Master of Arts in Christian Practice (M.A.C.P.)
Lay professionals play an increasingly important role in the ministry of the church. Duke Divinity School recognizes the significance of this trend and the need to equip these persons with a solid foundation in both theology and the practice of ministry—and to do so in a way that allows them to continue in active ministry while pursuing their studies. The Master of Arts in Christian Practice degree was designed to meet these needs.
Grounded in central elements of Christian thought and practice, the M.A.C.P. degree introduces students to disciplined theological reflection as a means for enriching their Christian service in both the church and the world. The degree offers students the opportunity to reflect theologically upon practices of lay professional ministry or other Christian service. The degree is provided primarily for those seeking to enhance lay vocations while remaining in a full-time ministry context or other professional position.
The M.A.C.P. will operate on an alternative pedagogical model that blends short, residential intensive seminars with web-based distance learning. Course requirements include a core sequence that will deepen students’ knowledge and appreciation of the Bible and the Christian theological tradition. Courses specific to each track (e.g., Youth Ministry) will build upon that core, relating it to specific practices of ministry in today’s world. A third element is the ongoing seminar in Christian formation that seeks to integrate learning with spiritual practice. In the final term students will be required to undertake supervised ministry in their vocational setting and to submit structured reflections on this ministry, bringing to bear the insights and experience gained by means of the other degree components.
About the Youth Ministry Cohort »
M.A.C.P. Tuition Covenant: Introduction and Sample Agreement (pdf)
Ordinarily, applicants for the degree will be required to:
- hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- be employed in a congregation or in a profession and be committed to lay ministry, or to their professional service as a lay vocation
- have earned a grade average of at least B- (2.75 on 4.0 scale) in their bachelor’s program
- submit two letters of reference from people capable of assessing their intellectual and academic ability, two letters of reference (one from an ecclesial official or supervisor and one from a lay person or colleague) that address the applicant’s performance in his or her current position of ministry or professional service, and one letter of reference from someone not related to the applicant commenting generally on his or her character
- submit two essays, each a single page in length, the first of which describes your sense of vocation in ministry and the second of which reflects on a theological book, issue or idea that has recently engaged your attention
- if a non-native speaker, earn a cumulative score of 108 on the TOEFL iBT with a minimum of 27 scored in each subtest, or a 610 on the TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 6 on the TWE. The TOEFL iBT is the preferred English proficiency test. The TOEFL requirement may be waived for international students who have completed an undergraduate degree at an accredited college or university in the United States.
Because this degree operate son an alternative pedagogical model that blends short residential intensives with web-based distance learning, the terms do not follow the regular academic calendar.
Rather, the terms will be designed around two factors:
- the liturgical calendar of the church, since many of the students will be fully employed in congregational settings and thus subject to the demands of certain seasons—for example, Christmas and Easter
- open times in the current academic calendar (thus ensuring no space conflicts and maximizing the potential for regular rank faculty involvement)
Two academic years are required to complete the course requirements.