A Bachelor of Divinity (BD or BDiv) is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a courses taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies. In some educational systems, an undergraduate is a post-secondary student pursuing a Bachelors degree. ... It has been suggested that part or all of double degree be merged into this article or section. ... Divinity is the academic study of Christian theology and religious ministry at school, university and seminary. ... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. ... Religious studies is the multi-disciplinary, secular study of religion. ...

At some institutions, the BD is regarded as a higher degree than the BA. At Oxford University the BD is still regarded as a postgraduate qualification, however, students at the University of St Andrews study an undergraduate programme, applicants must have already completed a Bachelors degree before being accepted on the course. At St Andrews the main undergraduate degree in Divinity is the Master of Theology (M.Theol.). BA or Ba may stand for: // Abbreviations Bachelor of Arts, see Bachelors degree barium (Ba), the chemical symbol for the chemical element Bashkir language (ISO 639 alpha-2, ba) Boston and Albany Railroad (AAR reporting mark BA) Corporations & institutions Boeing Company (stock symbol) British Airways British Association for the... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Quaternary education or postgraduate education is the fourth-stage educational level which follows the completion of an undergraduate degree at a college or university. ... The University of St Andrews was founded between 1410 and 1413 and is the oldest university in Scotland (and third oldest in the English speaking world). ... A Masters degree which is typically earned after one has already completed a Master of Divinity or a Master of Theological Studies. ...

In most modern universities, the BD is essentially equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts degree with a specialty in divinity. Relatively few institutions award Bachelor of Divinity degrees today, and the distinction between institutions which do award such degrees and those which award B.A. degrees for theological subjects is usually one of university bureaucracy, rather than curriculum. A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees at all levels (bachelor, master, and doctor) in a variety of subjects. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ...

The Master of Divinity has replaced the Bachelor of Divinity in most American seminaries as the first professional degree, since the latter title implies in the American academic system that it is on a par with a Bachelor of Arts or other basic undergraduate education. Master of Divinity is a common degree among theological seminaries and is considered the minimum academic requirement for ordination into pastoral ministry. ... A seminary is a specialised university-like institution for the purpose of training candidates for positions within a religious context. ...

See also

• Bachelor of Theology
• Master of Divinity