The Master of Divinity degree is a full-time three-year academic program combining distance and in-person learning opportunities. The program teaches direct, experiential access to states of higher consciousness and integration approaches for grounding and balance.

The objective of the program is to teach a set of skills of consciousness that allow a student to generate higher consciousness at will, opening possibilities for more creative and effective responses to life situations, and for greater service for the student's community and the planet.

Curriculum Overview
The College offers rolling admissions so you can apply at any time during the year and, once admitted, begin your studies. Our curriculum is organized into 30 Phases, to be completed over three years or Cycles at a full-time rate of 1 Phase per month (10 per year) with two months vacation between years. The curriculum is in accordance with standards set by the Association of Theological Schools and the Distance Education Training Council and is equivalent to a course load of 16 credits/semester.

Year or Cycle One is focused on the joy of spirit. You learn the basics of perceiving your energy body and the spirit within with expanded and subtle sensing abilities, and learn to run higher energy at will so that you can be more balanced in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. You learn about higher flow and creation through vibrational healing, and about self-care, ethics, and self-responsibility as a vessel of the higher energy.

Year or Cycle Two is focused on spiritual relating. You build on the energy base of the first year and begin to focus on relationship from a spiritual perspective and higher energy basis, including energy field exchange. You explore the basis of form and formlessness to understand better your individuality and thus the basis for your relations with others in a spiritual and temporal view. You learn how to penetrate structure and process more deeply with your spiritual awareness to reach the evolving essence of light within all things.

Year or Cycle Three is focused on radiance and service. Building on the base of the first two years, you explore your personal, spiritual higher purpose and your creativity in shaping forms to express your purpose with greater clarity and mastery. You increase the power and stability of the light you can generate, and learn transmission skills.

To integrate these shifts of consciousness, the Master of Divinity program teaches practices and tools for grounding and the development of a healthy, balanced self-awareness in relationship with others. The curriculum builds both a deep understanding of our inner world and new perspectives on our interactions with the outer world through the following components: daily meditation, laboratory observation and journaling, reflection on personal goals and spiritual direction, personalized tutoring, peer-to-peer reflective practice, service projects, online forums and telephone conferences with study buddies, a vibrational healing practicum, and regular feedback and assessment exchanges.

Click here to download the College Catalog with more details on the curriculum.

Blended independent, distance, and in-person learning

Study and practice independently at home using CDs and books on meditation, spiritual development, healing, counseling, practice, and ethics. The flexibility of the home study portion of the program allows you to earn your degree while meeting your commitments to home, family and career.

We use leading-edge education technology and teleconferencing to make distance learning simple, accessible, interactive, and convenient. Interaction with faculty and peers occurs online and through teleconferencing and is a key part of the overall learning experience. Our faculty's strong commitment to supporting your growth and development makes Gauden unique. You receive individualized attention for your growth and development from a member of the college faculty known as a Mentor who progresses with you throughout the program, Phase by Phase. Regular calls with your Mentor allow you to benefit from faculty experience while also enabling your Mentor to review your skills and support your progress. Every other Phase, you meet via teleconferencing with a meditation Tutor to discuss issues that arise from your daily meditation practice. You also receive quarterly support from a professional development Steward, and later in your studies, from a vibrational healing teacher with whom you apprentice, who reviews your practicum sessions in telephone tutorials.

Online forums with other students or "study buddies" offer an arena for peer practice and exploration with the subject matter of the course work. Each student has a wealth of life experience making forums a rich source of knowledge as well as an important part of community building and the distance learning experience.

In each year's program, three in-person courses or events are required, to receive the benefit of personalized live-class instruction from a qualified instructor and to offer opportunities to meet and share with other students. The in-person courses are offered in various locations, so some travel may be necessary.

Students receive assignments and turn in academic work via the internet, including a final paper describing an original service project conceived and designed by the student in partnership with the Mentor. The final examination and skills demonstration/celebration is conducted in-person, by the Mentor and a Skills Review Committee, in a group setting with other degree candidates.

For a detailed description of the M.Div. program, click here.
For more information about admissions to the M. Div program, click here.
See Welcome Letter from the Dean of the College of Divinity