Master of Divinity
in Chaplain Ministry
(MDivCh)
Go where others don’t! That is what chaplains do. If God has called you to reach people beyond church, in places most ministers are not prepared to go, then the MDiv in Chaplain Ministry at B. H. Carroll may be for you. We train people to minister in military, hospital, prison, and business settings.
Program Description
The Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry degree prepares persons for ordained ministry and for general pastoral and religious leadership responsibilities in institutional, congregational, and public settings. It is designed to prepare persons for ministry in pluralistic environments such as:
- institutions associated with the military, health care, correctional facilities, and corporate or industrial settings;
- disaster scenes and other catastrophic events requiring crisis intervention and spiritual leadership;
- locations identified with transitory populations such as airports, seaports, recreational venues, and national parks;
- and special interest groups such as civic clubs, sports teams, truckers and bikers.
All the classes required for the MDiv program are offered Online.
Program Goals
The central goals (adapted from ATS standard 4.3) of the Carroll M.Div. in Chaplain Ministry degree, as an advanced program that is oriented toward preparing persons for ministry in pluralistic environments, include the following:
Goal 1: Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry degree recipients will give evidence of a thorough and discerning knowledge of their own religious beliefs and practices in the context of the broader Christian heritage.
Goal 2: Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry degree recipients will give evidence of an understanding of institutional realities within which they minister.
Goal 3: Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry degree recipients will give evidence of personal growth in faith, emotional maturity, moral integrity, and public witness. They will also give evidence of development in the following capacities requisite to a life of pastoral and institutional leadership: intellectual growth and affective behavior; individual identity and corporate cooperation; and ecclesial and public leadership.
Goal 4: Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry degree recipients will give evidence of personal theological reflection on the practice of ministry and demonstrate leadership in public, institutional, and ecclesial settings.
Goal 5: Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry degree recipients will give evidence of the ability to minister in pluralistic, institutional settings.
Goal 6: Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry degree recipients will give evidence of being able to minister in high intensity settings.
These core goals are achieved uniquely at B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary through specific learner-centered competencies that have their bases in four theologically-oriented Learning Clusters of Carroll’s foundational curriculum.
MDiv in Chaplain Ministry
Total Units Required: 74
Course Completion Guide
This degree includes 2 courses in Basic Skills in New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew (4 total credit hours), designed for students interested in enhancing their capacity for study and interpretation of the biblical texts by learning basic grammatical forms and functions of Biblical New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew, and the use of helpful lexical and exegetical tools for translating biblical texts.
Core Courses
Course Title | Course Number | Credits |
---|---|---|
Gateway | BHCTI—5000 | 2 |
Old Testament (Choose 2 of 3) | SWBLI—5111, 5112, 5113 | 2 |
New Testament (Choose 2 of 3) | SWBLI—5211, 5212, 5213 | 2 |
Biblical Interpretation | SWBIT—5111 | 2 |
Christian Theology (Choose 2 of 3) | FHBTH—5111, 5112, 5113 | 2 |
Christian Heritage (Choose 2 of 3) | FHCHS—5111, 5112, 5113 | 2 |
Baptist Heritage | FHCHS—5211 | 2 |
Principles of Teaching for Chaplains | MFFND—5611 | 2 |
Administration for Chaplains | MFADM—5611 | 2 |
Leadership for Chaplains | MFLDS—5611 | 2 |
Christian Disciplines | WMWOR—5211 | 2 |
Christian Worship | WMWOR—5111 | 2 |
Christian Witness | WMEVA—5111 | 2 |
Total Units for Core: | 34 |
Additional Studies
Course Title | Course Number | Credits |
---|---|---|
Biblical Languages I | SWBLA—5311 | 2 |
Biblical Languages II | SWBLA—5312 | 2 |
Biblical Backgrounds | SWBIT—5211 | 2 |
Biblical Preaching I | SWBPR—5111 | 2 |
Biblical Preaching II | SWBPR—5112 | 2 |
Philosophy of Religion | FHPHI—5111 | 2 |
Apologetics | FHPHI—5211 | 2 |
Chaplain Ministry | MFPMN—5611 | 2 |
Religious Landscape | FHPHI—5213 | 2 |
Liturgy and Ceremony | WMWOR—5611 | 2 |
Pastoral Care | MFPMN—5111 | 2 |
Basic Skills in Christian Counseling | MFPSY—5621 | 2 |
Pastoral Care—Persons in Crisis/Grief | MFPMN—5211 | 2 |
Conflict Ministry | MFPMN—5221 | 2 |
Christian Ethics | FHETH—5111 | 2 |
ELECTIVES | ||
Course | Course Number | 2 |
Course | Course Number | 2 |
Course | Course Number | 2 |
PRAXIS | ||
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) | MFPMN—5116 | 4 |
Crisis Ministry Certification | MFPMN—5631 | 0 |
Capstone | BHCTI—5211 | 0 |
Total Units for Additional Studies: | 40 |
MDiv in Chaplain Ministry with Biblical Languages
Total Units Required: 76
Course Completion Guide
This degree includes 3 courses in New Testament Greek and 3 courses in Old Testament Hebrew (12 total credit hours) designed for students interested in enhancing their capacity for study and interpretation of the biblical texts by acquiring the language knowledge to learn to read the New and Old Testaments in their original languages.
