Presbyterian Church U.S.A. at Vanderbilt Divinity School

This is a picture of students in class

  • Classes

    Here you can find a couple of classes for ordination 

  • Faculty

    Find out and connect with PCUSA affiliated Faculty at VDS 

  • Community

    Find out more about PCUSA Communities at VDS 

Welcome

We are delighted to see you are interested in Vanderbilt Divinity School! We wanted to share how VDS is a great place to be a Presbyterian. VDS offers the best of both worlds: an academically rigorous interdenominational theological education and curricular offerings to meet Presbyterian Church (USA) ordination requirements. 

Presbyterian Affiliated Faculty

Sample Courses

Readings in Reformed

The Reformed Traditions and Practices of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

  • Ordination Information

    Ordination Requirements

    We offer in alternate springs Readings in Reformed Theology and The Reformed Tradition and Practices of the Presbyterian Church (USA), to prepare students to work in PC(USA) congregations and ordained ministries. We offer Greek and Hebrew every year in order to meet those ordination requirements, together with great biblical courses where students can do exegesis in the original languages.

    Several concentrations (Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (MANES) and Pastoral and Prophetic Congregational Leadership (PPCL) allow students to get double credit, as it were, for completing ordination requirements and completing a VDS concentration, required for all M.Div students. 

    Master of Divinity students have access to a range of field education possibilities with excellent mentorship, with many PC(USA) congregations right here in metro Nashville. Since most presbyteries require Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), it is good news that we offer CPE locally, although some students travel to another locale for the summer to fulfill this requirement. CPE may also count toward degree requirements.

     

    A member of the VDS faculty or staff serves as a vocational resource for preparation for ministry and other career exploration. 

     

    For more information on Ordination, please use this link. 

     

  • Scholarship Support for Presbyterian Church (USA) Students

    Vanderbilt Divinity School is proud to offer extensive tuition scholarship support, providing significant funding for the degree-seeking student body. Several scholarships, including the First Presbyterian Church Scholarship, cover full tuition for PC(USA) students. To learn more about scholarships, visit here.