counsel offenders and their families during reentry into society or provide emotional and spiritual care to patients and loved ones in hospice or hospital environments.
In this role, you may encounter individuals facing grief, trauma, or significant life challenges. Whether you’re looking to comfort those who have lost a loved one, endured the hardships of war, or survived a crisis, you can develop the skills needed to offer meaningful support through Liberty’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) in Community Chaplaincy. This program can help provide a strong biblical and theological foundation while equipping you to minister effectively in a variety of settings.
Through this program, you can learn to offer emotional and spiritual care to both believers and non-believers, sharing the love of Christ with those who are hurting. With the right training and preparation, you can step into chaplaincy with confidence, ready to serve and provide hope where it is needed most.
Credit Hours
View CoursesNext start date: Aug 18, 2025
ATS Accredited
Highlights
Highlights of Our MDiv in Community Chaplaincy Degree
Train with Advanced Ministry Technology
As a student in our Master of Divinity in Community Chaplaincy program, you’ll have access to a state-of-the-art homiletics and teaching lab located in the School of Divinity. This modern facility is designed to help you develop effective preaching and teaching skills in a real-world setting, preparing you for the demands of chaplaincy and ministry leadership.
Learn from Seasoned Scholars and Missionaries
At Liberty, you’ll be guided by theologians, pastors, and missionaries who bring decades of real-world experience to the classroom. These faculty members are deeply committed to both academic excellence and practical ministry, offering mentorship that blends theological knowledge with hands-on insight.
Accelerate Your Studies with ICE Exams
Liberty offers Institutional Challenge Exams (ICE) for students who are ready to test out of foundational biblical and theological studies courses. If you already have a strong background in these subjects, ICE exams can save you time and tuition, allowing you to focus more deeply on chaplaincy-specific training.
Explore Rare Resources in the Scriptorium
You’ll have the opportunity to study in Liberty’s Scriptorium, which houses the Rawlings Foundation’s rare books collection valued at over $1 million. This unique space also features a 111-foot-long Torah scroll from the 16th century and a fully functioning replica of the Gutenberg Printing Press, offering you a deep connection to the historical roots of biblical ministry.
Complete Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Training
As part of your chaplaincy preparation, you’ll complete two units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). These units are designed to equip you with the pastoral care skills needed for service in hospitals, correctional institutions, the military, and other community settings where chaplains make a difference.
Engage in Ministry from Day One
At Liberty, ministry experience is integrated into your education. Through local church partnerships and parachurch ministry opportunities, you’ll gain hands-on training in real ministry contexts. This experiential learning model helps you build confidence and apply what you learn in the classroom to the communities you’re called to serve.
Career Potential
What Can You Do with a Master of Divinity in Community Chaplaincy Degree?
Liberty University’s Master of Divinity in Community Chaplaincy 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 Community Chaplaincy?
Liberty’s Master of Divinity in Community Chaplaincy is designed to help equip you for the diverse responsibilities of a community chaplain. This program can help provide the training and professional development needed to serve in secular, pluralistic, and faith-based settings, including healthcare, social services, and public institutions. You can learn how to navigate different cultural and religious contexts while developing essential biblical language and interpretation skills.
As a chaplain, you may encounter individuals facing crises, trauma, and emotional distress on a daily basis. This program can help you develop resiliency skills, both for yourself and those you serve, using a biblical model for counseling and spiritual care. You’ll also explore leadership principles that can help prepare you to minister effectively in diverse community environments, offering guidance and hope to those in need.
To further enhance your chaplaincy training, this program offers the opportunity to complete 2 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) under the supervision of a Liberty-trained mentor. This hands-on experience allows you to refine your pastoral care skills within your Christian faith tradition. Our goal is to help equip you to step into chaplaincy with the confidence, knowledge, and spiritual foundation needed to make a meaningful impact.
Featured MDiv in Community Chaplaincy Courses
CHPL 645 – Chaplain Resilient Leaders
CHPL 655 – Chaplain Evangelism and Discipleship
CRIS 682 – Community Chaplaincy
PACO 604 – Crisis Intervention in Pastoral 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
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.
BENEFITS
Why Choose the Liberty Theological Seminary’s Master of Divinity in Community Chaplaincy?
Prepare to Serve in a Wide Range of Chaplaincy Settings
Liberty University’s MDiv in Community Chaplaincy is designed to help equip you for meaningful service in both faith-based and secular environments. Whether your calling leads you to hospitals, universities, emergency response teams, correctional facilities, or sports organizations, this program offers the theological foundation and pastoral care training you need to minister effectively in any setting.
Faculty with Real-World Ministry Experience
You’ll be guided by professors who bring years of hands-on ministry experience into the classroom. Our faculty are not only scholars but also seasoned chaplains, pastors, and missionaries who are passionate about mentoring the next generation of ministry leaders. You’ll also benefit from Liberty’s partnerships with local churches and parachurch ministries, providing practical, embedded training opportunities throughout your degree.
Receive Personalized Support and Ministry Endorsement Guidance
If you’re pursuing community chaplaincy, Liberty’s Academic Advisors can help you navigate the path toward ministry endorsement through the Liberty Baptist Fellowship or other recognized organizations. This added layer of support ensures that your education aligns with the requirements and expectations of formal chaplaincy roles across diverse institutions.
Maximize Your Experience with Flexible Credit Options
Already have prior ministry or seminary experience? Liberty offers Institutional Challenge Exams (ICE) and generous transfer credit opportunities, allowing you to fast-track your degree and build on the knowledge you already possess. This flexible structure helps you make the most of your background while pursuing the advanced training you need to grow in your chaplaincy calling.
Admissions
How Do You Become a MDiv in Community Chaplaincy 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.