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M.Div. · Graduate Degree

Master of Divinity

A three-year, 86-credit graduate degree at Faith Bible Seminary in Lafayette, Indiana that pairs rigorous academic training with a church internship — preparing men for a lifetime of pastoral ministry.

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3 Years

Program Length

86 Credits

Total Hours

$2,000/yr

Internship Tuition

1–2 Class Days / Week

Weekly Format

Next Cohort

2028

Faith Church internship applicants

September 1, 2027

All other applicants

July 1, 2028

The M.Div. admits a new cohort once every three years.

Admitted every 3 years Start your application

Program Overview

Pastoral Training Reinvented

The Master of Divinity is the standard graduate degree for those called to pastoral ministry. At Faith Bible Seminary, a ministry of Faith Church in Lafayette, Indiana, the M.Div. is built around three core values: lower cost, valuing your time, and practical ministry experience in partnership with local churches.

Rather than spending three years in a classroom disconnected from the church, M.Div. students spend one to two days per week in academic training and three to four days per week serving in a church internship. The internship is not a practicum add-on — it is half of the educational experience.

The program is rigorous — substantial reading, writing, research, and ministry — and the result is a graduate who has not only studied pastoral ministry but has practiced it, week in and week out, for three years.

Is This You?

Who the M.Div. Is For

The M.Div. is a full-time, three-year commitment designed for a specific kind of student.

Men called to full-time pastoral ministry
Gifts for pastoral ministry recognized by your local church
Relatively debt-free upon entrance and upon graduation
Active member of a Lafayette-area church, or willing to relocate
Ready for a full three-year commitment (50–60 hours per week, year-round)
No outside employment, except by special exception

The FBS Model

Academics + Ministry, Every Week

The M.Div. is built on a simple conviction: pastoral ministry is not merely an academic endeavor.

Academic Training

One to two days per week in class at Faith Bible Seminary in Lafayette, plus four to five one-week modular courses each year.

Church Internship

Three to four days per week serving as an intern at Faith Church or a partnering local church.

Mentored Ministry

Your church balances strengthening your weaknesses, using your gifts, and meeting real local needs — you are trained by pastors, not only professors.

Graduation

After three years you graduate with an accredited degree and three years of week-in, week-out ministry experience.

Radically Affordable

Tuition is $2,000 per year for full-time ministry and internship students. As a ministry of Faith Church, FBS is designed to keep you free of debt so you remain available for ministry.

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Family Flourishes

There are no formal requirements for spouses, and faculty provide flexibility for marriage and children. Public schools, Faith Christian School, homeschooling, and licensed childcare are all available in the Lafayette area.

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Practical from Day One

The church internship is half of the educational experience, not an add-on. Every M.Div. student serves in a local church from the start of the program.

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Church Internship

Half of Your Education Happens in a Church

How the church internship works →

All M.Div. students participate in a church internship, serving three to four days per week. Interns are trained by a local church, which contributes $1,200 per year toward the student's training. Paid interns make a three-year commitment.

Faith Church Internship

Several partially-paid, part-time internships are available at Faith Church in Lafayette. Applications for these positions are due September 1, 2027.

Partnering Church Internship

Students may intern with a local church partner. Applicants seeking an internship outside Faith Church submit a church partnership application alongside their application.

The internship represents half of the M.Div. educational experience, and all M.Div. students participate.
Churches balance strengthening weaknesses, utilizing gift sets, and meeting local needs.
Already serving in ministry? You may be able to enroll without an internship — considered case by case.
Non-degree students may take individual classes for credit or audit.

Curriculum

What You Will Study

The M.Div. curriculum is organized into eight areas totaling 86 credit hours over three years. There are no electives — every student completes the same course of study.

86 credit hoursNo electives4–5 one-week modular courses per year

New Testament

22 credit hours

Old Testament

19 credit hours

Systematic Theology

13 credit hours

Biblical Counseling

10 credit hours

Practical Theology

9 credit hours

Biblical Interpretation

5 credit hours

Missions & Evangelism

5 credit hours

Church History & Christian Thought

3 credit hours

Course descriptions and sequencing are published in the FBS academic catalog.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

Admission to the M.Div. is based on prior academic training, godly character, and a calling to pastoral ministry recognized by your local church.

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (or equivalent). Up to 10% of a cohort may enroll without a bachelor’s degree.
Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
Character that meets the standards of 1 Timothy 3:1–7
Recognition by your local church of gifts for full-time pastoral ministry
Laptop with Logos Bible Software (Platinum), Windows, and Microsoft Office
Three-year commitment for paid interns (financial penalties apply if broken)
$40 non-refundable application fee

What to Submit

Apply online with the $40 application fee. A complete M.Div. application includes:

1
Online application form
2
Personal testimony
3
Spouse’s testimony (if applicable)
4
Ministry experience form
5
Three reference letters addressing your spiritual life
6
Pastoral reference letter
7
Official bachelor’s transcripts
8
English proficiency test (if applicable)
9
Church internship application (if applicable)
10
Church partnership application (if interning outside Faith Church)

Tuition & Fees

How the M.Div. rate works, refund policy and transfer credit →

Full-time ministry / internship students $2,000 / year

All other students $250 / credit hour

Technology fee $100 / year local · $350 / year distance

Church contribution (enrolled interns) $1,200 / year ($100 / month)

Auditing $125 / credit hour

Application fee $40 (non-refundable)

Graduation fee $50

Classes meet in person in Lafayette, Indiana. A distance option may be available — contact the seminary. Outside employment prevents the $2,000/year rate. FBS offers no direct financial aid; the lowest rate is available through ministry involvement. Veterans' benefits accepted.

Apply to the M.Div. Program

Accreditation & Recognition

Accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) Commission on Accreditation
VA-recognized institution — veterans’ benefits accepted
Approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education
SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) participant