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Saint James College Seminary
DIVINITY DEGREES:  Bachelors, Masters, PhD, Doctorate-DD
Bachelor / Master of Divinity, Bachelor / Master Theology, Bachelor / Master of Sacred Divinity, Bachelor / Master of Sacred Theology

    Our God
    is an             
    awesome
    God!

Divinity Degrees-- More important each day

Each day, Saint James College Seminary receives numerous inquiries regarding studying
for Divinity Degrees.

These academic degrees are the definitive mark of professionalism for pastors, chaplains,
theological teachers, and spiritual counselors. And, increasingly, they are required for
Ordination to ministry and priesthood, being given an offer to serve in parish ministry, to
serve as a Hospice Chaplain (for which we provide Certified Professional Chaplain
training).


Requirements:

Because Saint James College is an interfaith, non-denominational (ecumenical) seminary,
we adhere to the prevailing standards of the theological education community.  This is
important to you because, here, you will earn a number of credit hours that is
commensurate with standards that prevail in the seminary community.  (See below.)

  • Increasingly, Christian denominations, Jewish, and other world religions are
    requiring a Master of Divinity degree for ministerial, priestly, and rabbinical
    ordination.

  • The number of credit hours required for a Master of Divinity is 90.  The number
    is 60 for doctorate degrees in divinity.   While there are academic course, the
    greater number of credits in each program is the research / service element as
    described below.

  • Specialities are possible.  At Saint James
    College Seminary, students in Master of
    Divinity and Doctorate in Divinity programs
    may elect to study for specific academic
    majors.  Examples include degrees with
    majors in Pastoral Counseling,
    preaching/pulpit ministry, social ministry, NGO
    / not-for-profit, spiritual, and social services
    institutional management (MBA), Hospice
    Chaplains, prison chaplaincy, Certified
    Professional Chaplaincy, religious education,
    Naturopathy-Mind-Body-Spirit studies,
    spiritually-oriented nursing / medical practice,
    MSW - Social Worker ministry, Certified
    Griefworker, and so forth.


  • Curricula -- Course Studies:   Because
    virtually all of our online divinity students are
    adult learners, Individual students may opt to
    work with faculty and administration to
    develop course work and projects that are
    tailor-made to meet each person's unique
    needs and goals.  
Core courses include reviews of scripture, ethics, pastoral counseling, grief work, liturgical
studies, preaching, comparative world religions, advent and development of Protestantism,
contemporary moral theology, parish development / evangelism, personal spiritual and
physical care, messianic theology, and so forth.

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Dissertation or Project?

Saint James College Seminary normally requests a thesis for a master of
divinity degree and / or dissertation as a requirement for a doctorate.  But, there
are other options!

    Thesis / Dissertation:  Students
    who are accomplished researchers
    and writers often prefer the masters
    thesis or doctoral dissertation
    option.  Each student is assigned
    a faculty committee to walk through
    the process from beginning right up
    to graduation.

    Project:  We strongly support
    students who choose to
    work on a project in lieu of a thesis or
    dissertation.  Often, degree
    candidates have background in
    developing new social ministries,
    merging parishes, assisting in the
    founding of spiritual counseling
clinics or, perhaps, have been involved in establishing missionary programs,
orphanages, etc.  In these cases, the seminary accepts detailed written reports
describing the genesis of such projects and "walks us through" the steps
required to bring the kernel of an idea to fruition.

Waiving theses, dissertations / projects:  Occasionally, adult learner
students in mid-to-late career come to us with background is so significant that
they will have already completed such extensive service that it is possible to
waive this requirement.  This option is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Ordination of
Women:

We ordain women.  We
serve as a seminary college
for members of many
different religious
denominations.  We offer
online
Chaplain
studies,
online
Hospice
Chaplain
training,
divinity
degrees,
as well as
ordination training.  

Our students arrive here
from a wide variety of
different religious
denominations and, when
they complete their studies,
most return to their own faith
communities.  

We fully understand that
many churches (such as
Roman Catholic and
Southern Baptist) do not
permit women clergy.  
Nonetheless, since we serve
the religious / spiritual
community as an interfaith
seminary, we do ordain
women.  Just be aware that,
even though your ordination
is fully legitimate in every
nation, you may not be
recognized by your own
church.

Because your ordination is
for life, you may pursue your
profession in any
denomination or, if you
prefer, independently.


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Divinity / Clerical Degrees offered by SJC:

By charter, Saint James
College Seminary is
empowered to confer degrees
in the areas of divinity, theology,
pastoral management, and
spiritually-centered human
services.  In order to fully
accommodate individual needs,
qualified adult-learner students
may study for a B.Div. ...
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
(S.T.B.) .Master of Divinity
(M.Div.) ... an MA or MS in Theology ...  Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) ...
Master of Theology (M.Th.) ... Master of Religion (M.Rel.), Doctor of Divinity
(Divinitatis Doctor in Latin --D.D.) ...and PhD-Divinity.

As with all Saint James programs, students must be accepted into specific
degree studies and majors.

While we offer highly-affordable online studies, each student will work with a live,
friendly, and helpful faculty member throughout their time with us.  You will not be
left hanging out there on your own as happens at some automated online schools.

    We operated a small "bricks and mortar" campus and research
    center in Louisiana.  However, we had many, many requests from
    adults who could not interrupt their careers or disrupt their families
    in order to return to school.  So, our progressive trustees decided
    emerging internet technology to provide online college-level to
    launch an innovative new educational initiative:  to use training to
    people throughout the world.

    We were the first college seminary to go online.  Over the years, of course, what was then a bold new idea has
    become an everyday fact of educational life.  Most secular colleges and universities have followed in our
    pioneering footsteps.

    In the beginning it was... and today...it remains the stated mission of our not-for-profit board of trustees to offer
    world-class instruction to our adult-learner student body.  

    We accept past schooling and professional experience as a mean of reducing the total number of credit hours
    our students must earn.  And, we offer tuition financing at zero percent interest.
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Our COURSES &
MAJORS
at a Glance