eds program guide 2016–2017

2016–2017

EPISCOPAL DIVINITY SCHOOL

PROGRAM GUIDE

Why Episcopal Divinity School?

Students, seekers, and men and women of all denomi-nations come to Episcopal Divinity School to be chal-lenged—to live in a diverse, multicultural, antiracist community; to be formed intellectually and spiritually in the classroom, in the chapel and beyond; and to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”

They come to be exposed to the world’s preeminent scholars and educational institutions—to learn with our renowned faculty and at our partner institutions in the Boston Theological Institute, including Harvard Divinity School, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and Boston University School of Theology.

They come to engage in social and personal transforma-tion, to live and work in community, to grapple with the issues of our times, whether by learning how to support a movement for justice, or building one from the grassroots.

No matter why they come here, graduates of EDS leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication to min-istry, and they go into the world with the tools to make a difference in their own communities and beyond.

You Belong at EDS

For more than 150 years, EDS and its predecessor institutions, Philadelphia Divinity School and Episcopal Theological School, have prepared students for lay and ordained ministry in the church and the world. Today, you can find EDS alumni/ae working in parishes, dioceses, and congregations of many denominations and faith traditions; they are also leaders in a variety of professions and industries—in public service, the non-profit sector, community organizing, health professions, social work, the academy, and the arts—often in addition to their work as clergy or church leaders.

At EDS, we believe that God’s love extends to all. As a progres-sive center for study and spiritual formation, we are called to welcome all people, whatever their race, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, faith tradition, or national origin. We strive to build a more diverse, multicultural, and antiracist community that provides a deeper, more meaningful educational experience for our students. We offer a student-centered ap-proach to theological education, with programs that are uniquely flexible and adaptable to each student’s goals and experiences.

Whoever you are, whatever your background, and wherever you come from, you belong at EDS. We invite you to join us as we work to fulfill God’s mission of justice, compassion, and reconciliation in the church and the world.

Theological Education That Is Flexible and Collaborative

Our educational philosophy emphasizes the methods and processes of education as much as the content of theological inquiry. Responsive to the individual student’s goals and approaches to learning, the curriculum fosters the integration of study, worship, field education, and community life. While students’ strengths and goals form the cornerstone of this educational endeavor, faculty guidance and evaluation are integral parts of the process.

The educational program acknowledges the variety in students’ social locations, life experiences, preparation, and plans for ministry; the curriculum is therefore competence based. Fulfilling degree requirements involves articulating learning goals and acquiring and demonstrating the skills implicit in those goals. The curriculum includes faculty-student conference groups, which help ensure that students’ programs of study have academic shape, support, and accountability to the curriculum. In these conferences, the integration of learning, working, reflecting, and praying takes place.

Theological Reflection and Ministerial Practice

As part of their academic program, all students at EDS develop and demonstrate skills related to theological reflection and ministerial practice. These include:

• skills in interpreting texts and traditions

• skills in historical, social, and cultural analysis, particularly in relation to race, gender, sexual identities, class, and ability

• ability to identify and constructively address pertinent issues for faith, worship, and community leadership

• ability to articulate the liberating possibilities of faith, ethics, liturgy, and pastoral practice

• ability to discern connections between social location, ideas, and actions, and to understand and engage the dynamics of power in personal relationships, groups, and institutions

• cooperative skills in working with people

• ability to work transformatively within institutional structures

• skills in developing spiritual formation in communities of faith

Students design their course work around six areas of study: Bible, Church His-tory, Liturgy, Theology, Ethics, Theory and Practice of Ministry (which includes Studies in Contemporary Society). The six areas correlate with the canonical areas required for ordination to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church.

Central to EDS’s educational programs and formation is our emphasis on antiracist and multicultural learning. By antiracism, we mean working against the systemic oppression of people of color at the personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels. Multiculturalism refers to recognizing, understanding, and appreciating one’s own culture as well as the cultures of others. Multiculturalism stresses the social construction of differences—race, ethnicity, class, gender, age, sexual identity, religion, and physical ability—and the impact of these constructs on our learning, living, and ministry.

