Master of Theological Studies Careers

[ltrey33]

Hi all, currently I have been accepted at Duke Divinity to start work on a M.Div degree.

However, as time has gone on I have begun to think about the MTS program a little more seriously. I do not feel 100% that ordination is the correct track.

My question is this: Of you who have graduated, or have known someone that has graduated, with an MTS degree, what career opportunities are usually available to them? Do they almost all go on to PhD work? Or do some of them work in other areas of Christian education? Or other Christian organizations?

Please let me know if you have any ideas/advice about the MTS.

Thanks!

[Postbib Yeshuist]

Here is Brite Divinity School's description of the purpose of an MTS. It's a little amorphous, but as someone w/o an MTS, I can't comment much further. I do know that most of our MTS students are planning on continued education.

The Master of Theological Studies degree is a ... degree for persons who do not plan to be ordained. The degree provides a basic understanding of theological disciplines for those who plan to engage in further graduate study, or for those who wish to acquire a general theological education at the master's level.

The M.T.S. is an appropriate degree program for (1) lay persons who seek to enrich their theological understanding; (2) persons who seek to enhance the theological foundations of their church leadership; (3) persons who wish to examine and develop religious and theological perspectives on their life situations; or (4) persons who plan to use the M.T.S. degree as preparation for further graduate study. According to ATS standards, the M.T.S. is not a degree in preparation for ordained ministry. Normally those seeking to prepare for ministerial vocations pursue the M.Div. or M.A.C.S. degrees at Brite.

[LateAntique]

An M.Div from Duke Div will still be very competitive if you're looking to get into a Ph.D program. I have a friend who did his M.Div there, isn't seeking ordination, and is currently in a Ph.D program. You can pretty much tailor your M.Div to be a lot like an MTS and the M.Div has a lot more funding - I think you're in a good spot for whatever future you want to pursue.

[11Q13]

well, I kind of chuckled at the title if that gives you any idea...lol

Yeah, it seems the primary purpose of the degree is to go on to a PhD. I know lots of people with degrees like it who havent gone on to PhDs however and they seem to mostly be involved in NGOs, but of course that could be because I work in NGO circles.

[Perique69]

In the "real" world, any master's degree in theology is pretty limited unless you're ordained. If you don't go for a PhD, an MDiv can have some advantage over an MTS if you try to get into any sort of non-profit or "helping" career. FYI: theology degrees frequently make those "top 10 worst degree" lists on yahoo, cnn, etc. in regards to income potential.

[dds2011]

Hi there,

I'm not sure if you are still checking this, but I can tell you some things. I'm a current MTS student at Duke...so...hi! (I was looking for something else on Google and saw your post). On the one hand, there are plenty of MDiv people who are either sure they are not pursuing ordination, or who are on the fence. Trust me when I say that vacillating on that issue is totally normal. Now, probably most people in Duke's MTS program are at least intending on pursuing doctorates, but BY FAR not all. I am not. (Right now I am not sure about work in a parish setting vs. teaching in private secondary school myself.) Now, my impression is that it is actually harder to transfer from MDiv to MTS than vice versa - the MTS program is very small and selective. I don't remember if you can apply after your first semester to switch programs, or if you have to wait till the end of the first year, but either way you will have to wait for some grades and get a member of the faculty who knows your work well (ie, not someone you had in a big lecture class) to recommend your transfer. I would say, don't freak out about your degree program right yet - either way you will be in pretty much the same classes your first year. Either way, you are about to begin the most amazing adventure of your life...you will be changed.

Also, Reinhard Huetter runs the MTS program - he is the one to ask about these things. He is very wise.

Peace!