Vanderbilt Divinity School Lookbook

Vanderbilt Divinity School

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Dean emilie townes

premeditated indifference is a way of moving through the world that makes excuses for hatred rationalizes “isms” and advocates conquering differences with a bland sameness that refuses to realize that God has made a technicolor world to celebrate the mysteries of creation a world that is alive with all of the ways we live into our H U M A N I TY gender sexuality age ableness geographic home religious home political persuasion nationality theological shanana and all the other critters and flora that helps make up this amazing planet that we too often take for granted

it is dangerous to try to face our amazing and troubling times with premeditated indifference it may comfort you, but it will not help the rest of us because it will give you precious little to share—even with those whom you love at VDS we invite you to be deeply invested in your life and studies, such that the work you do shimmers with the JOY OF L IV ING don’t half step duck and dodge live with a quicker picker upper set of excuses or grow comfortable with your comfort and satisfied with what little you know for all of us, life is about growing until you die and my hope for you is that you make some RIG HTEO US HO LY NO IS E in this world of ours as you go and remember to bring others along with you and it’s also perfectly fine to be a wise and aware follower from time to time keep crafting a more vibrant more life bringing and giving more welcoming more humane more alive with possibilities W OR L D in a word, what i am saying to you is: C AR E E MI L I E M. TOW N E S

Dean and Distinguished Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society D I V I N I T Y.V A N D E R B I LT. E D U

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About

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anderbilt Divinity School prepares learners for leadership, scholarship, and ministry within a justice-seeking, interdenominational community of teaching and learning that is partnered with the broader Nashville community. Anchored by our Purposes and Commitments, VDS brings together rigorous scholarship, spiritual and intellectual growth, and impactful field education.

Unique in the South, VDS is a progressive divinity school, committed explicitly to the inclusivity of all religious traditions, races and ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations. VDS is a vital institution in the southeast, with alumni serving in congregational and denominational leadership, nonprofit leadership, chaplaincy, government and politics, higher education, and other sectors essential to the human condition.

Students have the freedom to build their educational experiences around their interests—degrees are interdisciplinary, and students may study for certificates from different schools throughout Vanderbilt University, and take courses from other Vanderbilt graduate and professional schools.

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PURPOSES In a global and multi-religious world, the Divinity school seeks to fulfill the following objectives: • to engage in theological inquiry • to help persons prepare for the practice of Christian ministry and public leadership • to encourage personal and spiritual formation • to prepare agents of social justice • to educate future scholars and teachers, locally and globally

CO M M I T M E N T S The Divinity School is committed to the faith that brought the church into being, and it believes that one comes more authentically to grasp that faith by a critical and open examination of the Hebraic and Christian traditions.

• The school is committed to confronting the homophobia that prevails throughout much of the church and society

It understands this faith to have import for the common life of human beings in the world.

• The school is committed to a program of theological education that is open to and takes account of the religious pluralism in our world

• The school affirms its commitment to do all in its power to combat the idolatry of racism and ethnocentrism that remains widespread in our society

• The school is committed to conducting its work in an atmosphere conducive to free expression of opinion and criticism

• The school is committed to opposing the sexism that has characterized much of the history of the church and western culture and is still present in our society

• The school is committed to active participation in the struggles of individuals and groups for a healthier, more just, more humane, and more ecologically wholesome world

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S T U DE N T VOIC E S

“I can now name that by nature I am a disruptor.

Coming to VDS and continuing my formal study of the history of American Christianity and the ways in which the Bible has been used/abused throughout

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history to uphold inequitable and unrighteous causes sometimes just makes me angry and leaves me frustrated. However, more often than that, it fuels the fire already in me that is bent toward ideation and reform.”

—Lindsey Longoria (she/her) 3rd year MDiv

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Dr. Dave Perkins (third from left), former lecturer and associate director of the Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture program, with students.