Distributive and Traditional Learning Option

EDS offers two modes of learning: Traditional Learning and Distributive Learning options.

The Traditional Learning option allows candidates to take courses, participate in conferences, worship, and other aspects of community and academic life on our Cambridge, Massachusetts campus. Students may live in EDS housing on the campus, or they may commute from their homes or other off-campus housing. Traditional Learning students may be full or half-time in the Master of Divinity, or in the Master of Arts in Theological Studies programs.

The Distributive Learning option is a limited-residency hybrid program specially designed for students interested in a masters degree but unable to engage in a traditional Fall and Spring term program. Distributive Learning students participate in two-week intensive sessions on the EDS campus in June and January, and take live, online courses with their fellow DL students and with Traditional Learning students during the Fall and Spring terms. This option of intensive courses and technology-assisted learning allows students to earn the MDiv degree over five years of study or the MATS degree over four years. Students begin course work for the MDiv and MATS degrees in June.

The DMin degree is a hybrid program that allows students to choose between online and on-campus courses during the Fall and Spring sessions and requires them to attend January and June intensives. The DMin program begins each June.

The Boston Theological Institute

EDS students can cross-register for courses at any of the member institutions of the Boston Theological Institute at no additional charge. The BTI affords EDS students extraordinary opportunities to study with many outstanding teachers and scholars and to include areas of study that go beyond our own theological curriculum.

Boston Theological Institute Members:

• Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

• Boston College Department of Theology

• Boston University School of Theology

• Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

• Harvard Divinity School

• Hebrew College

• Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

• Saint John’s Seminary

Lesley University Partnership

Episcopal Divinity School’s unique partnership with Lesley University allows EDS students to enjoy the resources and programming of a leading university in education, human services, and the arts. Today, EDS shares its Harvard Square campus with Lesley, and EDS students have the opportunity to cross-register in select Lesley courses, and to enroll in some Lesley certificate programs in topics such as education, mindfulness, and counseling psychology for health profession-als and clergy. Lesley students enrich the life of the EDS community by partici-pating in worship, community events, and enrolling in select EDS classes.

A Campus at the Crossroads of the World

Episcopal Divinity School is located on a quiet eight-acre campus just a short walk from Harvard Square in Cambridge. Located within a few miles of dozens of institutions of higher education, EDS offers its students all the opportunities and resources of a global city in the context of a small, safe, and close-knit campus community.

St. John’s Memorial Chapel is the heart of the EDS campus, where the community holds daily worship as well as community events throughout the year. The 140,000 square-foot Sherrill Library is home to more than 90,000 volumes and additional journals, archives, and research resources. It is also home to most of EDS’s classrooms, many of which are technology enhanced for hosting online simulcast classes. Washburn Commons serves as EDS’s refectory, and is home to a lounge and auditorium, where community events and performances are periodically held. Burnham Hall houses the student lounge, a number of dorm-style student residences, and the Tyler Room, a community meeting and performance space. The remaining student residences are located on St. John’s Road, a quiet cul-de-sac of historic and modern shared houses and apartments on the EDS campus.

Formation and Community Life

Formation is an integral part of the education and training of leaders of faith communities and social ministries. Formation at EDS seeks to initiate and inculcate a lifelong process of reflection and integration of the personal and spiritual, the ministerial and professional, as well as the intellectual. Formation at EDS takes place in chapel, during community events, in classrooms, at field education sites and public spaces, and in communities formed online.

Worship

Worship in St. John’s Memorial Chapel is at the center of student and community life at EDS. There are ample opportunities for the EDS community to enter into this powerful experience in specialized ways— ushering, reading, singing in choir, creating art, and preparing for Eucharist. Inhabiting these roles provides essential formation for students and serves the assembly gathered in liturgical worship—“the work of the people.”

