Duke MDiv vs. Evangelical MATS/ThM?

[kbrady]

Hi there,

I'm looking for advice on my masters level track. For context, I am interested in pursuing a PhD in the future, but am also aware of how terrible the job market is right now. For that reason, I have been planning to do the MDiv this upcoming fall, since it seems to be a more generalist degree, while not eliminating further academic study as a possibility. I am definitely on the progressive end of the evangelical spectrum theologically.

I was accepted into Gordon Conwell and Duke Divinity (among others, but these were my best offers). Duke is offering me approximately 65% funding for an MDiv, in addition to fully funded field ed placements, while Gordon Conwell is offering to fund both an MA and ThM--should I be accepted into their ThM program (I declined their offer for the MDiv because the program didn't offer enough flexibility). While obviously Duke takes the cake for name recognition, Gordon Conwell seems to still be considered decently legit, especially if one is going into biblical studies. But right now my interests lie more in the theology/church history sphere. So essentially, I'm curious how institutions like Duke or Princeton for PhD's will look at an MA/ThM combo from an evangelical school, if one has opportunities to do research, compared to an MDiv from a top divinity school, that does not have a thesis requirement and where a paid research position seems unlikely?

[thiscalltoarms]

You want funding for your PhD and to get in on your application cycle? Go to Duke. If you don’t get into a PhD after the mdiv, you can find a better ThM (Yale Harvard Notre Dame, etc) while you are applying to PhDs. But plenty of MDivs from top schools get in. 
 

I’m not crazy down on Conwell. I actually went to Gordon College for undergrad... but these schools aren’t remotely in the same tier for getting you where you want to go.

[thiscalltoarms]

Are you getting a full ride to Conwell?