Degrees Offered Master of Divinity (MDiv) In-depth interdisciplinary graduate work, often in preparation for ministry 72 credit hours (3 years full-time)

Master of Theological Studies (MTS–concentration or general) Graduate study across disciplines, as a foundation for later doctoral studies, for ordained and diaconal ministries for some denominations, religious leadership in the non-profit sector, or to grow one’s faith and understanding 48 credit hours (2 years full-time)

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39 credit hours of required coursework

9 credit hours of required coursework

12 credit hours of concentration praxis course or experience (required), to three concentrations

12 credit hours of concentration praxis course or experience (optional)

6 credit hours of Field Education required during the second year, additional optional

6 credit hours of Field Education optional during the second year

21 elective credit hours

24 elective credit hours (36 if a general MTS without a concentration)

Up to 12 hours of graduate-level coursework may be taken outside the Divinity School

Up to 9 hours of graduate-level coursework may be taken outside the Divinity School

Capstone course and senior project

3 project/thesis credit hours Final project, thesis, or portfolio

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D E G R E E S M AT R I C U L AT E D Fall 2020

2 02 0 G RA D UAT E P L AC E M E N T 18% Nonprofit Leadership

21.5% M.T.S.

18% D.Min. 4% Th.M.

18 % Congregational or Parish Ministry

15% Additional Graduate Education 5% For Profit 2% K–12 Ed

57% M.Div. 18% Other

17% Chaplaincy

6% Higher Ed Administration

Master of Theology (ThM) Advanced theological degree, preparation for doctoral study in a specific discipline 30 credit hours (1 year and a summer full-time) 30% tuition scholarship for domestic students 40% tuition scholarship for international students.

Thesis

Dual Degree Programs You may pursue a dual degree, either an MDiv or an MTS, with the following degrees: MEd in Community Development and Action (Peabody College) JD (Vanderbilt Law School) MBA (Owen Graduate School of Management) MD (Vanderbilt School of Medicine) MSN (Vanderbilt School of Nursing) You must apply to each degree program separately. Reach out to the admissions offices to inform them of your intent to do a dual degree.

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FA L L 2 02 0 I N CO M I N G C L A S S

30% of applicants self-disclosed an LGBTQ+ identity

61% White

47.75% Male

52.25% Female

30 different religious affiliations

25% African American

1.6% First Nation

7% Asian

15 different U.S. states

3.5% 1.6% Hispanic/ African Latinx

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37%

Vanderbilt Divinity School has one of the

highest percentages of full-time faculty of color among top research seminaries/ divinity schools.

26%

of full-time faculty are Black, the highest

percentage among university-embedded, predominantly white divinity schools.

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Dean emilie townes seated with Dr. Herbert Marbury

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Faculty Lisa L. Thompson Associate Professor and the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chancellor Faculty Fellow of Black Homiletics and Liturgics

Dr. Thompson is a leader in scholarship that values intellectual rigor and concerns of faith. As an ordained Baptist minister, she has served in university and parish settings. Her most recent book, Preaching the Headlines, engages the intersection of social and religious discourses for the purpose of helping communities address everyday life issues as matters of faith, while oriented towards a just earth.

Among her many courses, she has taught Womanist Proclamation Theology and the Arts, Voice Imagination and Sacred Utterances, and Homiletic Theory and Methods.

“The gift before us is sharing in practices of deep exploration and creativity in the name of what matters most in the world today—including forms of scholarship and ministry we’ve yet to imagine.”

–Lisa L. Thompson Faculty Facts

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Core Faculty

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Dual and Secondary Appointment Faculty

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Long-Term Adjunct Faculty

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Religious Affiliations including Baptist, Episcopalian, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, United Methodist, and not affiliated.

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Faculty Books Written and Edited in 2020-21*

*Does not include translations into other languages, journal articles, book chapters, etc.

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Phillis Isabella Sheppard E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Associate Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture Director of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements

As a practical theologian, Dr. Sheppard is recognized for her contributions to practical theology, psychology and religion, womanist methodology, cultural studies, pastoral theology, and spiritual practices. Her most recent project is Tilling Sacred Ground: Black Women’s Experience of Religion. Tilling Sacred Ground asserts that religious experience, and the contemporary sites where it is produced (i.e. cyberspace, sermons and spiritual guidance, conversion narratives and “outsider” art), creates spaces for the embodiment of the gendered, racial, and psycho-cultural aspects of the self and groups.

Sheppard posits that Black religion operates as it does because powerful psycho-cultural forces are at play. By employing an applied womanist psychoanalytic perspective, this work will contribute to existing approaches to the study of Black religious experience.

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“Vanderbilt Divinity School is an intellectually stimulating environment. As a professor, I could not ask for a more engaged student body and faculty colleagues. My research and teaching focuses on the way in which religion is both a deeply interior and socially transformative experience.”

—Phillis Isabella Sheppard

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David Michelson Associate Professor of the History of Christianity Associate Professor of Classical and Mediterranean Studies, History, and Islamic Studies in the College of Arts and Science

At Vanderbilt University, Michelson teaches courses covering all of these interest areas: the global history of pre-modern Christianity, history of Syriac Christianity, history of Christian asceticism and mysticism, the historiography of Late Antiquity, and digital humanities research methods. His teaching and research focus on the history of Christianity in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. In particular, he is interested in historical texts in the Syriac language (a dialect of Aramaic).

His most recent project is a book entitled The Library of Paradise: A History of Ascetic Reading in the Church of the East.

“Because Vanderbilt has strong scholarly commitments to listening to marginalized voices, I find it a joy to teach our students about the rich heritage of Syriac Christianity, a “lost story” of nonWestern Christianity. Many students are surprised in my courses to learn that the majority of Christianity for its first thousand years was non-European, and thus racially and culturally different from their assumptions.”

—David Michelson

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Programs

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anderbilt Divinity School is home to elective programs that enhance the learning experience for students and provide valuable thought leadership in theological education and the broader VDS community.

Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions The Cal Turner Program investigates the dimensions of moral leadership with the goal of producing better leaders who represent high achievement in their professional spheres and leadership through their professions for the common good. The Project develops the ethical identities and leadership capacities of those serving in the professions, and promotes inter-professional collaboration in addressing social problems.

Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality The Carpenter Program is the first and oldest program of its kind in the nation. It is creating robust and diverse cohorts of faith leaders equipped with the intellectual and practical resources necessary for the labor of changing hearts and minds on controversial matters. The Carpenter Program’s work on such issues as LGBTQI equality and reproductive health, rights and justice is deeply intersectional, intellectually informed, ethically responsible, and practically tested.

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Kelly Miller Smith Institute KMSI partners with the African American church community to reflect on the liberating elements of African American religion and to assist in defining a future for oppressed peoples, shaped by the prophetic vision of God’s justice on earth. The Institute is a vehicle for generating scholarship on the single most important institution in the African American community, sharing that research through conferences and workshops, and enriching research opportunities through a dialogue with lay and clergy leaders in America’s African American churches.

Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative The Collaborative provides an opportunity to join our energy and commitment to eradicate racism and all its reciprocal forms of injustice and hatred.

The Collaborative seeks to be a hub for a national conversation on public theology and racial justice. By bringing together activists, scholars, and practitioners to engage students, faculty, and community members here at Vanderbilt, Nashville, and beyond we focus on the task of ending racism as much as we can in this generation so that future generations can take up this work and carry on.

Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture The RACC program creates future leaders for ministry who understand and can harness the creativity of the arts for theological reflection and contemporary worship. For practicing artists and business leaders within the popular culture industry, Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture is a venue for the exploration of the theological context and religious dimensions of their work.

Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice The Wendland-Cook Program is an interdisciplinary program located at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Focused on issues of justice that arise at the intersection of religion, economics, and ecology, the mission of the program is to develop resources and opportunities for students, scholars, clergy, and activists to envision and create a more just and sustainable world for all.

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Concentrations

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he MDiv program requires students to select a concentration option based on vocational interests.

Students may elect to choose an additional concentration, should their schedule permit. The MTS program allows students to select a concentration option.

Concentrations aim to prepare students to be service oriented for religious leadership that is contextually focused, socially engaged, spiritually formed, and culturally literate. As a crucial component to the curriculum, concentrations contribute to students’ development of a disposition toward religious leadership that is transformative.

Concentrations are comprised of 12 credit hours including a praxis-oriented course or experience.

Black Religion and Culture Studies Chaplaincy (MDiv only) Global Christianities and Interreligious Encounter Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies Pastoral and Prophetic Congregational Leadership (MDiv only) Prison and Carceral Studies Religion and Economic Justice Religion and the Arts Religion, Gender, and Sexuality Spirituality and Social Activism

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Certificates

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anderbilt Divinity School offers three Graduate level certificates: Carpenter Certificate in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality; Kelly Miller Smith Institute in Black Church Studies (KMSI); and Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture (RACC). Divinity students often complete one of seven certificates offered by the university (listed below).

Certificates are marked on your transcript (concentrations are not), and can translate your VDS educational experience to the fields to which you are most drawn. For instance, a RACC certificate would demonstrate your practice and research if you want to pursue writing or music professionally. The Carpenter Certificate could highlight your applicable experience if you are preparing for work in family pastoral care or sexual violence prevention.

Often you are able to fulfill requirements for two or more certificates with coursework, thesis, and final projects. There are also occasionally co-curricular opportunities specifically available for those working to complete a certificate such as: conference attendance, program design collaboration, and opportunities to connect with scholars and community leaders. In the last few years students have created podcasts, curated art shows, hosted songwriters nights showcasing their own songs, developed Sunday school curriculum, led community organizing projects, and crafted theses that engaged multiple certificate areas.

A few courses that fill multiple requirements: Womanist Theology and Ethics (Carpenter and KMSI) Images of Mary (Carpenter and RACC) Race, Religion, and Protest Music (KMSI and RACC)

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Overview of Certificate requirements: Requirements for All Certificates: 15 Credit Hours Each Certificate has specific course requirements Complete Application Materials before the end of finals your final semester 3.0 GPA and Advisor Approval Final Project(s): Carpenter requires a final written paper, either a thesis or other significant paper and a community-based project that translates your academic work beyond the classroom. The Carpenter certificate also requires a letter of recommendation.

KMSI requires a Culminating Thesis or Project that will be presented and discussed during an Open Forum with other Certificate seekers.

RACC requires a final written, creative, or performance project that is initiated your final year and designed with RACC faculty.

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Other Certificates offered by the University that Divinity Students often complete: • African American and Diaspora Studies • Asian Studies • Jewish Studies • Latin American Studies • Latino and Latina Studies • Medicine, Health and Society • Women’s and Gender Studies

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Civil Rights Movement HIS TORIC A L (A ND CURRENT ) TIE S

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anderbilt Divinity School has been at the forefront of the move toward integration at Vanderbilt University. In 1952, the members of the faculty of the then-School of Religion communicated to the Board of Trust that they “could no longer in good conscience allow the school to be segregated.”

(Vanderbilt Divinity School, Johnson, p.133) The Board of Trust agreed to limit the matriculation of Black students to the School of Religion but denied them access to living and dining facilities. Joseph Johnson, former president to the school of theology at Lane College, was the first Black student to be admitted. Although he already possessed graduate degrees from Black institutions, he received a Bachelor of Divinity in 1954 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1958. To thwart the Board of Trust’s restrictions, faculty members accompanied Reverend Johnson to the dining hall (later named the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center in his honor).

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Where Bishop Johnson cracked open one barrier, Reverend James M. Lawson’s time at Vanderbilt Divinity School led to a monumental shift in the future of VDS and Vanderbilt University. Rev. Lawson was asked by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King to come south to bring his expertise in non-violent movement to Nashville. Working with Reverend Kelly Miller Smith, Sr. and students from Tennessee State University, American Baptist College, Fisk University, Meharry Medical Center, and his fellow students at VDS, Rev. Lawson became the architect of what is known as the Nashville Movement that successfully desegregated downtown Nashville and spread across the country. Expelled from Vanderbilt for being arrested while protesting, Rev. Lawson’s presence sparked debate that moved VDS and university faculty members to advocate for the reinstatement of Rev. Lawson. This action set Vanderbilt on a trajectory toward a more inclusive and equitable campus.

The James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Non-Violent Movements, a joint program with Vanderbilt Divinity School and the College of Arts and Science will launch at Vanderbilt in 2021.

Above, left to right: Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr. teaching non-violence Picketers, most of them Divinity School students at Vanderbilt University, parade in front of Kirkland Hall, the school’s administration building, March 4, 1960, protesting the expulsion of the Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., a Divinity School student, for his part in recent lunchcounter desegregation demonstrations.

Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr. during a 2016 roundtable discussion hosted by the Vanderbilt University Divinity School.

MTS student Joel Antson during a Black Lives Matter vigil at the Divinity School in 2020 Bishop Joseph Johnson, the first Black student admitted to and graduated from Vanderbilt University

For further reading: Vanderbilt Divinity School: Education, Contest and Change, edited by Dale Johnson, 2002.

The Children by David Halberstam, 1999.