Worship is scheduled each weekday during the academic year. Community Eucharist in the Anglican tradition is celebrated at noon on Mondays and usually features a student preacher and intercessions written by students. Community Worship, held at noon on Thursdays, is often a collaborative ec-umenical or interfaith service, and usually features a faculty member preacher. Shorter services of Midday Worship are held on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Morning Prayer is offered Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Monday, there is a free prayer service planned and led by members of the EDS community. Students are also encouraged to sample the extraordinary wealth of worship experiences nearby, at the monastery of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist and in faith communities throughout the area. Additionally, in affirmation of the many ways in which community members seek to explore and deepen the life of the Spirit, EDS observes a campus-wide Quiet Day each semester.

Pastoral Counseling and Guidance

Pastoral counseling is available to all EDS students, at no additional cost, for the purpose of supporting spiritual practice and emotional health through the formative years of seminary, and in making referrals to appropriate resources. Referrals to Pastoral Coun-seling and Guidance can be initiated by students, or by faculty and staff on behalf of the student. With needs that require further attention, the counselor will discern, in confidentiality with the student, the nature of the need and will assist in finding appro-priate resources and in making referrals.

This service is a commitment to supporting students in finding adequate resources for spiritual reflection, vocational discernment, and other pastoral issues relating to physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellec-tual well-being. The service is available to all students throughout the academic year. EDS also offers Group Spiritual Direction during each academic session. Gather-ing in small groups, the intention of Group Spiritual Direction is to witness, in prayerful community, our longing for God’s presence, God’s longing for our presence, and the steady ways God works in and through each of us.

Field/Contextual Education

Field/Contextual Education allows EDS students to bring to a specific community their personal gifts, their ac-ademic wisdom, and their curiosity about how they might be called to serve in the church and the world. In the course of their placement, through experience and reflection on experience, Field/Contextual Education students are formed for more effective and transformative leadership and service.

The Field/Contextual Education program spans the first two years of a student’s time at EDS. The first year includes an immersion into a non-profit organization with curricular training in community organizing, appre-ciative inquiry, spirituality of leadership, theological reflection on context, and leading change. The second year includes placement at a field site supplemented by a practicum and panel discussions on pertinent topics such as urban ministry, chaplaincy, self-care, and more.

MDiv candidates are required to complete the Field/Contextual Education program; MATS candidates may complete the program, but it is not required. For a complete listing of Field Education sites and profiles of stu-dents’ Field/Contextual Education experiences, visit eds.edu/fieldeducation.

Foundations for Theological Praxis:

Becoming an Agent of Change and

Liberation

All degree and certificate students take Foundations For Theological Praxis— a cornerstone of the EDS experience, introducing students to the understandings and commitments underlying the school’s purpose statement “to form leaders of hope, courage, and vision” who “serve and advance God’s mission of justice, compassion, and reconciliation.”

Students will consider vocation both as the call to personal transformation and to act as God’s agents of change and liberation in the world. Analysis will consider personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural power dynamics and will focus on race and racism as it informs an understanding of other forms of oppression.

Through experiential learning, class presentations, and assignments, students will reflect on how their own so-cial location shapes their actions and thinking while developing tools for theological reflection, social analysis, and engagement in the struggle for the renewal of the church and the world. Limited to EDS masters students and required of first-semester Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theological Studies candidates, dis-tributive learning students take the Foundations course in their first June intensive, while traditional learning students take the course during their first fall term.

Student Housing

EDS offers a variety of on-campus housing options for residential students enrolled in the Traditional Learning option. St. John’s Road, a quiet cul-de-sac on our Cambridge campus, is home to most of our apartments and shared houses. With options ranging from apartments suitable for families to studios and dorm rooms for single students, EDS offers a traditional residential seminary experience and a robust campus community in the heart of historic Cambridge.

Students enrolled in the Distributive Learning option are expected to be in residence during the June and January intensives. During those times, DL students are responsible for booking and paying for their own housing, allowing them more options, flexibility, and independence in managing housing costs during intensive sessions.

