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| HAKIM BEY DIOCESAN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE A Canonical Erection of the Moorish Orthodox Diocese of New Jersey |
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| Introduction to the Seminary |
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| The Seminary's Programmes |
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| Courses of Study |
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| Faculty and Staff |
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| Admission & Enrollment |
| Meeting the educational and spiritual needs of the Moorish Orthodox Church, the Moorish people and the Diocese of New Jersey in the twenty-first century. |
THE MASTER OF DIVINITY PROGRAM The Master of Divinity degree program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of ministry. This program, which seeks to incoporate within itself the coursework required by the Diocese of New Jersey of the Moorish Orthodox Church in America as well as by many Christian, Jewish, Islamic and other denominations and ecclesial communities for ordination, is offered at the Ong's Hat, New Jersey campus through both planned residential classes as well as via online coursework. Education for ministry is not a matter of simply accumulating certain knowledge and skills. It is the beginning of a process of personal transformation whereby the student appropriates the knowledge and skills pertinent to ministry in a way that shapes the student's self-understanding and life within their resective ecclesial communities and the world. Thus, both the integration of the diverse fields of knowledge and skill, and the integration of these fields with the actual experience and practice of ministry, are essential to a theological education. The course of study for the M.Div. falls into three major categories. The first consists of the core academic courses, grouped into three fields: Scriptural Studies, centering on the Scriptural bases for the doctrine, polity and ritual of Moorish Orthodoxy; Historical, Theological and Ethical Studies; Ministry Studies. The second consists of the experience and practice of varieties of ministry. This is found principally in a student's Supervised Ministry placements, but also in the various aspects of life in the seminary community. Those courses which seek to integrate the various academic fields, and academic learning with practical experience, form the final category. The Ministeriums and required integrative courses constitute this category. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS The application deadline for a term is two months before the first day of classes. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for admission in the following semester. The applicant must: 1) hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with an academic record indicating scholarly ability and academic achievement, including a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher. In exceptional cases, a student with a lower GPA, but with noteworthy qualifications, may be admitted provisionally. Achievement of a seminary GPA of 2.5 removes the provisional status. Official transcript(s) of all undergraduate and graduate work pursued to date are required. Applicants completing undergraduate study are accepted on the basis of a partial transcript, but a transcript showing a baccalaureate degree must be provided prior to matriculation; 2) complete the application form supplied by the Seminary's Office of Student Services which includes three letters of recommendation, including a recommendation from the applicant's pastor r rleigious advisor; 3) pay a non-refundable application fee; 4) once admitted, pay an admissions deposit at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the first day of the new term to indicate acceptance of admission. This deposit is applied to the student's first-term tuition. New students are required to complete their registration two weeks before the first day of classes for the term. Registration after that date will be assessed a late fee. SPECIAL STUDENTS Under exceptional circumstances, a student without a baccalaureate degree may be admitted on probation to the M.Div. program. Such a student shall complete the process described above, and: a) be at least thirty-five years of age; b) have demonstrated distinguished service to the church and show exceptional promise for ordained ministry; c) have the endorsement of the appropriate body in the applicant's denomination or ecclesial community which is responsible for ordination d) complete, at an accredited college or university, a minimum of one course in each of the following areas: English composition, history, philosophy, a behavioral science (psychology, sociology or anthropology), and literature. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS The M.Div. degree requires the completion of ninety-six (96) credit hours with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher, and the successful completion of six (6) units of Supervised Ministry. Time Limit: A student who has been enrolled predominantly on a full-time basis (i.e. taking at least 12 credits per semester), and has not completed the program within five (5) years must apply in writing for continuation in the program. A student who has been enrolled predominantly on a part-time basis (i.e. taking less than 12 credits per semester), and has not completed the program within eight (8) years must apply in writing for continuation in the program. FOREIGN STUDENTS Admission to the M.Div. degree is based on a TOEFL score of 550. An all-around level of 4.1 is required from PALS, plus the completion of ESL Theological Writing I & II in order to matriculate and take other HBDTS courses. FITNESS FOR MINISTRY AND ORDINATION As an institution affiliated with the Moorish Orthodox Church in America, Hakim Bey Diocesan Theological Seminary provides educational programs which meet the denomination's requirements for ordination. It does so through the core curriculum of required courses and by providing courses and supervised ministry placements directly related to the Moorish Orthodox Church. The Seminary acts on behalf of the General Synod of the Moorish Orthodox Church in America not only in providing education for ministry, but also by evaluating students to determine their suitability for ordination to the denomination's ministry of Service, Teaching and Study. Testimony to a student's readiness for ministry is given through a Certificate of Fitness for Ministry, recommended by the Faculty and granted by the Board of Trustees. A Diocese is not permitted to ordain a candidate for ministry who has not been granted this Certificate. Application for the Certificate of Fitness must be made 15 months before the intended date of graduation. Although no Certificate of Fitness for Ministry is granted to students from other churches, since the M.Div. is a professional degree, the Faculty evaluates all candidates to determine suitability for ministerial leadership in the church. The Faculty will not recommend that an M.Div. degree be granted to a student who, although academically qualified, does not exhibit the moral, spiritual and personal qualities requisite for ministry. The ordination requirements of the student's ecclesial community may also be taken into consideration in decisions concerning the awarding of the M.Div. degree. HONORS THESIS An M.Div. student who has maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better through his or her first 64 credits of academic work may petition the Faculty through the Academic Affairs Committee to be allowed to write an Honors Thesis under the supervision of a member of the Faculty. Six (6) credit hours will be granted the student who successfully completes this research and writing project. M.DIV. INTERNSHIP TRACK Within the M.Div. program at both campuses, an internship track exists for those students who wish to combine extended full-time practical experience in ministry with the other advantages of the M.Div. degree. The internship track, when pursued full-time, is a four year program. It consists of all the normal requirements for the M.Div. degree, plus a full-time internship of nine to twelve months duration ordinarily taken between a student's middler and senior years. This internship is pursued in a setting assigned or designated by the Director of Supervised Ministries and approved by the Dean of the Seminary. While engaged in the internship, the person is a full-time student, subject to all the policies of the Seminary. Students pay an internship fee equivalent to the charge for two Supervised Ministry Units. Students wishing to receive a third and fourth Supervised Ministry Unit for their internship pay an additional fee. |
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