Candler School of Theology has announced a new hybrid master of divinity degree program, the latest offering in a slate of flexible learning options designed to make a high-caliber Candler education more accessible to more students. Set to launch in Fall 2023, the hybrid MDiv will allow students to combine online and in-person coursework to complete their degrees with maximum flexibility to suit their busy lives.

Students in the hybrid MDiv program can earn their degrees without relocating to Atlanta or regularly commuting to campus for classes. Other students who currently live in the Atlanta area may choose the hybrid format for convenience as they balance their studies with other commitments like work and family.

Hybrid MDiv students will follow the same rigorous curriculum as in-person students, with classes taught by Candler’s world-class faculty. Two-thirds of their coursework will be online and the remaining one-third will be completed on campus as short intensives.

The planning team has given special attention to the adaptation of Candler’s distinct Contextual Education program to a remote format to ensure it remains a transformative learning experience for all students, whether hybrid or residential. In addition to more typical Con Ed I settings, another option for hybrid students is Candler’s Remote Teaching Parish program, which allows MDiv students who serve in ecclesial settings far from campus to fulfill their Con Ed requirement in their current places of ministry.

The hybrid MDiv is Candler’s most recent innovation in reducing barriers to educational access.  Other Candler degrees offered in flexible formats include the master of religious leadership, the master of religion and public life, and the doctor of ministry.

  • Master of Religious Leadership: MRL students who select an area of specialization in Youth Ministry, Wesleyan Leadership and Heritage, or Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation (JPACT) can complete the two-year degree in a hybrid format, with a mix of in-person and online classes. The degree’s other three areas of specialization—Pastoral Care, Worship and Music, and Mission, Evangelism, and World Christianity—are available in person.
  • Master of Religion and Public Life: MRPL students can complete their degree on campus, fully online, or in a hybrid format. Designed for professionals outside of ministry settings whose work requires them to navigate issues of faith on a regular basis, the degree can be completed in one to five years, full-time or part-time.
  • Doctor of Ministry: This hybrid program launched in 2014 and has an 87% degree completion rate. DMin students take 90% of their courses online and attend four short on-campus experiences throughout the three-year program.

The application for the 2023-2024 academic year is now open. For more information on any of these degree programs or flexible formats, connect with one of Candler’s Admissions representatives.