Master of Divinity

Episcopal Divinity School’s Master of Divinity (MDiv) program pre-pares people for ordained and lay ministries throughout society. As a course of study, the MDiv curriculum seeks to engage students with the challenges of ministry in a contemporary, multifaith world. The curricu-lum gives students familiarity with the materials and methods of theo-logical inquiry and reflection while helping them acquire competence for ministry in a rapidly changing world of diverse cultures and multifaith perspectives.

EDS graduates serve as lay and ordained ministers of The Episcopal Church as well as in other Christian denominations. They are also lead-ers in a variety of professions and industries, including non-profit execu-tives, mental health professionals, social workers, community organizers, academics, artists, and writers, often in addition to their work as clergy or church leaders.

Applicants declare a status of full-time Traditional (three years in resi-dence, or commuting to the EDS campus), half-time Traditional (up to six years in residence or commuting to the EDS campus), or limited res-idency Distributive Learning (five years, with attendance at twice yearly intensives along with hybrid online class and Cohort attendance).

For those contemplating holy orders in The Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion, the MDiv curriculum is designed to coop-erate with canonical requirements and diocesan authorities.

EDS also works actively with students of many denominations to fulfill their ordination requirements. However, postulancy in any denomination is not a prerequisite for admission to the MDiv program.

MDiv Program Structure and Requirements

The Master of Divinity degree is offered as a Traditional Learning residential degree program (both full and half-time) as well as a limited residency Distributive Learning program. Students enrolled in the Traditional Learning option begin in September, while those enrolled in the Distributive Learning option begin with the two-week June intensive.

One of the foundational pieces of EDS’s master’s degree programs is the Conference and Cohort groups. The Conference is the group of Traditional Learning students who are peers in their particular program year. Facilitated by both students and faculty advisors, the Conference group meets regularly throughout the year and helps ensure that students’ programs of study have academic shape, sup-port, and accountability to the curriculum. In these conferences, the integration of learning, working, reflecting, and praying takes place.

The Cohort is the equivalent faculty-student peer group for Distributive Learning students. The Cohort groups meet regularly online via live video conference during the Fall and Spring sessions, and on campus during the January and June intensives.

While the form of the program differs based on the student’s mode of learning, all degree candidates must fulfill specific requirements in three areas in order to graduate: competence, minimum credit hours, and residence required for the degree.

Educational Philosophy

EDS’s educational philosophy emphasizes the methods and processes of education as much as the content of theological inquiry. Our curriculum is responsive to the individual student’s goals and experiences. Fulfilling degree requirements involves articulating learning goals, and acquiring and demonstrating the skills implicit in these goals, as well as demonstrating competence in specific areas of study.

MDiv degree candidates are evaluated annually based on competence in the six canonical fields of study, in addition to an evaluation in the Field Education Practicum.

All candidates must also submit an approved final year Integration Paper, articulating the student’s theology of ministry.

In addition, all candidates must demonstrate a commitment to anti-racism and global awareness in their work.

Credit Requirements

All MDiv candidates must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 78 credits and successfully complete a minimum of 24 academic courses.

All master’s degree candidates must complete the Foundations for Theological Praxis course, which introduces students to the understandings and commit-ments underlying the school’s purpose statement “to form leaders of hope, courage, and vision” who “serve and advance God’s mission of justice, compas-sion, and reconciliation.” Students enrolled in the Distributive Learning option complete this course in their first intensive, in June, while Traditional Learning students complete it in their first Fall session.

MDiv candidates must complete the Field/Contextual Education program. Students enrolled in the Traditional Learning option may complete the program in one of many sites in the Greater Boston area, while Distributive Learning students may complete the program at a site near home.

Residency Requirements

Traditional Learning Option

Traditional Learning students must complete six semesters of full-time study in residence (or its equivalent in half-time study). The residency requirement is designed to ensure that students are able to build relationships in community with faculty and peers, and to achieve competency in all areas of study.

Distributive Learning Option

Distributive Learning students must participate in the on-campus June and January intensives (two weeks each), which include classwork, worship, and Cohort meetings. In addition, students enrolled in the DL option must attend regular Cohort meetings for five years of the program.

