FAQ

McAfee offers four degrees, five combined degrees, and one certificate program: 

• Master of Divinity in Residence and Fully Online (M. Div.)
  • Master of Divinity and M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Master of Divinity and Master of Business Administration
  • Master of Divinity and M.S. in Organizational Leadership
  • Master of Divinity and M.M. in Church Music
• Master of Arts in Christian Ministry in Residence and Fully Online (MACM)
  • MACM and M.S. in Organizational Leadership
• Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
  • MTS and M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Master of Theological Studies and M.M. in Church Music
• Doctor of Ministry (D. Min)
• Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies (GCTS) 

** Master of Divinity in Residence, Master of Arts in Christian Ministry in Residence, Doctor of Ministry and the Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies accept applicants for Fall and Spring terms. Master of Arts in Christian Ministry Online and Master of Theological Studies accept applicants only for the Fall term. Master of Divinity Online accepts applicants only for the Summer and Fall terms.
**Learn more about our online learning options here. 

Click here to apply.

Click here for information about the admissions requirements.

Due to the generous contributions from Mercer University, supporting churches and our educational partners, McAfee School of Theology is one of the most affordable options for theological education.  Every student at McAfee receives a grant covering 60% of tuition. Please note: the tuition prices you see listed below are after the 60% tuition grant has been applied.

Merit scholarships are also available to those who qualify. Eligibility is determined by each prospective student’s total admissions application, including potential for leadership in service and ministry. No separate application is required; all admissions applications are reviewed for scholarship eligibility.

Cost of Attendance: 2023-2024 Academic Year

Tuition

• McAfee Tuition Rate for M.Div., MTS, M.A.C.M. & Certificates: $525/credit hour
• D.Min Tuition Rate: $500/credit hour

Additional Fees

• Please refer to this link for additional fees: 2023-2024 additional fees

Health Insurance

• Mercer’s Health Insurance is required unless students show proof of existing coverage.
• Visit the Mercer Bursar’s Office for updated information on health insurance costs.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Below are helpful resources for finding ways to cover the cost of your seminary education.

• External Scholarships
• Need-based and University Financial Aid
• The Forum for Theological Exploration
• Scholarships for Military Chaplaincy

All of our students are eligible to apply for financial assistance. Financial assistance includes federal loans, McAfee scholarships, and external scholarships. Each student is required to fill out a FAFSA every year for consideration of federal loans. McAfee Scholarships are considered when you apply and applicants have potential to receive up to a full tuition scholarship. For priority consideration for McAfee scholarships and our Scholar’s Day please apply by Jan. 15 each year for the following Fall. We also provide a database for external scholarships. 

More information can be found on our Scholarship and Financial Aid page.

All School of Theology students must have access to a computer with Microsoft Word (or software that can export as a Word document [.doc or .docx]), presentation software (i.e. PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, etc.), high-speed internet, headphones, microphone (earbuds with a mic or the built-in mic on your laptop or tablet are acceptable), and a webcam (the built-in camera on your laptop, tablet, or smart phone is acceptable) to facilitate video and audio conferencing. Students are required to access, use, and communicate through the following university systems: Mercer email, Canvas, Zoom, and MyMercer. Students are instructed on these systems at new student orientation. Any additional software or equipment requirements will be noted on course schedules and syllabi. For specific computer recommendations, please click here.

Our graduates are working in churches, colleges, seminaries, nonprofit organizations and missions. They serve in every church position imaginable. We have students working on Ph.D.s in top-tier programs around the world and serving as chaplains in hospice, hospitals and the U.S. armed forces. Every student has the opportunity to work with our director of outreach and alumni relations to help students transition from seminary life to their professional ministerial career. 

We are affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). The Baptist heritage of both Mercer University and McAfee School of Theology is important to our identity as a school and how we define our mission and founding principles. We also hold associations with many different Baptist organizations and churches. Over half of our students are affiliated with 10 different Baptist denominations. Additionally, we have diverse denominational affiliations among our students representing 21 additional denominations including:  Church of Christ, Church of God, CME, COGIC, Episcopal, Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians, Evangelical Lutheran, Inter/Multidenominational, Messianic Judaism, Nondenominational, Pentecostal, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Seventh-day Adventist, UCC, UMC.

Mercer University’s Atlanta campus has on-campus housing, and many students also live off campus. There are apartments within walking distance and several within just a mile or two.  

All applicants for admission to the School of Theology at Mercer University are required to hold a bachelor’s degree with a liberal arts core from a college or university nationally accredited by an institutional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education or proof of an equivalent degree from a foreign university.

Students with previous academic training in religion may seek advanced placement standing. 

Our desire is to create a curriculum that enhances and deepens the knowledge base you’ve established in your undergraduate courses. If you have a B or better in at least two undergraduate courses that fit with any of our foundation courses, the associate dean will review your transcript and see if you can take a more advanced class in the foundation courses.  

The Master of Divinity is 78 hours and can be completed in three years in residence and four years when taken online. The Master of Arts in Christian Ministry is 38 hours and can be completed in two years in residence and three years when taken online. The Master of Theological Studies is 48 hours and can be completed in two years. The Doctor of Ministry is 33 hours of course work that can be completed in three years, with a fourth year for thesis writing.

One of the advantages of being in Atlanta is the number of places to work. Students work in area churches, on campus, coffee houses, restaurants, etc. We assist in placing students in church-related jobs and on campus jobs upon request. 

No, we are about 9 miles northeast of downtown. Our campus is just inside Interstate 285, where it crosses Interstate 85. Surrounded on three sides by protected woodlands, the Mercer Atlanta campus is a quiet place to study and live. 

Our Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Ministry offer a completely online version that only requires attendance to one in-person event: a retreat. Our Doctor of Ministry program is mainly an independent or distance-learning program that only requires a total of eight weeks in residence over the course of the program. Students in our masters and certificate programs have the opportunity to take some of their course work online. Learn more about our online learning options here.

While at McAfee, you may cross-register and take up to four elective classes through the Atlanta Theological Association, a consortium of theological partner schools which are Columbia Theological Seminary, Candler School of Theology and the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC).

Generally speaking, they are the same thing. We usually refer to a school that is not connected to a university as a seminary and a school associated with a university as a divinity school or school of theology. In both cases, students are considered seminary students. 

Our student body is evenly divided between males and females. In addition to our denominational diversity, we are an ethnically diverse learning community with African American, Hispanic and international students making up more than 50 percent of the student body. Students come from congregational, evangelical and mainline protestant backgrounds and embody a heightened sense of social justice and a holistic view of evangelism and mission.  

The Doctor of Ministry provides opportunity to hone a specific skill in your ministry and also provides a way to help improve ministry. Having studied at McAfee, you have a community with already established relationships and connections to professors and resources who know you and your work. These connections provide for a great foundation to begin work on a focused area of ministry that you began to explore during your time at McAfee.