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S T U DE N T VOIC E S 24

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“I have learned to investigate the Bible in ways I could never imagine and am now able to see myself, as a Black woman, in the text. I have found a love for homiletics and congregational leadership with a side of ethics and pop culture. It has made all the difference. I had no intention of ever going into ministry or theological education. It just happened. And I have never been more sure than I am in this moment that this is where I am supposed to be.

What is life-giving is that we have the opportunity to change the narrative and invite folks who have historically been left out to see themselves in the text and create platforms to give them a voice. What is challenging is that I had been out of school for seven years so getting back into the groove of academic reading and writing papers was an adjustment.

Dr. Thompson’s Preaching the Headlines and Bodies, Power, and the Pulpit were both by far my most favorite and meaningful classes. She taught us how to think differently about the text, how to redefine what the pulpit meant, and how to make it relevant to our contexts even if that means pushing our communities further than they or we thought possible.”

“When the protests happened in downtown Nashville, I had never attended one and my amazing friend and cohort mate Courtney was kind enough to volunteer to go with me. Upon arrival we saw so many other VDS students.

We are truly a school of activists and are always ready to fight for justice…There is something for everyone here and if there is not, there is a group of folks willing to create it with you.”

–Ristina Gooden (she/her) 3rd year MDiv, president of the Student Government Association in 2020-2021

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Vanderbilt University

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Schools at Vanderbilt University

12,500 Students

180

Students at Vanderbilt Divinity School

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F

ounded in 1873, Vanderbilt University is comprised of 10 colleges and schools. Vanderbilt students come from all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries around the world. There is so much to do. Vanderbilt students may take in a soccer or basketball game, a bowling or swimming competition, or a tennis match. Performances at Vanderbilt brings in top artists; the Chancellor’s Lecture Series brings in prominent speakers and leaders; movies at the on-campus Sarratt Center; plays in the university theatre; free concerts at the Blair School of Music; or thought-provoking and community-building workshops and events at the Black Cultural Center, the KC Potter Center for LGBTQ+ life, or the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center.

Bring your design concept for a better world to life at the V A N D E R B I LT D I V I N I T Y S C H O O L

Wond’ry Center for Innovation and Design, and wrestle over a complicated paper with a tutor at the Writing Center. Take a class on rock climbing at the Recreation Center or join a kayaking trip with the Outdoor Recreation Center. Vanderbilt Divinity School even has its own art gallery, with rotating art shows. And of course, MDiv students may take up to 12 credit hours at one of the other professional or graduate schools (MTS students may take up to 9 credit hours at another school). The Vanderbilt Student Government acknowledges that VU is located on the occupied ancestral hunting and traditional lands of the Cherokee, Shawnee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Creek peoples. We recognize and support the Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those forcibly removed from their Homelands.

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Libraries

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Acres of Outdoor Recreational Space

130,000

Square Feet of Indoor Recreational Facilities

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All of Vanderbilt’s schools are located on campus.

In addition to the Divinity School, the university includes: Blair School of Music Owen Graduate School of Management Peabody College of Education and Human Development Vanderbilt College of Arts and Science Vanderbilt Law School Vanderbilt School of Engineering Vanderbilt School of Medicine Vanderbilt School of Nursing Vanderbilt University Graduate School

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During the MLK Commemorative Series keynote in 2020, the Dean of the Divinity School, Dr. Emilie M. Townes, moderated a conversation with Grammy-nominated musician, actress, and producer Janelle Monáe, and Yusef Salaam, one of the Exonerated Five, previously known as the Central Park Five.

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Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. joined the Vanderbilt Divinity School community virtually as the 2020 Cole Lecture, speaking on “Fugitive Democracy, Ella Baker, and Black Democratic Perfectionism.”

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U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY CHIEF MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST JAMES C. BROWN

S T U DE N T VOIC E S

“I value collaboration with thoughtful, passionate leaders who want to think deeply about who God is and how to convey God’s grace and love to a world that sorely needs it. At the same time, these are also leaders who understand that ministry means being in the world among God’s people, and so what we learn is to be lived!”

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“VDS’s reputation as a higher learning institution along with my passion for exploring the role spirituality plays in mental health as well as other areas of health and wellness. In addition to increasing my skills in pastoral care, I value the opportunity for theological reflection on ways the church needs to shift its language to witness to God at work in the 21st Century!”

