School Notes: Yale Divinity School
May/June 2025

Master of divinity program revised

Yale Divinity School has completed a major revision of its signature degree—the master of divinity (MDiv)—strengthening the school’s historic commitment to professional education in ministry while substantially updating it for the middle decades of thetwenty-first century. Unanimously approved by the faculty in January, the revised MDiv program includes a new cohort model for entering students and sets forth a restructured learning design for required coursework. The MDiv cohorts will do some of their course work together during the first three semesters of study while also having more room for electives.

Alum gifts original hymn tune

Universities routinely receive non-monetary donations such as real estate, patents, or art. Ivan Burnett Jr. ’65MDiv decided to give something different: a hymn tune named in honor of the school. Burnett, a former Navy chaplain and United Methodist pastor, said he wanted to honor YDS because “Yale Divinity School meant so much to me and shaped me so much.” Burnett titled his hymn tune “Yale Divinity School” and paired it with a hymn text titled “The People Who Walked in Darkness.” A full story about the gift, with a recording of the hymn, is available in the news area of the YDS website.

Challenge grant supports scholarships for international students

Yale Divinity School is launching a challenge-grant drive to support scholarships for international students. The giving challenge connects to a goal in the current YDS strategic plan reflecting “the shift of the global Christian center of gravity from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere,” as the plan states. YDS is working to enroll a larger number of international students and providing them with the necessary financial support, in addition to adding international exchange programs, enhanced study-abroad opportunities, global institutional partnerships, and a global scholars program.