A new partnership with Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga. will enable qualified undergraduates to take master’s level courses at Duke Divinity School beginning in 2023. The Duke Accelerated Pastoral Formation Program offers select juniors and seniors the option to begin coursework toward Duke’s Hybrid Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or Master of Arts in Christian Practice (M.A.C.P.) degree programs while completing their baccalaureate degree.

Funded by the generous support of the Kern Family Foundation, the Accelerated Program is designed to help students lower educational debt incurred in preparation for the ministry process and accelerate their timeline to engaging the field of ministry.

“Partnering with Wesleyan College to support women in preparation for faithful and fruitful Christian ministry brings us great joy,” said Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley, associate dean for academic and vocational formation. “Collaborating with the Kern Family Foundation to help students get ready to serve while reducing their educational debt will help a new generation to hear God’s call on their lives more clearly, and respond with: ‘Send me. I’ll go.’”

The Hybrid M.Div. and M.A.C.P. programs at Duke allow students to work in ministry contexts while pursuing their degree. Students serving in the ministry field are able to complete their program of study through a combination of weeklong intensives and synchronous online coursework.

Up to six graduate-level courses taken during the undergraduate period may be eligible to be counted toward future enrollment in Duke’s degree programs.

Said Dr. Jung Choi, senior director of Wesleyan Formation Initiatives, “Through Duke Divinity School’s partnership with Wesleyan College in Macon, a United Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college, we will create innovative ways to serve students seeking careers in ministry, helping students discern their vocational calling and cultivate their pastoral leadership. We are particularly excited about partnering with Wesleyan College, the first women’s college in the world, to cultivate female pastoral leaders.”

Questions about the program can be directed to Dr. Jung Choi.