Master of Arts in Theological Studies

The Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) program at Episcopal Divinity School is a versatile academic degree that can serve as a basis for further graduate study, as a foundation for combining lay or ordained ministry with other professions, and as a valuable opportunity to undertake rigorous theological inquiry in specific areas of in-terest. The MATS program is also ideal for both lay and ordained ministers and church leaders from outside the US who wish to undertake focused theological study in a global center for education, study, and formation.

Applicants declare a status of full-time Traditional (two years in residence), half-time Traditional (up to four years in residence), or limited residency Distributive Learning (four years, with attendance at twice yearly intensives along with hybrid online class and Cohort attendance).

The primary academic focus of the MATS is the achievement of Special Competence in one curriculum area and General Competence in another. These areas may be drawn from the six canonical areas or may be self-defined. MATS students participate in the Foundations course, curriculum conference, and final year conference. They also submit a Statement of Goals and Program and a Competence Grid to the Degrees Committee at the end of the first full year of study, as well as a short final Integration Paper. Candidates may include Field/Contextual Education in their programs, but are not required to do so.

In addition to choosing special and general competences, candidates may also choose a degree concentration in Studies in Feminist Liberation Theologies. Offered to individ-uals who wish to engage in theological education using the perspectives, methodologies, and advocacy commitments of Feminist Liberation Theologies (FLT), the concentration provides focused opportunities for exploring the intersections of racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, and other forms of systemic oppression in a broadly Christian context. The general requirements of the MATS program apply to the concentration in FLT, with the addition of a required course in feminist theory and a thesis or praxis project written during the final year.

MATS Program Structure and Requirements

The MATS degree is offered as a Traditional Learning residential degree program (both full and half-time) as well as a limited residency Distributive Learning program. Students enrolled in the Traditional Learning option begin in September, while those enrolled in the Distributive Learning option begin with the two-week June intensive.

One of the foundational pieces of EDS master’s degree programs is the Conference and Cohort groups. The Conference is the group of Traditional Learning students who are peers in their particular program year. Facilitated by both students and faculty advisors, the Conference group meets regularly throughout the year and helps ensure that students’ programs of study have academic shape, support, and accountability to the curriculum. In these conferences, the integration of learning, working, reflecting, and praying takes place.

The Cohort is the equivalent faculty-student peer group for Distributive Learning students. The Cohort groups meet regularly online via live video conference during the Fall and Spring sessions, and on campus during the January and June intensives.

While the form of the program differs based on the student’s mode of learning, all degree candidates must fulfill specific requirements in three areas in order to graduate: competence, minimum credit hours, and residence required for the degree.

Educational Philosophy

EDS’s educational philosophy emphasizes the methods and processes of education as much as the content of theological inquiry. Our curriculum is responsive to the individual student’s goals and experiences. Fulfilling degree requirements involves articulating learning goals. Acquiring and demonstrating the skills implicit in these goals, as well as demonstrating competence in specific areas of study.

All MATS candidates are evaluated annually based on competence in their selected Special Competence and General Competence areas.

All MATS candidates must also submit an approved final year Integration Paper, as well as an approved Conference Worksheet, which shows competence in two fields of study and satisfactory annual evaluation.

MATS candidates who choose a concentration in Studies in Feminist Liberation Theologies must complete the above competency requirements, in addition to undertaking a thesis or praxis project written in the final year.

Credit Requirements

All MATS candidates must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 52 credits and successfully complete a minimum of 16 academic courses.

All master’s degree candidates must complete the Foundations for Theological Praxis course, which introduces students to the understandings and commitments underlying the school’s purpose statement “to form leaders of hope, courage, and vision” who “serve and advance God’s mission of justice, compassion, and reconciliation.” Students enrolled in the Distributive Learning option complete this course in their first intensive, in June, while Traditional Learning students complete it in their first Fall session, in September.

MATS candidates may complete the Field/Contextual Education program, though it is not required. Students enrolled in the Traditional Learning option may complete the program in one of many sites in the Greater Boston area, while Distributive Learning students may complete the program at a site near home.

