VDS Lookbook

Iam honored and excited for the opportunity to share with you a glimpse of Vanderbilt Divinity School, an innovator in 21st-century theological education. I welcome you to explore more about our dedicated faculty, staff, and students in the following pages, who together forge the way for outstanding ministers, scholars, activists, and practitioners. This school has a rich history as an advocate for justice, and we look forward to building on the strong foundation that others have established to form this treasured community.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair Professor of Religion and Literature

Dean Yolanda Pierce

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.

PURPOSES

In a global and multi-religious world, the Divinity school seeks to fulfill the following objectives:

o engage in theological inquiry

o help persons prepare for the practice of Christian ministry and public leadership

o encourage personal and spiritual formation

o prepare agents of social justice

o educate future scholars and teachers, locally and globally

COMMITMENTS

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.

It understands this faith to have import for the common life of human beings in the 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 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 confronting the homophobia that prevails throughout much of the church and society

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

• 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

“During my time as a VDS student, I have experienced tremendous growth not just academically but in every other way as well. As you get challenged to think critically about the world, you get challenged to further examine yourself. Why do I believe this? Why do I stand for that? What matters to me? As I explored

of

the answers to these questions, I found more of who I was as a student, but even more as a Black woman. VDS offers opportunity for you to become more of yourself, and in doing this you become more of the person you want to see in the world.”

—Christiana Green (she/her) 2nd year MTS President

Black Seminarians, Community Co-Chair of SGA

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)

39 credit hours of required coursework

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

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

21 elective credit hours

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

Capstone course and senior project

9 credit hours of required coursework

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

6 credit hours of Field Education optional during the second year

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

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

3 project/thesis credit hours

Final project, thesis, or portfolio

Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Integrative Chaplaincy

A hybrid professional program for chaplains already in a professional ministry setting (e.g. healthcare, military, prisons or other organizations).

36 credit hours

3 year program

M.Div, M.T.S. or equivalent degree required

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.

FALL 2023 INCOMING CLASS

45% Male

66% White

6% International

4% Asian

19% Black

7% nonbinary and/or transgender

30 different religious affiliations

39% Female

3% undisclosed

30 different states, territories, and countries

3% Hispanic/ Latino/a

3% Multiracial

54%Vanderbilt Divinity School has one of the highest percentages of full-time faculty of color among top research seminaries/divinity schools.

36% of full-time faculty are Black

Professor Emilie Townes seated with Professor Herbert Marbury

Faculty

Yara González-Justiniano, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Divinity, Religion, Psychology, and Culture with emphasis on Latinx Studies

Yara González-Justiniano is Assistant Professor of Religion, Culture, and Psychology with emphasis in Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University. She is also affiliated faculty of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies. Her research and teaching interests include Latinx theologies, Latin American Liberation theology, ecclesiology, memory studies, postcolonial and decolonial theory, popular culture and film, and popular religion and theologies of hope.

9 Religious Affiliations including Baptist, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, SeventhDay Adventist, United Methodist, and unaffiliated.

22 Faculty Books Written and Edited in 2021-22*

*Does not include translations into other languages, journal articles, book chapters, or books under contract

“VDS is a wonderful space for learning and thoughtful intellectual engagement where we can imagine and practice a hopeful future. I find such joy in the classroom, especially with students who care deeply about their commitments to their communities and faithful work.”

–Yara González-Justiniano

Phillis Isabella Sheppard, Ph.D.

E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Chair, Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture and Womanist Thought, Executive 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.

“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. I am convinced that social transformation requires personal transformation. My commitment to social change, through nonviolent direct action, is an expression of my abiding belief in the potential for human goodness, generosity, and love. I refuse to give up on humans even in the midst of struggle.”

—Phillis Isabella Sheppard

C. Melissa Snarr, Ph.D.

E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Chair Associate Professor of Ethics & Society, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program

Professor Snarr’s research focuses on the intersection of religion, social change, and political ethics. As a Christian social ethicist, she draws on a variety of methodologies, with special concentration in sociological and political theory as well as comparative religious ethics (focusing on Islamic political thought), to understand how religion transforms the world. She teaches courses ranging from “Modern Christian Political Thought” and “Religion and Social Movements” to “Religion and War in an Age of Terror” (comparative Muslim/Christian).

“VDS doesn’t ask me to make false choices about who I am or who God might be. I am queer and I am deeply Christian. I am committed to structural change and inter/personal healing. I have great criticism of my religious traditions while I also treasure and seek to renew them. VDS is not an either/or journey; we are about weaving towards wisdom.”

—C. Melissa Snarr

Programs

Vanderbilt 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.

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.

The James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements

The James Lawson Institute is fostering research in the area of nonviolent movements’ history and contemporary practices, and collaborates with program initiatives across Vanderbilt University, the community, the state of Tennessee, and the nation to offer opportunities for dialogue, intergenerational forums, and training in nonviolence. To embody this, the Institute’s focus includes the following key visionary measures: research, ambassadorship, fostering dialogue and curriculum. All of these serve as ways to meet and achieve our vision, mission and aims.

Concentrations

The 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

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

Certificates

Vanderbilt 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)

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.

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

Civil Rights Movement

HISTORICAL TIES AND THE JAMES LAWSON INSTITUTE

Vanderbilt 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).

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.

With Rev. Lawson’s endorsement, Vanderbilt Divinity School and the College of Arts and Science seek to honor his legacy through the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements at Vanderbilt University. Drawing on our rich local history, the institute will nurture evidence-based research and education rooted in nonviolent strategies; create and deepen partnerships in Nashville; and develop leaders equipped to contribute to a thriving society. A university investment will allow us to heed the abundant wisdom of Rev. Lawson while he is able to participate as the institute takes shape at Vanderbilt. We seek transformative philanthropic partnerships to bring the institute to its full potential.

