Master of Divinity - Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care
Equipping chaplains for a vocation in the military, healthcare, corrections, and beyond.
At a Glance
The Master of Divinity – Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care track is designed for those who feel called to provide spiritual care in diverse settings—whether in hospitals, correctional institutions, military, or community contexts. This program will increase your capacity to care for others through empathetic presence and theological insight. Students will take specialized courses in ethics and counselling in addition to a robust curriculum of ministry, biblical, and theological studies classes. They will also learn how to care for themselves and others through site-based units of Clinical Psychospiritual Education offered by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.
Length of the Program
The program requires 75 credit hours (25 courses) and can typically be completed in 3–4 years.
70% ONLINE
30% ON-CAMPUS
Designed for full-time professionals. Learn from wherever you are.
"A well-designed program of study that fills a critical gap for graduate-level training for ministry as a chaplain"
- Bruce J. Clemenger
Member of Interfaith Committee for Canadian Military Chaplaincy
Contact Us
Contact us with any questions you have about the MDiv program or in general.
A bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5 from an accredited institution is required.
Degrees from non-accredited institutions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
If you are 28 years or older and do not have an undergraduate degree, you may still be eligible for admission as a mature student. Mature students can begin by completing the Certificate of the Seminary, which can be applied toward the MDiv degree. For more details, refer to the Certificate of the Seminary program.
The Master of Divinity – Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care program is designed for individuals feeling called to pursue their vocation in chaplaincy, but have not completed an undergraduate degree in Bible/Theology/Ministry. Whether you're preparing to minister in healthcare, correctional facilities, the military, or the wider community, this program equips you to take the next step in deepening your pastoral presence and practical skills as a chaplain.
I. Core (12 credit hours)
CM 600 Spiritual Formation for Ministry
BLST 601 Old Testament Survey1
BLST 606 New Testament Survey2
THEO 601 Christian Theology Overview3
II. Theology (12 credit hours)
THEO 650 Theology of God and Creation
THEO 653 Theology of Christ and Reconciliation
THEO 654 Theology of the Holy Spirit and Redemption
THEO 710 Christian Ethics
III. Bible (12 credit hours)
BLST 602 Introduction to Biblical Interpretation
Old Testament Elective
New Testament Elective
BLST 721 Studies in the Gospel of Matthew OR BLST 722 Studies in the Gospel of Luke
IV. History (3 credit hours)
HIS 650 History of Christianity
V. Christian Ministry (24 credit hours)
CM 632 Homiletics
CM 705 Pastoral Theology
CO 603 Foundations of Systemic Therapy
CO 705 Counselling Ethics
CO 615 Working with Diverse Populations in Counselling OR CO 722 Trauma Theories & Strategies in Counselling
PSY 606 Lifespan Development
THEO 641 Theology of Christian Worship
VI. Internship (6 credit hours)
CM 740 Meaning-Making: Intro to Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care
Clinical Psychospiritual Education (6 hours)4
Clinical Psychospiritual Education (6 hours)5
VII. Non-Credit Requirement
GSCR 800 Graduating Student Concluding Reflection
With permission of the program coordinator, a student with sufficient background in Old Testament1, New Testament2, or Theology3 may replace the specified course with an elective from the respective discipline.
4 and 5Students must complete a total of 12 credit hours of Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) through an accredited graduate institution. Briercrest does not offer CPE courses. Instead, students will need to complete their CPE courses elsewhere and use transfer credit to apply their CPE courses to their Briercrest program.
Take the next step in your future by applying to Briercrest today! Our simple application process helps you start a Christ-centered education that inspires you academically, spiritually, and personally.
With a Master of Divinity degree, you can advance your ministry and career opportunities. You will gain the academic background and skills needed for sound theological work in church, missions, or academic contexts.
Church Ministry
Teach, preach, and disciple with theological depth by equipping your church through biblically rooted instruction and leadership.
Missions
Serve in global or local mission contexts through theologically informed training, curriculum development, and spiritual formation.
Chaplaincy
Prepare for chaplaincy roles in military or healthcare settings through the specialized chaplaincy concentration.
Doctoral Studies
Pursue advanced studies in a specific area of ministry.
Contact Us!
Contact us with any questions you have or for more information about this program.