Residency Requirements

Traditional Learning Option

MATS Traditional Learning students must complete four semesters of full-time study in residency (or its equivalent in half-time study). The residency requirement is designed to ensure that students are able to build relationships in community with faculty and peers, and to effectively complete all program worksheets and achieve competency in all areas of study.

Distributive Learning Option

Distributive Learning students must participate in the on-campus June and January intensives (two weeks each), which include classwork, worship, and Cohort meetings. In addition, students enrolled in the DL option must attend eight monthly, two-hour online classes during the Fall and Spring sessions and regular Cohort meetings for the four years of the program.

Doctor of Ministry

At Episcopal Divinity School, we believe that persons who are engaged in the practice of lay or ordained ministry in any denomination should also be working theologians, engaging in critical reflection on the questions and issues encountered in ministry. Designed as a second professional degree for individuals with at least three years of lay or ordained ministry experience after seminary, EDS’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree program provides an opportunity for persons engaged in active ministry to combine advanced study in the classical disciplines of theological inquiry with active reflection on the experience of ministry.

The program is designed to offer maximum flexibility for persons who are pursuing full-time ministry while embarking on further theological study and reflection. During the admissions process, candidates are asked to submit a statement of goals, a tentative proposal for study, and a thesis project. Built around June and January two-week intensive residencies and online course work during the Fall and Spring sessions, admission to the DMin program will depend on the availability of academic resources for an applicant’s intended program and on how that program relates to the established areas of emphasis within the EDS curriculum.

DMin Program Structure and Requirements

All DMin candidates begin their program with a two-week intensive in June, and most candidates complete the program and graduate in three years. Candidates are considered full-time during the first two years of the program, during which time they generally undertake course work, and part-time for the third year, during which time the Thesis/Project is written.

Since candidates undertake the DMin program to inform their ministry, no one person’s program will be the same as another’s. Accordingly, courses should be chosen that directly inform a candidate’s program, and the Program Proposal should indicate how the candidate’s choice of courses is appropriate to the goals of the Program Proposal.

At the heart of the program is the DMin Sequence, designated by courses DMin 1000, 2000, and 3000, all of which take place during the June and January intensive sessions.

DMin 1000 consists of a small group of degree candidates with a faculty advisor, and in which candidates develop and refine their Program Proposal. Stressing contextual analysis and praxis, DMin 1000 peers and a faculty advisor will help candidates determine the process by which they will be accountable to their ministerial context. This dialectical, dialogical, cooperative approach to learning is characteristic of the EDS curriculum as a whole.

DMin 2000, a small student/faculty group titled “Approaches to Antiracist Ministry,” is a four-day workshop during the June intensive that serves to familiarize candidates with the school’s anti-racism commitment and values, and a methodology of changing and challenging racism on personal, interpersonal, and cultural levels.

DMin 3000, “Producing the Thesis Project,” assists candidates in producing the Thesis Project Proposal and developing skills in research, writing, and preparing the thesis.

In addition, DMin candidates are required to satisfactorily complete eight courses (including the three courses of the DMin sequence) either at EDS or at the schools of the Boston Theological Institute. At least half of the courses must be taken at EDS during the Fall or Spring sessions, or during the June or January intensives. During the Fall and Spring sessions, many DMin students enroll in simulcast or online courses at EDS, allowing those students who live far from the EDS campus to continue to work in ministry while earning their DMin.

Evaluation

With the exception of the DMin Sequence, there are no required DMin courses in the EDS curriculum. It is the responsibility of the DMin candidate to provide the reason for choosing each course to the course instructor. Each instructor, in turn, should per-mit and encourage the student to be flexible in using the course as a specific resource for the student’s program. It is expected that DMin candidates do high caliber work in every course.

The eight courses taken (except those offered on a pass/fail basis only) must be evaluated by a letter grade and a written evaluation (of approximately 75 words) indicating that the work has been done on the doctoral level. Courses taken by a student, which are evalu-ated as not meeting the expectation of doctoral level work, will not count as part of the eight required courses and credit will not be awarded.

