gaulsa

Gotcha! Sorry if my comment seemed pointed in any way. As someone with experience then, if it is purely for personal growth and development with perhaps limited opportunites to study either German or public service, would you more-likely recommend an M.Div over an M.T.S.?

It definitely is a bit random! In my brain, it all has a purpose that I suppose might be unrealistic. Just so things make a bit more sense, a more specific career path I have in mind is starting as a forensic scientist, and then becoming a federal law enforcement agent. It is the latter job that is my ultimate ultimate career goal, which is why I'm not considering or planning on getting a masters in biology or a related field. Technically, I don't need grad school at all, I just thought I could have the best of both worlds, as it were. Thank you very much for your advice! You are completely right in saying that I need to think about things further. That's why I'm glad that I have at least another full year before I would be applying anywhere. I am sorry to hear that your experience at Duke hasn't been developing though. My sister is a current M.Div there, and it's my understanding that she has had an awesome time. I am aware, however, of the differences between the two degrees and understand that their respective experiences could be quite different.

That program you mentioned looks fantastic, and it's awesome to see that it's available at other institutions as well! PTS is not an institution I have thus-far considered (not for any real reason, just because I'm clueless), but the potential to take other classes sounds great as well! If you don't mind my asking, what is the Baptist tradition's presence like there? It's not at all a requirement for me, but I would appreciate some representation.

Thank you very much for your advice! I'll try and explain my education a bit further. My primary major is biology, as my primary and first career area will hopefully be one in a laboratory setting. However, I hope to later transition to a more role more oriented towards active law enforcement. Double-majoring in German is 100% my goal at the moment, but given my bio major's importance, I will drop it to a minor if I must. Thus, neither a degree focusing on German or government(public service, polict, etc.) is truly necessary for my career. Potentially attending divinity school or a seminary is a personal goal for myself, largely for spiritual reasons along with some genuine academic interest. My reasons for wanting to look at a M.T.S. or M.Div program with concentrations or opportunities to increase my educational level in German and/or public service is somewhat two-fold: 1) While neither German nor government degrees or concentrations are required for my dream career, both could increase my effectiveness as well as hopefully my desirability. 2) Because my primary degree is biology, I have not/will not be able to take many religous studies-esque classes during my undergraduate career, and my hope is that either (most likely German, I suppose) could increase my chances of getting into a more academic institution. Sorry if the situation is a bit confusing, but I appreciate any advice y'all could possible give, including criticism of my plans, ideas, or expectations. Thank you!

Hello! I just recently finished my sophomore year of college, and am at the moment heavily considering attending Divinity School after I graduate. As the title implies, I was hoping to hear from current/former divinity school students (or anyone else) who knows of div programs in which language education/study also plays a large role. I am a double major (or potentially just minor) in German language. Additionally, I plan to pursue a career in federal government, and so I would be very interested to see if there are programs which feature that sort of concentration. The closest that I have found so far is Palmer Theological Seminary, whose M.T.S program allows for a concentration in public policy. I am aware of some (Harvard, U of Chicago) which I believe offer such programs with language focuses, but I also don't fully understand the role that each language plays for them. As an aside, I also don't believe that U of Chicago Divinity School is confessionally-Christian like many other div schools (e.g Duke), and so I am curious as to what the environment is like. Does anyone have any experience there? Also, it may be useful to know that at the moment, I do not feel a call to ordination, and thus would be studying to receive a Master of Theological Studies or equivalent. Div school would largely be for my own personal spiritual growth, as well as academics. Thank you! If anyone has any other information on where to ask these questions, I would appreciate it.

Hello! I just recently finished my sophomore year of college, and am at the moment heavily considering attending Divinity School after I graduate. As the title implies, I was hoping to hear from current/former divinity school students (or anyone else) who knows of div programs in which language education/study also plays a large role. I am a double major (or potentially just minor) in German language. I am aware of some (Harvard, U of Chicago) which I believe offer such programs, but I also don't fully understand the role that each language plays for them. As an aside, I also don't believe that U of Chicago Divinity School is confessionally-Christian like many other div schools (e.g Duke). Does anyone have any experience there? Also, it may be useful to know that at the moment, I do not feel a call to ordination, and thus would be studying to receive a Master of Theological Studies or equivalent. Div school would largely be for my own personal spiritual growth, as well as academics. Another interest would be in any programs with available concentrations in public/government service.