Advanced Standing

Return to: Programs of Study

In compliance with the Standards of Accreditation of the Association of Theological Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Commission on Colleges, Southeastern University now grants up to 18 credit hours of advanced standing with credit (ATS definition) and waiving of degree requirements (SACS definition) for the Master of Divinity degree for students who can document achieved learning of some of the program’s objectives through their undergraduate coursework or vocational ministerial experience. Student learning is assessed to ascertain completion of objectives through the following means:

1. Undergraduate religion (Christian ministry, Bible, missions, and theology) courses completed through regionally or ABHE accredited institutions with a B or higher can be used for advanced
standing with credit and waiving of requirements with two qualifying undergraduate courses substituting for a graduate course in the same discipline (four letter course code). Applicants
who graduated from their undergraduate degrees more than eight years before applying for advanced standing must write an essay that demonstrates how they have maintained
proficiency in ministry and biblical and theological studies through their own reading, research, courses, seminars, and other forms of ongoing education.

2. Students without an earned, accredited undergraduate religion degree but with significant vocational ministry experience may obtain advanced standing with credit by completing exams
or essays for specific courses.

3. Students who have already completed a Master of Arts degree through Southeastern University’s School of Divinity who also meet the criteria of Paragraphs 1 or 2 above may also receive advanced standing and waiver of requirements toward an MDiv in place of up to six classes they have not yet taken.

4. MA graduates from other institutions are not eligible to apply those graduate credits in combination with advanced standing towards an SEU MDiv degree. However, they can apply the same qualifying learning described in Paragraphs 1 and 2 toward advanced standing without for credit to obtain MDiv equivalency for entrance to the Doctor of Ministry degree program.

Return to: Programs of Study