Thesis/Project

Inasmuch as any given Thesis/Project is uniquely relevant to each student’s DMin program, no set of guidelines can apply to all situations. This much, however, can be said: the Thesis/Project should be a substantial inquiry into the theological and practical dimensions growing out of students’ earlier Program Proposal. It should represent a seri-ous engagement with each student’s present and/or anticipated ministry. Furthermore, it should demonstrate each student’s capacity to reflect theologically in respect to the issues pertinent to that ministry. The Thesis/Project should also be a distinctive contribution to the church and society at large—a work that is of original value and significance. It is anticipated that the Thesis/Project will be concise and accessible. It is a practical study and not an academic dissertation.

Work on the Thesis/Project cannot commence until all course work has been completed.

Housing

DMin candidates are eligible for housing on the EDS campus at student rates. All EDS housing is assigned on an annual basis, so DMin students wishing to secure on-campus housing should commit to living on campus for the year (as opposed to only for the June and January intensives). DMin candidates seeking housing for only the intensive sessions are responsible for making their own housing arrangements.

Financial Aid

EDS is committed to making seminary affordable for all and to reducing the burden of debt on graduates who enter both lay and ordained ministry.

Episcopal Divinity School offers assistance to students to help finance their education through scholarships or grants awarded on the basis of financial need and merit. All students presenting some financial need receive financial assistance from the school.

All applicants seeking financial aid should submit all required financial aid application forms no later than April 15. New applicants may submit financial aid materials at the same time as their application for admission. EDS awards all financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis, so prospective students are encouraged to apply as early in the admissions process as possible.

Prospective students may also request an Institutional Grant Award Estimate from the Financial Aid Office before submitting their applications. The estimate will be personalized for an individual program of study (full-time or half-time, degree program, Traditional or Distributive Learning options, etc.). Please note that the estimate is not an official financial aid award and can differ slightly from the final grant awarded because of budget constraints or changes in a student’s program enrollment or course load.

To schedule a counseling session with an EDS financial aid officer, please contact Financial Aid Manager Valerie Paterson at [email protected], or call 617-682-1593. For links to EDS and federal financial aid forms, visit eds.edu/admissions.

Annual Coast of Attendance 2015/2016By Program/Option

TRADITIONAL LEARNING

MDiv MATS DMin Certificate

Average Credit Load 26 26 18 24

Program Length (years) 3 2 2 1

TRADITIONAL LEARNING: DIRECT COSTS


Tuition $15,210 $15,210 $10,530 $14,040

Fees $400 $400 $400 $400

Room $11,680 $11,680 $11,680 $11,680

Board $400 $400 $400 $400

Health Insurance $2,700 $2,700 $2,700 $2,700

Sub-Total Direct $30,390 $30,390 $25,710 $29,220

TRADITIONAL LEARNING: OTHER EXPENSES (EST.)


Books & Supplies $1,100 $1,100 $700 $1,000

Transportation $800 $800 $800 $800

Miscellaneous $3,800 $3,800 $3,800 $3,800

Meals: Residents $1,458 $1,458 $1,458 $1,458

Loan Fees $200 $200 $200 N/A

Sub-Total Direct $7,358 $7,358 $6,958 $7,058

TRADITIONAL LEARNING: ANNUAL COST OF ATTENDANCE


Residential TL $37,748 $37,748 $32,668 $36,278

Commuter TL $24,626 $24,626 $19,546 $23,156

DISTRIBUTIVE LEARNING


Average Credit Load 17 13 18 12

Program Length (years) 4-5 4 2 2

DISTRIBUTIVE LEARNING: DIRECT COSTS


Tuition $9,945 $7,605 $10,530 $7,020

Fees $400 $400 $400 $400

Room $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200

Board $400 $400 $400 $400

Health Insurance N/A N/A N/A N/A

Sub-Total Direct $14,945 $12,605 $15,530 $12,020

DISTRIBUTIVE LEARNING: OTHER EXPENSES (EST.)