–Aaron Fuller (he/him/his), 2nd year DMin student Chaplain (Lieutenant Commander) in the Navy Reserve and Ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

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Nashville

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people live in the Nashville region

ashville is known as “Music City,” but along with its live music scene and the highest concentration of music industry jobs in the United States, it is also a hub for healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and technology. The capitol city of Tennessee, it boasts a robust public sector, including governmental and nonprofit organizations, many of which are led by Vanderbilt Divinity graduates. Nashville was the second-hottest job market in the country (Wall Street Journal, Feb 2020).

Below-average cost of living

You can take in a pro sports event (hockey, football, soccer, and minor league baseball), college sports, tour a brewery or three, dine in one of the hottest food scenes in the southeast, and explore the 200 public parks.

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Average age

2 million+

(C2ER Cost of Living Index, 2019)

1 in 8

Nashvillians are foreign-born 32

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colleges and universities V A N D E R B I LT D I V I N I T Y S C H O O L

TENNESSEE N O N P RO F I T S (data from 2016)

27,623

All nonprofit organizations

20,577

501(c)(3) Public Charities

(includes some religious organizations)

1,034

501(c)(3) Private and Public Foundations

6,012

Other 501(c) Nonprofit Organizations

2,322

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11

Christian Churches

Jewish Synagogues

Islamic Mosques

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17

9

Mormon Churches

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Temples

(Buddhist and Hindu)

Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls

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Ready to Apply?

Important Dates September 1–April 1 Applications submitted January 15 Priority deadline for MDiv, MTS, ThM applications April 1 General deadline for MDiv, MTS, ThM applications; priority deadline for DMin applications May 1 General deadline for DMin applications and Department of Defense MHICS applicants

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o apply for the Master of Divinity or the Master of Theological Studies, you must hold (or expect to hold by the time of matriculation) a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

To apply for the Master of Theology, you must hold (or expect to hold) a Master of Divinity or Master of Theological Studies or their equivalent from an accredited institution of theological education.

To apply for the Doctor of Ministry, you must hold a Master of Divinity or Master of Theological Studies or their equivalent from an accredited institution of theological education and be working as chaplains in professional ministry settings.

We are delighted you are considering Vanderbilt Divinity School, and we look forward to working with you through the application process. You are welcome to contact the Admissions Office by email at divinity-admissions@ vanderbilt.edu, sign up via our virtual visits to speak with an Admissions representative, or by phone at 615-343-3963.

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The Admissions Process MDiv and MTS Programs You may submit an application for the MDiv or MTS between September 1st and June 1st; however, to be considered for full-tuition merit scholarships, applications should be submitted by January 15th, and to be considered for merit awards, applications should be submitted by April 1st.

Apply electronically through our website.

We can consider your application when we have received the following: Completed application form

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Three letters of recommendation

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Your resume or CV

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Transcripts

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No GRE or application fee is required

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S E L E C T I O N P RO C E S S Applications are carefully considered by the Admissions Committee after the January 15th deadline, after the April 1st deadline, and on a rolling basis thereafter. We evaluate each applicant not only for their individual academic achievement, life experience, and promise for leadership, but also for what they would contribute to the VDS experience for all students.

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ThM Program You may submit an application for the ThM between September 1st and April 1st. Apply electronically through our website. You are encouraged to consider carefully the faculty member with whom you would like to study and be in touch with them.

We can consider your application when we have received the following: Completed application form

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Three letters of recommendation

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Your resume or CV

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Transcripts

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Writing sample

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No GRE or application fee is required

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S E L E C T I O N P RO C E S S Applications are considered carefully by the Admissions Committee after each deadline. We evaluate each applicant for their academic achievement and their potential academic and leadership contributions. Applicants must also indicate with which faculty member they would like to study, and that faculty member must agree to work with the applicant for the duration of their degree.

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DMin Program You may submit an application for the DMin between September 1st and June 1st. The priority deadline is April 1st, and the deadline for Department of Defense nominees matriculating through the MHICS program is May 1st.

Apply electronically through our website.

We can consider your application when we have received the following: • Completed application form • Three letters of recommendation • Your resume or CV • Transcripts

Admissions Interviews Interviews are not required, but you may speak one-on-one with an Admissions Representative during your visit or by reaching out to divinity-admissions@ vanderbilt.edu.

