Master of Ministry

The Master of Ministry degree helps prepare current pastors and church leaders in church ministry and evangelism, in leadership and management, and in biblical counseling.

Eligibility and prerequisites

• Bachelor's degree:  Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Religion courses:  Minimum of 12 semester hours in religion (waivers may be requested for some or all of this requirement, based on the applicant's full-time ministry experience).
• GPA requirements:  Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00  OR  for an undergraduate GPA of 2.50 to 2.99 applicants may request to be admitted on a provisional basis.
• Evangelism and World Mission, and Biblical Counseling Emphases applicants must:
  • provide a written list of church offices held (such as elder, deaconess, Sabbath School leader) and church outreach activities (such as conducting Bible studies, working in Revelation seminars, and assisting with health-education seminars).

Admission process

1. Graduate application:  Submit a graduate application (with non-refundable fee of $40). Apply now
2. Transcripts:  Submit official college and university transcripts. Many institutions subscribe to the convenient transcript-request service at National Student Clearinghouse, or you may also contact your institution directly. Have your transcripts sent to Melodie Lopez in the Graduate Studies office (malopez@southern.edu). If you earned your prerequisite degree at Southern, you do not need to complete this step.
3. Recommendations:  Submit two recommendation forms (completed by work supervisors or professors). This should be done as part of the online application process, or Download PDF 
   If you are employed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, one recommendation must be from a superior in the organization.
4. Service record:  Submit a denominational service record (usually available from your SDA employer), if applicable, OR the Record of Service form. Download form
5. Statement of Purpose:  Candidates are to submit a written "Statement of Purpose" through the Application Status Page following the guidelines provided by the School of Religion. Download PDF

Application deadlines

The deadline for acceptance into the MMin program is April 15; however, each year before registering for summer classes, students must submit an Intensives Application, which is due no later than six weeks prior to each term. We recommend submitting it as early as February to allow sufficient time to complete required reading assignments. With School of Religion approval, students may take up to 12 hours of coursework on non-degree or provisional status.