Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

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Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Degree Options

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School appears in our ranking of the 30 Best Theological Seminaries in the United States.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School offers master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, and certificates to its students, and all programs are related directly to theology or have a significant component of Biblical study within their curriculums. At the graduate level, students may enroll in 15 different programs that include the topics of academic ministry, counseling ministry, intercultural ministry, and ministerial leadership.

Some of the degrees that students may pursue include the Master of Arts in Biblical & Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages, the Master of Arts in Chaplaincy and Ministry Care, or the Master of Arts in Church History. Also available are a Master of Divinity, a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies, a Master of Arts in Old Testament and Semitic Languages, and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling.

Some of the graduate-level classes a student might take in their program include Christian Faith & Contemporary Challenges, Foundations of Evangelism, Foundations of Christian Mission, and Understanding Social and Cultural Contexts of Ministry. Some degrees also feature concentrations with special classes required for each option. For example, the Master of Divinity offers students the choice of focusing on academic ministry or church and parachurch ministry.

Students who decide to enroll in a doctoral program will choose the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies, the Doctor of Philosophy in Intercultural Studies, the Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies, or the Doctor of Ministry. The school also offers a doctoral program in the Korean language. Classes students may take while enrolled in one of the school’s doctoral programs include Developing Emerging Leaders, Local Church as System, and Programs Planning Dynamics in the Local Church.

There are four certificates offered by the school that students may choose if they already have a degree and simply want to enhance their current ministry or advance in their careers. Certificates offered include the Certificate in Christian Studies, the Certificate in Teaching and Learning, the Certificate in Educational Ministries, and the Certificate in Organizational Leadership.

High school students interested in dual enrollment aren’t eligible to enroll in programs at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, but the associated Trinity International University does have some options available within their undergraduate programs. High school students may consider enrollment at Trinity International with the goal of attending Trinity Evangelical Divinity School when they reach graduate status.

About Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and was founded in 1963. The institution traces earlier roots to a Bible school that was established in the late 19th century. When it opened for classes, the institution offered one program, which was a ten-week course in studying the Bible. The school is one of the largest devoted to seminary education and offers classes to more than 1,200 students at its campus, which is north of Chicago in a town known as Deerfield, Illinois.

The school publishes a newspaper known as the “Trinity Journal.” In its core values, the school emphasizes three tenets that include evangelical scholarship, gospel centrality, and the inerrancy of Biblical scripture. The school is part of the network of schools that includes Trinity Law School in California and two regional campuses located in Florida and the Southside Chicago.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Accreditation Details

For its regional and institutional accreditation, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is approved by the Higher Learning Commission of Chicago, Illinois. Regional accreditation is an important factor for students who are interested in attending an institution that operates in a high-quality manner. The school has also received institutional accreditation from the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.

Degree programs accredited by the association include the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, Master of Arts in Counseling Ministry, and nine additional programs at the graduate and doctoral levels. Several instructional sites operated by the school are also accredited by the commission. Those sites include campuses in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Application Requirements

There are three separate degrees for the programs offered at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Students will use an application that corresponds to the Doctor of Ministry degree, any of the Ph.D. degrees, or any of the master’s degrees. The school has an online form for recommendations that teachers, professors, colleagues, and others may use when submitting a recommendation for an applicant.

International students will need to submit an additional application to confirm they have the funds available to pay for their program. The form is called a certificate of finance. Applicants who want to secure advanced placement within the Master of Divinity program must also submit an additional form for such consideration. The form asks students to confirm that they’ve already completed several of the class prerequisites for the program.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition for students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is $16,199 for 12 to 18 credit hours per semester. Tuition is billed at $700 per credit hour for 18 or more credit hours. The school also offers a part-time tuition rate of $1,400 per credit hour for one to 11 credit hours, as well as a special rate of $395 per credit hour for TIU Online classes. Students will also pay an online course fee of $185 per course. May term tuition is $465 per credit hour, and the audit fee is $80 per credit hour.

TEDS has a robust financial aid and scholarship program with multiple applications for different awards. Incoming, returning, and summer students should submit an initial scholarship application, as well as a Church Match Grant application, if they qualify for the award. Some of the options for financial aid and tuition reductions include spousal rebates for audited classes, tuition rebates from the Campus Crusade for Christ, the Young Life rebate, and the InterVarsity rebate.

Students interested in qualifying for federal student aid will need to submit all necessary forms to receive aid like loans and grants. Anyone who wants to qualify for Illinois residency for the purposes of financial aid will need to submit a form attesting to their Illinois address. Students may also receive funds from church partnerships and will apply for funds each year they attend Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

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