International and Undocumented Students Both international applicants and undocumented applicants living in the U.S. are eligible for admission and scholarship support at Vanderbilt Divinity School. If you completed a prerequisite degree for the program for which you are applying outside of the U.S. (and its territories) and/or Canada, you must also demonstrate proficiency in written and oral English.

An applicant whose native language is not English must present the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with the application. The minimum acceptable score for the Internet-based TOEFL is 95. The computer-based total acceptable score is 250, and for the paper-based test, 600.

Applicants who have been awarded a degree from an institution whose language of instruction is English may request a waiver of the requirement by emailing the Assistant Dean of Admissions.

Transfer Students Students at an ATS-accredited institution may apply to transfer to VDS. Prospective transfer students should complete the regular degree application, as well as submit a letter stating the reasons for transferring and provide a letter of good standing from the president or dean of the theological school from which transfer is being made. The number of hours transferred may not exceed 12 for MTS or 24 for MDiv.

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Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Costs Vanderbilt Divinity School’s 2021-22 tuition per hour is $1,039. 100% of all VDS students receive merit-based aid in varying amounts, with the average award being 67% of tuition. Scholarship funds are directly applied to tuition charges, reducing the tuition amount a student must pay.

All VDS students pay the remaining tuition charges and other non-tuition charges with a combination of savings, earnings from work during Divinity School (including Federal Work Study), external scholarship sources, and student loans.

E ST I M AT E D EX P E N S E S 2 02 1 -22 9-Month

One Semester

Full Summer 6 hrs (HT)

12 hours per term

$24,936

$12,468

$6,234

ThM (9 hrs) = FT

$18,702

$9,351

$6,234

Student Service Fees

$562

$281

$96

Student Health Fee

$696

$348

$102

DIRECT CHARGES

Transcript Fee (New Admits only) $100 INDIRECT CHARGES Books/Supplies

$500

$250

$250

Rent/Utilities

$12,402

$6,201

$4,134

Meals

$6,192

$3,096

$2,064

Personal & Misc $326/mo

$2,934

$1,467

$978

Health Insurance Allowance $304/mo

$2,736

$1,368

$912

Transportation

$1,440

$720

$480

Loan Fees**

$176

$88

**Average loan fees incurred by similarly classified borrowers during the previous academic year.

VU Health Insurance Plan = $3,515 for a 12 month policy.

Student charged $1,757.50 in fall and spring semester.

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Educational Loans Application forms for need-based aid include the Divinity School needbased grant application, the FAFSA, and the University Graduate and Professional Aid Form.

Paying for Graduate Theological Education How students pay for Divinity school: Through a combination of merit award/scholarships from Vanderbilt Divinity School, outside scholarships (denomination/congregation, Yellow Ribbon, & other groups), need-based aid through the FAFSA, and quality planning/budgeting.

The percentage of first year students NOT taking out loans continues be very high:

52% 2017

62% 2018

64% 2019

62% 2020

Divinity School Merit Scholarships Divinity scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, as demonstrated by the materials received in support of an application for admission. Other restrictions may apply, as stated in the conditions of the award. Scholarship recipients are expected to maintain a satisfactory grade level and may be expected occasionally to perform tasks related to the academic program and community life of the Divinity School.

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Named Full-Tuition Scholarships Prospective students compete for the named full-tuition scholarship funds if they have applied by January 15 of the year for which they intend to enroll.

The Brandon Honor Scholarship is awarded annually on a competitive basis to MDiv and MTS applicants with superior academic records and promise of unusual professional achievement. Each award covers full tuition for a normal academic load.

The Carpenter Scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis for academic achievement and a demonstrated interest in and active commitment to issues of social justice and ministry. The scholarships offer full tuition for MDiv and MTS applicants plus an annual stipend of $10,000.

The Dean’s Scholarship is awarded annually on the basis of exceptional academic achievement and vocational promise. Each award covers full tuition for MDiv and MTS recipients enrolled full-time.

Blakemore/West End UMC Scholarship is awarded to an entering candidate for the MDiv degree on the basis of academic achievement and promise for ministry in the United Methodist Church.

The Divinity Merit Scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis to entering candidates for the MDiv and MTS degrees on the basis of academic achievement and vocational promise. These awards range in value and support the cost of tuition for both part-time and full-time enrolled students.

The Wendland-Cook Fellows in Religion and Justice are selected from among qualified masters-level students. Details on the scholarship and application process may be found here.

