HDS - Registrar's Office - Minister in the Vicinity Program

Registrar's Office

Ministers in the Vicinity

Ministers, pastors, priests, rabbis, and others who are engaged in full-time ministry, hold a theological degree, and live within 50 miles of HDS may be permitted to register and receive academic credit for a limited number of courses, paying tuition at half the normal rate. Such students may take up to four half courses within four years of admission, and, if admitted subsequently to a degree program such as the master of theology, may petition to have their courses credited toward that degree.

Please bear in mind that Minister in the Vicinity candidates are limited to enrollment in Divinity School courses only and are not eligible for financial aid. In some cases, registration may be restricted to certain designated HDS courses. Ministers in the Vicinity may not cross-register at the other Schools of Harvard University or the Boston Theological Institute.

The Registrar's Office administers the admissions process for the Minister in the Vicinity Program. There is a one-time $30 application fee.

Fees for the 2009-10 academic year are:

for a class taken for credit, $1,428.50 (or half the per-course cost)
for a class being audited, $200 (or half the audit fee)

Minister in the Vicinity students will need to have their study cards signed by a faculty member of the Office of Ministry Studies in time to hand-deliver the study cards to the Registrar's Office. Please refer to the 2009-10 Academic Calendar for study card deadlines.

The Ministers in the Vicinity application is available as a PDF (Adobe Reader required).

For further information, please contact Leah Whitehouse in the Registrar's Office, 617.495.5760.

Harvard Divinity School

Registrar's Office

Ministers in the Vicinity