Books & Supplies $700 $700 $700 $550

Transportation $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500

Miscellaneous $3,800 $3,800 $3,800 $3,800

Meals: Residents N/A N/A N/A N/A

Loan Fees $200 $200 $200 N/A

Sub-Total Direct $6,200 $6,200 $6,200 $5,850

DISTRIBUTIVE LEARNING: ANNUAL COST OF ATTENDANCE


$21,145 $18,805 $21,730 $17,870

Tuition: Based on $585 per credit in all programs.

Fees: Includes Activity Fee ($200) and Technology Fee ($200).

Room: Represents average on-campus housing cost (TL) and hotel costs for 2 two-week sessions (DL). Please note that DL students are responsible for their own housing during June and January terms, and housing costs may vary.

Board: $200 per semester, loaded on Lesley Card for TL-residents, covers Jan/Jun meals for DL, n/a for commuters.

Health Insurance: Required for TL students if no personal insurance (Lesley insurance rate). Not required for DL students.

Miscellaneous: Estimate for personal computing needs, clothes, medication, etc.

Eligibility to Apply

All EDS programs are open to students of all denominations and faith traditions. Episcopal postulancy or plans for ordination in another denomination or faith tradition are not requirements for any EDS program.

A student is eligible to apply for Episcopal Divinity School’s Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Theological Studies degrees if she or he has a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university and a record of strong academic achievement. Although our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and undergraduate majors, liberal arts coursework, some Biblical knowledge, and strong writing and critical thinking skills are expected of entering students.

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale (or equivalent) is required for admission. Applicants who do not meet the GPA qualification or hold a bachelor’s degree can be considered for admission under Special Student Status. To be considered under Special Student Status, please contact the admissions office directly at [email protected], or 617-682-1507.

Applicants to the Doctor of Ministry degree must have a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent as well as at least three years of ministerial experience since receiving the MDiv degree. Ordination in The Episcopal Church or any other denomination is not a requirement. All doctoral applicants must present a strong project proposal and show a connection among that proposal, our faculty, and our curriculum.

Application Requirements and Procedure

Each program at EDS has different application requirements.Generally, however, a completed application will include:

• Online application form. (EDS does not use a paper application; only online applications are accepted.)

• Official copies of all transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended. We do accept electronic transcripts at [email protected]. All official transcripts, whether hard copy or in electronic form, must be sent directly from the school’s registrar to the EDS Office of Admissions. If the institution does not provide an English translation, please obtain a notarized English translation.

• Unofficial transcripts may be submitted with the application, however, prior to official enrollment, official transcripts must be sent directly from the degree-granting institution to EDS.

• Curriculum vitae/resume should be uploaded with the online application form.

• Recommendations: Applicants will submit the name, title, and contact information for recommendations from faculty mem-bers, professional persons, or members of the clergy who are familiar with applicants’ academic background, discernment process, or vocational aspirations. We strongly suggest that ap-plicants submit at least one academic reference and one pastoral reference. EDS will contact recommenders directly. Letters of recommendation submitted by applicants will not be accepted.

• Essay(s): Master’s degree and doctoral applicants must submit two essays. Essays must be uploaded with the online application.

Dates and Deadlines

EDS accepts applications for admission on a rolling basis. Once an applicant has submitted a complete application and all transcripts and recommendations have been received by EDS, an admissions decision will be made within three weeks.

While admissions decisions are given on a rolling basis throughout the year, financial aid and housing are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure that you will be considered for financial aid or EDS campus housing, please submit your completed application no later than April 1.

Application

The application for admission to all EDS programs is available online at eds.edu/apply. As you work on the application, you will have the opportunity to save and come back to it. However, it is recommended that you complete your CV/resume, essay(s), and assemble your recommender contact information before you begin working on the online application form.

facebook.com/episcopal.divinity.school

twitter.com/epdivschl

instagram.com/episcopaldivinityschool

EPISCOPAL DIVINITY SCHOOL99 Brattle Street | CamBridge, ma 02138

www.eds.edu

eds program guide 2016–2017

Documents