Dual Degree with Peabody College’s M.Ed. in Community Development and Action

Overview of Dual Degree (M.T.S./M.Ed. or M.Div/M.Ed.)

The dual degree program between Peabody College and the Vanderbilt Divinity School (VDS) allows students to pursue a Master's in Education (M.Ed.) in Community Development and Action (CDA) while also pursuing either a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) or a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree from VDS. The joint degree program allows students to gain the advantages of both degrees and schools, drawing on CDA and VDS' common interests in promoting ethical, effective, and sustainable community-level change. The joint degree program enables students to complete the M.Ed/MTS degree in 3 years, and the M.Ed./M.Div. degree in 4 years, saving one year in school for both scenarios.


One of the historic strengths of Vanderbilt Divinity School is its focus on cultivating religious leadership for social justice. Divinity alumni have advocated for ecclesial and public policy changes, founded, and directed non-profits and social enterprises, and through multiple avenues have sought the founding, sustenance, and growth of generative communities.


The dual degree program offers Vanderbilt Divinity students the opportunity to garner significant interdisciplinary strength in community and program development, strategies of community enhancement, basic community-level research, and concrete skills related to organizing and mobilizing people and resources. Similarly, the degree offers Peabody CDA students unique expertise and training in the ever-important dynamics of religion in our social and political worlds.


There is strategic overlap among the CDA, MTS & MDiv programs, including a common interest in the value of community and diversity, mutual exploration of theories and commitments that guide ethical practice, commitment to active and engaged learning, and drive to initiate change that results in a more just and peaceful society. CDA and the Divinity programs each offer unique contributions as well. CDA offers theory, methods, and skills in community practice that are informed by social science, and are, therefore, evidence-based and constantly evolving to seek improvement and effectiveness. The Divinity degrees offer theological and philosophical orientation to questions about community, relationships, change and purpose.


Admission

Students will apply to each school separately and must be accepted by both to pursue the dual degree. Ideally, students will apply for dual degree status prior to enrolling in either program. However, MDiv students may elect to apply for admission to the dual degree program at any time during their first 2 years at VDS. MTS students may elect to apply for admission during their first year at VDS. CDA students may apply for admission to the MTS/MDiv program during their first year at Peabody.

Dual Degree Paradigm

  • M.T.S./M.ED. Dual Degree

    The M.Ed.-M.T.S. program can usually be completed in three years. A student will complete 51 hours for the M.T.S. and 30 hours for the M.Ed. Nine (9) elective hours from the total 51 MTS program (Divinity hours) will be from the Peabody School. Nine (9) hours from the total 30 M.Ed. program (Peabody hours) will be from the Divinity School and may satisfy no more than one M.Ed. requirement each in the categories of theory and skills.

    Year 1:     Divinity (24 hours)

    Year 2:     Peabody (21 hours)

    Year 3:     Divinity (15 hours)

  • M.DIV./M.ED. Dual Degree

    The M.Ed.-M.Div. program can usually be completed in four years. A student must be registered as a full-time student 
in each school for at least four semesters. A student will complete 84 hours for the M.Div. and 30 hours for the M.Ed. Eighteen (18) hours from the total 84 M.Div. program (Divinity hours) will be from the Peabody School, one of which will be the field education elective, two of which may satisfy ministerial arts requirements in leadership and education, and one of which may satisfy a core elective requirement in African American Race/Class or Gender and Sexuality. Nine (9) hours from the total 30 M.Ed. program (Peabody hours) will be from the Divinity School and may satisfy no more than one M.Ed. requirement each in the categories of theory and skills.

    Year 1:     Divinity (24 hours)

    Year 2:     Divinity (24 hours)

    Year 3:     Peabody (21 hours)

    Year 4:     Divinity (12 hours)

Tuition & Financial Aid

Each semester, the student will have a "home" professional school where the majority of credit hours are being earned (Peabody or Divinity). In that semester, the respective "home" school will receive student tuition and provide financial aid, if any, for credit hours earned. Each school will forgo tuition for the joint enrollment hours (18 MDiv/9 MTS hours of tuition for Divinity and 9 MEd hours for Peabody). Please refer to the Divinity School's financial aid page for more information about tuition and financial aid.