Master of Religious Leadership Degree Requirements
To qualify for the MRL degree, a candidate must complete each of these requirements.
To qualify for the MRL degree, a candidate must complete each of these requirements.
To enter the MRL program, a candidate must have a:
In fulfilling the 48 credit hours required to complete the MRL degree, students may not exceed the following limits:
Courses taken to fulfill Common Course requirements, Common Requirements, and area of specialization requirements must earn a letter grade of at least C, i.e., 2.0 on a scale of 4.0. Students may elect to take one area of specialization course S/U with instructor permission. Students who earn less than a C in a course will not receive credit for the course toward the degree, though it will remain as part of the student’s academic record. Students who earn less than a C in a course may retake the course. However, the same course cannot be counted more than once towards the total credit hours for graduation.
The Christianity in Global Contexts Specialization requires a minimum of three credits in mission, three credits in evangelism, three credits in world Christianity, and three credits in interfaith studies/world religion courses. The remaining six electives should be chosen from mission, evangelism, world Christianity, or interfaith studies/world religions courses. Courses that would meet these requirements include:
Mission (3 hours)
Evangelism (3 hours)
World Christianity (3 hours)
Interfaith Studies (3 hours)
Additional Courses (6 hours)
JPACT requires three credits of conflict transformation skills (ES671 and 672). The remaining 15 credits should include courses in nonviolence, restorative justice, and violence and peacebuilding. Students may choose among courses such as:
Students specializing in Pastoral Care will take PC501 or PC502 and may choose PC offerings, including any of the following, for their remaining 15 units:
Students specializing in Ministries with Youth are required to take:
The remaining six units can include courses such as:
Students specializing in WLAH will take courses in:
The remaining courses, chosen from courses such as those below and not already used to fulfill other general or Area of Specialization requirements, fulfill the final 6 hours for the Area of Specialization:
Students specializing in Worship and Music are required to take W501. Public Worship and W638. Planning Christian Worship. Students should work closely with their advisors to achieve a balance of method and theory in their remaining 12 units, choosing from courses such as:
In addition to the curricular requirements listed above, students in the MRL program are required to be advised each semester. Any student who fails to meet with his or her faculty advisor during the advising period will have a hold placed on registration until advising has taken place.
Students must complete a minimum of four full-time equivalent semesters, to include at least three fall/spring semesters with not more than 12 total summer term hours. The last two semesters of the program must be completed at Candler. Students in good standing at other seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, or at other regionally accredited universities where they are studying religion at the graduate level, may, with approval, transfer up to 15 credit hours. A maximum of 9 hours taken through cross-registration at Atlanta Theological Association (ATA) schools, may be applied toward the degree, counted as transfer credit. Upon the transfer of 15 hours, no additional transfer work or ATA cross-registration work will be allowed. Students who transfer into the MRL program must complete a minimum of three semesters with at least 33 Candler semester hours. The MRL is structured to be completed in two years of full-time study. The maximum length of time allowed to complete the program is six calendar years.
Students in good standing at other seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, or at other regionally accredited universities where they are studying religion at the graduate level, may be admitted as transfer students. These students may receive transfer credit approval for up to 15 credit hours for courses in which they earn a grade of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (84 on a numerical scale). Up to six hours may be applied to area of specialization requirements.
Christianity in Global Contexts produces practitioners who are critically aware of the complexity of the church universal as it engages in God’s mission in the world.
Justice, Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation contributes to the formation of religious leaders who are equipped to engage conflict constructively within their congregations and their communities.
Ministries with Youth prepares students for a range of ministries with youth in and beyond the congregation.
Pastoral Care prepares students to provide general pastoral care in congregational and community settings and in chaplaincy contexts. It also provides initial training for those who may seek more advanced training in pastoral theology or pastoral counseling.
The Wesleyan Leadership and Heritage specialization prepares students for lay ministry in Methodist/Wesleyan contexts, and allows United Methodist students over the age of 35 who already hold a master’s degree in their area of ministry to complete the United Methodist Basic Graduate Theological Studies (BGTS) requirements in order to seek ordination as a Deacon.
Worship and Music equips music and worship leaders with creative and faithful ways to integrate music and worship.
95% of all degree-seeking students receive a Candler scholarship, with most lasting for the duration of the degree program. MRL students can maximize their budget by taking advantage of scholarship offerings and Candler's financial literacy programming.