Be a Support and Spiritual Guide for Service Members and their Families with an M.Div. in Military Chaplaincy
Our brave service members, both here and abroad, have unique needs and concerns. They need spiritual leaders like you who understand the special circumstances they endure and to provide godly wisdom and guidance. Because a military chaplain is a commissioned military officer, you could serve our men and women in uniform in many different areas – either in active duty or in reserve components. Liberty University’s Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in Professional Chaplaincy – Military can prepare you for the mission of being a steward of the Gospel.
Becoming a chaplain is a noble calling and just as important as the job that our brave men and women perform every day. If you feel the calling for this rewarding career, Liberty University can prepare you by developing your ministry skills so you can pay special attention to the needs of our servicemen and women and their families. Military life is difficult. Individuals and their families often have to endure extreme hardships and prolonged terms of separation. As a military chaplain, you can provide the spiritual and emotional support that service members and their families often need.
Accreditation
Your seminary degree is approved by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and has met rigorous accreditation standards. You can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
Award-Winning Campus
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank as the #4 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Why Choose Liberty’s Master of Divinity in Professional Chaplaincy – Military Degree?
Liberty University’s mission is Training Champions for Christ, and we continue to fulfill that mission with our military chaplaincy degree. We believe in providing the best education possible to the people and providing spiritual guidance to our brave men and women in uniform. Our experienced professors have years of first-hand knowledge and training that they can impart through challenging and rewarding curricula, classroom training, and internships.
Our faculty and staff can assist you in finding the needed endorsement from a religious body recognized by the Department of Defense. We have also partnered with local churches and parachurch organizations to provide experiential training so that you can graduate prepared to minister to service members, their families, and those who work with military populations.
If you have prior ministry experience or have previously pursued an accredited seminary degree, you might be able to receive course credit through our transfer evaluation or Institutional Challenge Exams. Our Master of Divinity in Chaplaincy will prepare you for the challenge of bringing the Word of God to those in need and administering pastoral care to service members and families.
What Will You Learn in Our M.Div. in Professional Chaplaincy – Military Degree?
Our Master of Divinity in Professional Chaplaincy – Military can prepare you for the unique work of a chaplain. We focus on providing real-world experience and practical application methods so that when you begin your career, you can do so with confidence and authority. You can study the free exercise of religion and your role as a chaplain to defend this constitutional liberty. Additionally, you can explore the biblical principles behind servant leadership – traits that are required to be a successful military chaplain.
One of the primary roles of a military chaplain is to safeguard the warrior’s soul and spiritual development. As such, you can learn how to identify the opportunities that arise for you to offer spiritual guidance and advice to military leadership and service members alike. The pastoral care that you provide as a military chaplain can also be a primary focus of this specialization. In addition to the fundamental skills you need as a military chaplain, you can also be equipped to handle combat-related PTSD cases that you encounter.
Additionally, you have the option of completing one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) as part of this program. This program provides supervision under a Liberty-trained mentor to develop your ability to provide pastoral care from your faith-based tradition. As a graduate residential student, you have the flexibility of completing your CPE courses in an online or residential intensive format.
Review the Degree Completion Plan, and check out our featured courses below to learn more about what you’ll be studying!
Featured Courses
CHPL 640 – Chaplain Leadership for Religious Freedom
CHPL 655 – Chaplain Evangelism and Discipleship
CHPL 680 – Military Chaplaincy
CRIS 607 – PTSD and Combat-Related Trauma
Highlights
Degree Information
Careers
Admission Requirements
Highlights of Our Master of Divinity Degree
- Monday-only classes for master’s programs allow students to complete large portions of their M.Div. degree by only attending class one day a week.
- We have a state-of-the-art homiletics/teaching lab in our School of Divinity building.
- Study under theologians and missionaries with real-world experience in the M.Div.’s web-based content developed by Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity.
- Institutional Challenge Exams (ICE) are available to test out of foundational biblical and theological studies content for the M.Div. program.
- Our Scriptorium houses the Rawlings Foundation rare books collection valued at over $1 million, a 111-long Torah scroll that dates to the 16th century, and a functioning replica of the Gutenberg Printing Press.
- Local church ministry training is embedded within our programs.
- We provide experiential learning opportunities through church and parachurch ministries.
Master of Divinity Degree Information
- Residential
- 93 total credit hours
- Transfer in up to 50% of your credits
- This program falls under John W. Rawlings School of Divinity
- View the Degree Completion Plan
- Find more information in our course catalog
Potential Career Options with a Degree in Professional Military Chaplaincy
- Military chaplain
- Pastor
- Youth pastor
Admission Requirements for Graduate Divinity Degrees
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official bachelor’s degree transcripts with a 2.0 GPA or higher
- Self-certification form for students in the final term of their bachelor’s degree
- John W. Rawlings School of Divinity questionnaire
- Pastoral recommender contact information
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
