Master of Divinity (MDiv) in UU Studies

The MDiv in UU Studies program will prepare you—in collaboration with your local congregation and the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC)—for ministerial fellowship in the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and for ordained ministry in a Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation. As a liberal religious seminary, United has attracted a number of UU students, staff, and faculty. We have a welcoming community where UU students can feel at home as they prepare to become ministers in a pluralistic world.

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Explore the MDiv Degree

Distance Learning Options

Concentration Learning Outcomes

In addition to achieving the core MDiv degree learning outcomes, a graduate of the MDiv in UU Studies program will be able to:

• Conduct a personal theological interpretation of a selected biblical text that demonstrates understanding of the influence of their own situatedness on that interpretation and that engages the situatedness of contemporary readers from a context different from their own.
• Demonstrate skills for effective, professional, ethical, and compassionate pastoral and spiritual care to a diversity of persons.
• Craft and deliver a sermon or public address that demonstrates effective speaking form/style and content based on a selected context.
• Prepare a holistic, multisensory, inclusive worship or ritual for life passage that integrates theological theory and practice and demonstrates awareness of multicultural and multigenerational approaches to worship.
• Construct and deliver a faith formation curriculum that effectively applies theories of teaching and learning, engages appropriately with diverse spiritual traditions and communities, and demonstrates understanding of multi-religious knowledge and practices.
• Articulate their own constructive theological position and interpret the theological context of their call to UU ministry or other vocation in a way that demonstrates a critical reflection of a number of Unitarian and Universalist theologies and the influences of other liberal traditions.
• Effectively apply their knowledge of UU history, UUA polity structures, and the opportunities and challenges of Unitarian Universalism to the practice of UU ministry.

United’s MDiV in UU Studies at a Glance

• Degree: Master of Divinity (MDiv)
• Concentration: UU Studies 
• Total Credits: 72 credits
• Courses: Twenty-four 3-credit courses, including one field experience; eligibility for ordination by UUA requires completion of an internship and additional external courses, completed either during or after seminary
• Typical Time to Complete: Can be completed in approximately three years if you take a full-time course load of 9 credits per trimester
• Learning Format: All MDiv concentrations, including UU Studies, can be completed entirely via distance learning. Many courses can be taken completely asynchronously
• Thesis: A final thesis or project is not required, but you can choose to complete a thesis as an elective course

Completion of the MDiv in UU Studies does not in itself fulfill the requirements of ordination or ministerial fellowship. Contact the MFC and your local ordaining congregation to determine any additional requirements.

Who This Program Is For 

If you’re discerning UU ministry and want a seminary experience grounded in rigorous theology and real-world practice, this concentration may fit—especially if you’re drawn to roles such as:

• Congregational ministry
• Community and entrepreneurial ministry
• Chaplaincy (with additional chaplaincy certification)
• UU denominational leadership (local, regional, or national)

What You’ll Study in UU Seminary Formation 

You’ll develop UU ministry competencies through coursework and practice in areas such as:

• Unitarian and Universalist theologies
• UU history and polity
• UU worship, liturgy, and rites of passage (theory + praxis)
• UU faith formation (contextual, inclusive, multigenerational)
• Preaching and public voice
• Pastoral and spiritual care