The institute will honor the rich civil rights history in Nashville and nurture community partnerships that align with the institute’s mission and values. The role of religion in this work—from Lawson’s influences to the training of today’s pastoral and lay leaders—will serve as a common thread in the pursuit of the institute’s mission.

For further reading:

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

The Children by David Halberstam, 1999.

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

Above, left to right:

“I initially chose Vanderbilt Divinity School after a period of significant discernment because of its historic (and ongoing) commitments to both social justice and world-renowned academics!

Likewise, VDS community members—whether that be professors, staff, or fellow students—have also greatly supported me as I work towards ordination and helped me discover my passion for interfaith ministry through their encouragement of interreligious fellowships, such as the ‘Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics’ and the inaugural ‘Try-Faith Emerging Clergy Seminar.’ Ultimately, my experience at VDS has shown me that the work of modern religious leaders will be demanding; however, I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to be trained at an institution that allows me to learn from and be in community with people who will both genuinely challenge and wholeheartedly support me throughout the entirety of this journey.”

As a VDS student, I’m able to actively consider in all my courses what it means to be an ethical religious leader in the 21st century and how my scholarship can play a crucial role in this pursuit.

–Thornton Muncher (he/his) 2nd year M.Div student

10 Schools at Vanderbilt University

13,710 Students

190 Students at Vanderbilt Divinity School

Vanderbilt University

Founded 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 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.

9 Libraries

179 Buildings on Campus

340.7 Acres on Campus

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

Stephanie

2023 Antoinette Brown Lecture with Traci C. West, “Misogynist Stench in Christian White Supremacy”

“

As a staff chaplain at Vanderbilt Psychiatric hospital, I learned first-hand about the challenge of providing pastoral care and interfaith ministry to people with complex and diverse needs. VDS’s professors are change agents whose research, scholarly professors, and transformative work of justice addresses issues of trauma, spirituality and mental health, and

In addition, I have learned to increase my pastoral skills and grow in theological language as a Black woman that can attend an academic elite school of the prophets with exceptional programs. VDS’s ministry of praxis has taught me to go out to the streets, the pulpit, and the academy with tools to bridge the gap of what it means to walk on a journey with people who are made in the image of God.

VDS’s rich history of being the school of the prophets, along with methodologies in order to take to the streets, and my passion of living into the praxis of ministry work of naming what is happening on the ground in order to reach someone else, has taught me to identify what gets transmitted through the body, that was once a dream can be reality.”

–Tamika Robinson (she,her) 3rd year DMin, MDiv 2015

the role pastoral care needs to be approached in a holistic and person-centered way. I value the opportunity at VDS to walk fully in my calling that incorporates economics, social justice, lived experiences, and courage that seeks to offer healing to the whole person.

Top 5 City

–Southern Living, 2023

30 Median age in the neighborhood where VDS is located

2 million Nashville Metro population

120,000 students attend area colleges and universities

630 Nashville arts, culture, and humanities destinations

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.

TENNESSEE NONPROFITS

(data from 2023)

1,110 non-profit establishments, not including places of worship in Nashville Metro

71,779 people are employed by area nonprofits

34.7% of all Nashville Metro residents ages 16 and over volunteered with nonprofits in 2017

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

Ready

to Apply?

To 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.

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

• Three letters of recommendation

Your resume or CV

• Transcripts

• No GRE or application fee is required

SELECTION PROCESS

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.

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

• Three letters of recommendation

• Your resume or CV

Transcripts

• Writing sample

No GRE or application fee is required

SELECTION PROCESS

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.

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.

Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid

Costs

Vanderbilt Divinity School’s 2023-2024 tuition per hour cost is $1,113. The vast majority of VDS degree-seeking students receive a competitive merit scholarship. Scholarship funds are directly applied to tuition charges.

VDS students pay for their education with the combined resources of merit scholarships, external scholarship sources, earnings from work during their degree program (including Federal Work Study), contributions from their religious communities, savings, and sometimes student loans.

VDS staff work with students to provide personalized information on the cost of attendance and assist in budgeting and planning throughout their divinity school career.

ESTIMATED EXPENSES 2023-24

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

VU Health Insurance Plan: $3,735 for a 12 month policy. Student charged $1,867.50 in fall and spring semester.

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. Additional resources available on the VDS ECFFM website.

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

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.

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.

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.

We would like to meet you! Visit VDS

We welcome visitors to VDS! Choose a date from the calendar on our website during the academic year, or email us at divinity-admissions@ vanderbilt.edu to set up a visit during breaks and over the summer. Prospective students may sit in on classes, meet with a current student, chat with a professor, and attend a spiritual or student life event (subject to scheduling availability).

Admitted masters students who apply prior to the priority deadline are invited to an Admitted Students Day at VDS, where you will tour campus (including the library), meet current students and faculty, and get the chance to ask questions about the educational experience with your fellow admitted students, many of whom will become your classmates should you choose to attend.

Learn more about VDS

Can’t make it to Nashville? There are plenty of ways to experience the VDS community. View a previously recorded event, schedule a conversation with a current student and the Director of Recruitment and Admissions, reach out to a faculty member for a conversation. We have video tours of main campus and the Divinity School available as well.

We invite you to check our website to learn about all the ways to get to know VDS!

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

instagram.com/vudivinity twitter.com/vudivinity facebook.com/vudivinity linkedin.com/company/ vanderbilt-divinity-school/

For More Information

Contact VDS admissions

divinity-admissions@vanderbilt.edu

assistant Dean of admissions, Vocation, and Stewardship

Laura Mariko Cheifetz

Director of Student Life and Spiritual Formation

Angela Dillon

Director of Recruitment and admissions

Soren M. Hessler

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

SECURITY STATEMENT

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

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

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