Core Courses
Course Title | Course Number | Credits |
---|---|---|
Gateway | BHCTI—5000 | 2 |
Old Testament (Choose 2 of 3) | SWBLI—5111, 5112, 5113 | 2 |
New Testament (Choose 2 of 3) | SWBLI—5211, 5212, 5213 | 2 |
Biblical Interpretation | SWBIT—5111 | 2 |
Christian Theology (Choose 2 of 3) | FHBTH—5111, 5112, 5113 | 2 |
Christian Heritage (Choose 2 of 3) | FHCHS—5111, 5112, 5113 | 2 |
Baptist Heritage | FHCHS—5211 | 2 |
Principles of Teaching for Chaplains | MFFND—5611 | 2 |
Administration for Chaplains | MFADM—5611 | 2 |
Leadership for Chaplains | MFLDS—5611 | 2 |
Christian Disciplines | WMWOR—5211 | 2 |
Christian Worship | WMWOR—5111 | 2 |
Christian Witness | WMEVA—5111 | 2 |
Total Units for Core: | 34 |
Additional Studies
Course Title | Course Number | Credits |
---|---|---|
Old Testament Hebrew I | SWBLA—5111 | 2 |
Old Testament Hebrew II | SWBLA—5112 | 2 |
Old Testament Hebrew III | SWBLA—5113 | 2 |
Elementary Greek I | SWBLA—4211 | 0 |
Elementary Greek II | SWBLA—4212 | 0 |
New Testament Greek I | SWBLA—5211 | 2 |
New Testament Greek II | SWBLA—5212 | 2 |
New Testament Greek III | SWBLA—5213 | 2 |
Biblical Backgrounds | SWBIT—5211 | 2 |
Biblical Preaching I | SWBPR—5111 | 2 |
Biblical Preaching II | SWBPR—5112 | 2 |
Philosophy of Religion | FHPHI—5111 | 2 |
Christian Ethics | FHETH—5111 | 2 |
Apologetics | FHPHI—5211 | 2 |
Chaplain Ministry | MFPMN—5611 | 2 |
Religious Landscape | FHPHI—5213 | 2 |
Liturgy and Ceremony | WMWOR—5611 | 2 |
Pastoral Care | MFPMN—5111 | 2 |
Pastoral Care—Persons in Crisis/Grief | MFPMN—5211 | 2 |
Conflict Ministry | MFPMN—5221 | 2 |
Basic Skills in Christian Counseling | MFPSY—5621 | 2 |
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) | MFPMN—5116 | 4 |
Crisis Ministry Certification | MFPMN—5631 | 0 |
Capstone Examination | BHCTI—5211 | 0 |
Total Units for Additional Studies: | 42 |
Units Required - Non-Biblical Languages Track
Units Required - Biblical Languages Track
Avg Years
Cost per Unit

Dr. Jim Browning, DMin
Jim Browning, with over 30 years experience as an active duty military chaplain, is the Director of the Marsh Center for Chaplain Studies since 2020. He earned his Doctor in Ministry and Master of Divinity degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX.
Phone: (210) 417-6040
Email: jbrowning@bhcarroll.edu
Interested in the Master of Divinity in Chaplain Ministry program?