The ThM Tuition Scholarship is awarded to all full-time Th.M. students admitted to Vanderbilt. Domestic students are eligible for a 30% tuition scholarship. International students are eligible for a 40% tuition scholarship.

The Disciples Divinity House Scholarship is awarded to qualified applicants to the MDiv who are in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. Details on the scholarship and application process may be found through the Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt.

A full list of available scholarships and their criteria may be found in the Divinity Catalog.

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Financial Requirements and Aid for International Students To meet requirements for entry into the United States for study, international applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources to meet the expected costs of their educational program.

Applicants must provide documentary evidence of their financial resources before visa documents can be issued. United States laws and regulations restrict the opportunity for international students to be employed. Students may be allowed to work off campus only under special circumstances. Many spouses and dependents of international students are not allowed to be employed while in the United States.

Both international and undocumented students are eligible to receive merit-based scholarship support through Vanderbilt Divinity School. All scholarship decisions are made on the basis of the application for admission; no additional paperwork is required. However, applicants are advised that scholarship support covers tuition costs only. Each applicant should consider the cost of living in the United States, as well as applicable exchange rates and visa entry policies, as they undertake the application process.

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We would like to meet you!

Visit VDS In-person visits to VDS resumed in September 2021. Visitors must make arrangements for their visits at least 48 hours in advance and wear a mask while indoors. Prospective students may sit in on classes and meet with a current student. You may schedule them here.

Visit VDS Virtually Can’t make it to Nashville? There are plenty of ways to experience the VDS community. View a previously recorded class lecture or sit in on a virtual class. Drop in for virtual morning prayer. Schedule conversations with a current student and with the Office of Admissions. Reach out to a faculty member for a conversation. We have a video tour of the VDS and the Divinity Library available, too.

We invite you to check our website regularly to learn about virtual events for prospective students where you can meet Admissions staff, current students, and learn more about Vanderbilt Divinity School.

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Application checklist and application instructions ❒ A minimum of three letters of recommendation with a maximum of five. Two of the three letters of recommendation must be academic; meaning someone who has had you in class and is able to speak to your ability as a student (exceptions granted for those who have not been in the classroom in the previous seven years). ❒ Transcripts from all academic institutions after high school. (community colleges, four-year institutions, graduate school, etc.) ❒ Essay Questions: There are four essay questions listed in the online application.

You can only access the questions by beginning an application. When you see the list of question you will notice there are four questions, you must answer a total of three questions. Every applicant must answer one of the questions (indicated in the application) and you select two of the three remaining questions to answer. ❒ Resume ❒ NO Application Fee

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For More Information Contact VDS Admissions divinity-admissions@vanderbilt.edu Assistant Dean of Admissions, Vocation, and Stewardship Laura Mariko Cheifetz Admissions Counselor Angela Dillon Admissions Fellow Courtney Bowden Graduate Student Assistants Camille Kammer Kay Heffernan

Vanderbilt Divinity School 411 21st Avenue South Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Phone: (615) 343-3963 Fax: (615) 322-0691 divinity-admissions@vanderbilt.edu VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

divinity.vanderbilt.edu instagram.com/vudivinity twitter.com/vudivinity facebook.com/vudivinity tiktok.com/@vds_admissions

S E C U R I T Y STAT E M E N T In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Tennessee College and University Security Information Act, Vanderbilt University will provide you, upon request, an annual Security Report on University-wide security and safety, including related policies, procedures, and crime statistics. A copy of this report may be obtained by writing or calling the Vanderbilt University Police and Security Office, 2800 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, Tennessee 37212 or by telephone at (615) 343-9750. You may also obtain this report on our website at http://police.vanderbilt.edu/ annual-security-report.

N O N D I S C R I M I N AT I O N STAT E M E N T In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990,the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Executive Order 11246, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, as amended, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, Vanderbilt University does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, covered veterans status, or genetic information in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other university-administered programs; or employment. In addition, the university does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their gender expression. Requests for information, inquiries or complaints should be directed to these offices: Equal Opportunity and Access Office, eoa@vanderbilt.edu, telephone (615) 343-9336; Title IX Office, Title IX Coordinator, titleix@vanderbilt.edu, telephone (615) 343-9004, 110 21st Avenue South, Suite 975, Nashville TN 37203; Student Access Office, studentaccess@vanderbilt.edu telephone (615) 343-9727