Duke Divinity School welcomed a 2019 entering class of 215 new students from 33 different states and seven other countries, including Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Zimbabwe.
The Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) and Master of Arts in Christian Practice degree programs received record enrollments of 35 students and 22 students respectively. The Master of Theology (14 students), Doctor of Ministry (20 students), and Doctor of Theology (4 students) all had strong enrollment. Duke Divinity’s new Certificate in Theology and Health Care will enroll 8 students, all of whom are fellows with the Theology, Medicine, and Culture (TMC) Initiative at the school. The M.T.S. program also includes 8 students who are TMC fellows, for a record year of 16 total.
The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program gained 110 new students. Students from minority groups comprised more than 32 percent of incoming M.Div. students, with black students making up 18 percent. Female students made up 44 percent of incoming M.Div. students, while males were 56 percent.
There were 24 denominations represented in the M.Div. entering class, with 42 percent affiliated with The United Methodist Church. Nondenominational students made up 14 percent of the new M.Div. students; Baptists, 13 percent (up from 8 percent the year before); and Anglican-Episcopal, 11 percent (up from 3 percent the year before). The ages of the incoming M.Div. program range from 19 to 70 years old, with a median age of 24.
“The 2019 incoming class is bringing fresh energy and commitment to serve the work of God in the world,” said Todd Maberry, senior director of admissions, recruitment, and student finance. “This year I noticed that many of them are coming with interdisciplinary interests and are curious to learn theology at the intersection of medicine, law, public policy, the arts, prison reform, and ecology. They are eager to lead thriving communities, and I look forward to witnessing how the formation at Duke will shape their imaginations for ministry.”
Across all degree programs at the Divinity School, 32 percent of the incoming class identified as a race/ethnicity other than white. Black students made up 20 percent of all students (up from 18 percent the year before); Hispanic students, 2 percent; Asian students, 7 percent; and American Indian students, 1 percent. Forty-five percent of students in the incoming class were female, and 55 percent were male.
The Divinity School welcomed the entering class with an orientation program and a welcome dinner with faculty on Aug. 22, which will be followed by the 93rd Opening Convocation on Aug. 28 at 11:25 a.m. in Duke Chapel. This first worship service of the 2019-20 academic year includes a blessing of new faculty and staff, and a welcoming to the entering class of students.
