I have heard that many faculty members have advised Latter-day Saint students to get an M. Div. degree before getting a Ph.D. in biblical studies. These students have all had seven semesters of language courses (either Greek or Hebrew) before graduating with a bachelor's degree. Is it worth getting a divinity degree?
Let's assume that you apply for and get into a top divinity school for an M. Div. degree, what does a top divinity school train you for? Being a minister in a non-Latter-day Saint denomination. Many of them appear (at least on paper) to do that very well. They offer all sorts of courses on denominational theology, counseling for pastors, and other things that a minister might need to know about for their particular denomination. Such courses may or may not be of interest to individual Latter-day Saints. Many Master of Divinity programs require prospective students to either be an active, practicing member of the denomination or sign a confession of beliefs in order to be admitted, and some are so completely non-denominational that anyone of any religious tradition may be admitted, which means that some programs would not be appropriate for Latter-day Saints.
What are the top divinity schools? That depends on whom you ask. According to this list, the top ten divinity schools are:
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree, Biblical Languages Concentration
Number of Years to Degree: 1
Tuition per year: $7,235
Hebrew required: 2 semesters
Greek required: 2 semesters
Additional coursework: Capstone seminar
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree, Biblical Languages (90 hour)
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $24,650
Hebrew required: 3 semesters
Greek required: 5 semesters
Additional coursework: 22 other classes
Degree Considered: Masters of Divinity (Dual Language Track)
Number of Years to Degree: 4
Tuition per year: $21,060
Hebrew required: 2 semesters
Greek required: 2 semesters
Additional coursework: 19 other classes
Degree Considered: Master of Arts, Biblical Studies
Number of Years to Degree: 2
Tuition per year: $7,150
Hebrew required: 2 semesters
Greek required: 2 semesters
Additional coursework: 14 other courses
Degree Considered: Master of Arts (either New Testament or Old Testament)
Number of Years to Degree: 2-4
Tuition per year: $11,923 (charged by credit and averaged over 3 years)
Hebrew required: 3 semesters (for Old Testament)
Greek required: 3 semesters (for New Testament)
Additional coursework: 15 other classes for Old Testament and 16 for New Testament
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity in Bible Exposition
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $13,750
Hebrew required: 3 semesters either Greek or Hebrew
Greek required: 3 semesters either Greek or Hebrew
Additional coursework: 21 other classes
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $65,025
Hebrew required: 0 semesters
Greek required: 0 semesters
Additional coursework: 24 other classes
Degree Considered: MA in Biblical Studies
Number of Years to Degree: 2
Tuition per year: $13,080
Hebrew required: 3 semesters of Greek or Hebrew
Greek required: 3 semesters of Greek or Hebrew
Additional coursework: 13 other classes
Degree Considered: Masters in Biblical and Theological Studies
Number of Years to Degree: 4
Tuition per year: $32,284
Hebrew required: 3 semesters
Greek required: 3 semesters
Additional coursework: 34 other classes
Degree Considered: MA in Biblical Studies
Number of Years to Degree: 2
Tuition per year: $6,468
Hebrew required: 0 semesters
Greek required: 0 semesters
Additional coursework: 12 other classes
A different site, however, has a completely different list:
(Dallas, TX)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $27,775
Hebrew required: 1 semester either Greek or Hebrew
Greek required: 1 semester either Greek or Hebrew
Additional coursework: 24 other courses
(Chicago, IL)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $30,000 ($10,000 per quarter)
Hebrew required: 3 quarters Hebrew or Greek
Greek required: 3 quarters Hebrew or Greek
Additional coursework: 24 other classes
(Durham, NC)
Degree Considered: Residential Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $29,200
Hebrew required: 2 semesters of either Greek or Hebrew
Greek required: 2 semesters of either Greek or Hebrew
Additional coursework: 23 other classes
(Bozeman, MT)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $26,500
Hebrew required: 0 semesters
Greek required: 0 semesters
Additional coursework: 23 other classes
(Winston-Salem, NC)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $21,220
Hebrew required: 0 semesters
Greek required: 0 semesters
Additional coursework: 24 other classes
(Nashville, TN)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $27,648
Hebrew required: 1 semester
Greek required: 1 semester
Additional coursework: 23 other classes
(Cambridge, MA)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $31,632
Hebrew required: 0 semesters
Greek required: 0 semesters
Additional coursework: 30 other classes
(Princeton, NJ)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $21,500
Hebrew required: 0 semesters
Greek required: 0 semesters
Additional coursework: 28 other classes
(Cambridge, MA)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $30,776
Hebrew required: 3 semesters of either Hebrew or Greek
Greek required: 3 semesters of either Hebrew or Greek
Additional coursework: 21 other classes
(New Haven, CT)
Degree Considered: Master of Divinity
Number of Years to Degree: 3
Tuition per year: $29,976
Hebrew required: 1 semester
Greek required: 1 semester
Additional coursework: 20 other classes.
Note that there is no overlap between the two lists.
One of the schools requires five semesters of Greek; several require three semesters of Hebrew; several require no language work at all. Only one of the schools (The Master's University) does not start the languages at the beginning level. All students to whom these programs are recommended will have already completed more language courses than the programs require. Thus the programs are of marginal utility in improving language skills.
The other courses may or may not be of any use to a Latter-day Saint and vary too much between schools to meaningfully compare.
Additionally, a prospective student will be paying an average of 22,881.60 per year just in tuition for generally three years.
A Master of Divinity degree is a lot of time and money for minimal benefit for a Latter-day Saint. It would be of more use to them to get a different degree.
