Piedmont Divinity School

Our Legacy

Piedmont Divinity School (originally Piedmont Bible Institute) exists to equip men and women to serve Christ in a variety of ministries. Since its inception in 1945, this purpose has been founded on the primacy of teaching the truths of the inerrant Word of God.

Throughout the school’s history, God has been pleased to use numerous individuals to carry out this purpose. One such individual is Hoyle Bowman. Dr. Bowman was a graduate of Piedmont, and went on to earn his Master of Theology degree at Dallas Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Theology degree at Grace Theological Seminary. In addition to his service as a Marine, pastor, and conference speaker, he taught Bible and theology at Piedmont for over 50 years. His faithful teaching of the Scriptures epitomized the mission of Piedmont and, for a number of years, this emphasis on theology and Bible was made evident in the naming of a school in his honor: The Bowman School of Bible and Theology.

God has also been faithful in using various individuals to financially support Piedmont in its ongoing work. Integral in this regard have been Tony and Chris Alford. The Alfords are successful business entrepreneurs. As they have conducted their business endeavors, they have committed themselves to serve God and make each day count for his glory with a view to eternity. This motivation has compelled them to be active in missions, serve on ministry boards, and make profound financial contributions to fund the proclamation of the Gospel. Their generous contributions toward innovation and broader influence have enabled Piedmont to continue in the direction of training men and women to serve Christ. And in their honor, the Alford School of Ministry served as an important part of our legacy.

In recent years, Temple Baptist Seminary has served as the name in which our theological programs were provided. This naming occurred with the merging of Tennessee Temple and Piedmont International University (now known as Carolina University), and honored the long tradition of theological education provided for thousands of students at Tennessee Temple and Piedmont. As Carolina University has grown and expanded its worldwide footprint, the theological emphasis and legacy is now carried under the name of Piedmont Divinity School (or PDS) which represents the best of our legacy institutions and programs.

The Present

Piedmont Divinity School continues to hold and cherish the truths of the Christian faith on which the school was founded. Piedmont is intentionally evangelical as it encourages students to rightly handle the Scripture and pursue Christian scholarship so that they might be equipped to serve Christ in various contexts around the world and bring glory to him. To this end, we offer programs rich in hermeneutics, Bible, Hebrew and Greek, theology, and ministry.

Piedmont Divinity School offers fully online and residential programs leading to the Certificate in Biblical Studies, Associate of Arts in Bible, Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, Master of Ministry (English, Português, and Español), Master of Arts in Biblical Studies, and Master of Divinity.

Divinity School Admissions Requirements

Piedmont Divinity School admits into the graduate programs academically qualified students who are born again and possess a Christian testimony consistent with the philosophy, doctrine, standards, and practice of the Divinity School.

These qualifications are evaluated by submission of the following:

1. Autobiographical essay giving testimony of salvation and reason for applying to the program
2. Read and sign the Student Doctrinal Statement and the Standards of Behavior statement
3. Read and agree to respect the Faculty Doctrinal Statement

Maestría de Artes en Ministerio en Español

1. El programa de la Maestría de Artes en Ministerio en Español está diseñado para aquellos que desean seguir el plan de estudios de la Maestría de Artes en Ministerio en Español de manera virtual. Los solicitantes deben cumplir con los requisitos generales y específicos de admisión que están establecidos en el catálogo, excepto cuando se indiquen requisitos alternativos (consulte el sitio del programa para conocer los requisitos de admisión específicos).
2. La documentación requerida para la admisión y las cartas de aprobación son emitidas por el Director de Admisión, con la ayuda del Coordinador de Recursos en Español.
3. La valoración de la calidad de las instituciones que otorgan títulos y el reconocimiento de créditos está basado en la evaluación de los Servicios de Educación Mundial (World Education Service) (wes.org, 212-966-6311) y por los “Criterios para Transferirse de una Universidad que no está Acreditada ni Reconocida” (Por favor, vea la sección “Política de Transferencia y Reconocimiento de Créditos” en este catálogo: Credit Recognition and Transfer Policy).

Mestrado em Ministério em Português

1. O programa de Mestrado em Ministério foi desenhado para aqueles que desejam um mestrado na língua portuguesa e completamente online. Aqueles que desejam cursar o mestrado devem atender aos requerimentos específicos de admissão apresentados no Catálogo da Universidade, a não ser que existam exceções aos requerimentos apresentados neste mesmo Catálogo (veja a página do programa de mestrado em português para os requerimentos de admissão no site pt.carolinau.edu).
2. Todo processo de admissão ao programa é avaliado pelo diretor do programa e sua equipe. Uma vez confirmado todo o recebimento da documentação requerida e avaliada positivamente, uma carta de aceitação é enviada pelo Departamento de Admissões.
3. A avaliação dos pedidos de transferência de créditos são feitos levando em consideração a instituição na qual o aluno estudou e o reconhecimento destes créditos pelo World Education Services (www.wes.org), mas tendo como resposta final aquela que é dada pela direção do programa de mestrado. A direção leva em consideração os critérios mencionados anteriormente e ainda o critério estabelecido no Catálogo da Universidade (veja a seção do Credit Recognition and Transfer Policy no Catálogo).

Special Admissions — Ability to Benefit

Admission into Seminary Graduate Studies (MA, MABS, and MDiv) requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited or recognized college. Consideration is given, on very rare occasions, to applicants without a bachelor’s degree and those with degrees from colleges that are not recognized. These exceptions are limited to no more than 10% of the total enrollment during a given semester.

Policy for Ability to Benefit

• A minimum of five years of ministry experience
• At least thirty years of age
• Submission of a satisfactory research paper on a theological subject
• Submission of a complete admissions packet, including program-specific requirements
• Completion of a successful interview with a Graduate Studies representative
• No advanced standing
• Participation in a special advising program during the first semester
• Completion of the GRE or the MAT examination with satisfactory scores

Procedures for Ability to Benefit

• Submission of a letter of intent, an application, and a research paper
• Interview with a Graduate Studies representative
• Approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee