Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration Joint Degree (M.Div./MBA)

Purpose and Outcomes

The Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration is awarded jointly by the School of Ministry and the Rinker School of Business. The goal of the M.Div./M.B.A. Joint Degree is to educate students to assume responsibilities as executive and administrative ministers for churches or para-church organizations. The program is directed toward providing didactic and experiential education to students that will allow them to:

1. develop the biblical, theological and historical knowledge to assist leading and administering a church or para-church organization; and,
2. design and implement strategies and policies that produce effective management practices within a ministry context.

Course Schedule/Structure

There are a variety of scheduling options for successfully completing the M.Div./M.B.A. Joint-Degree coursework. The time required will depend upon the student’s initiative in scheduling business courses while still completing M.Div. courses, either during summer sessions or during a fall or spring semester.

To increase the likelihood of success and preventing students from overextending themselves academically, each student will be required to design a complete course sequence for both M.Div. and business courses by the end of his/her first semester. This plan must be formulated in consultation with and authorized by the student’s M.Div. advisors and the Director of the M.B.A. program.

 Admission Requirements

Admission to M.Div./M.B.A. joint degree program is selective. Candidates must first secure entrance into both the Master of Divinity degree program in the School of Ministry and the M.B.A. degree program in the Rinker School of Business. In reviewing applications, the Admissions Committees of the School of Ministry and the Rinker School of Business look for evidence of intellectual ability, ministerial calling and character, managerial promise and ministry/community involvement. Strong interpersonal skills, communication ability, motivation, maturity, career focus and leadership potential are also important qualities in prospective students.

1. Earn a baccalaureate degree in biblical or ministerial studies from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a non-ministry major are required to complete 24 hours of specific ministry foundational coursework on the undergraduate or graduate level. M.B.A. foundational courses (12 credit hours) can be completed congruently while in the graduate program.
2. All students must meet the prerequisite requirements of both programs.
3. Achieve an undergraduate minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, with exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
4. Submit:

• Online application and application fee
• Official transcript from college/university where bachelor’s degree was conferred and from college/university where prerequisite courses were taken
• Two confidential M.Div. recommendation forms (Academic and Ministerial)
• Two writing samples (requirements provided by admissions counselor)
• Informed Consent form (provided at Admissions interview)

5. Admissions and Faculty Interview

Degree Requirements

A total of 82 credit hours are required. As part of the Joint Degree, students must successfully complete include 52 credit hours of M.Div. coursework, 27 credit hours of graduate business coursework, and 3 credit hours of integrated graduate coursework. When completed separately, the traditional M.Div. program at PBA requires 72 credit hours and the M.BA. program at PBA requires 48 credit hours.  

Upon admission to the joint- degree program, students are able to enroll in both M.Div. and M.B.A. courses during the same semester as time and schedules permit. No degree is awarded until the student completes the entire program and meets all requirements of the M.Div./M.B.A. Joint Degree.

Students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-ministry major are required to complete 24 hours of specific foundational coursework at the undergraduate or graduate level. These courses must be successfully completed prior to attempting the graduate courses. Students’ foundational courses in which grades below “C-” have been earned are not acceptable.

A grade of at least “C-” and a GPA of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale is required for “successful” completion of all M.Div. coursework. A grade of at least “C” and a GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale is required for “successful” completion of all graduate business administration coursework. Students must complete all degree requirements within 10 years from the start of the program.

Curriculum Requirements

82 Credit Hours