Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) is an Episcopal theological seminary founded in 1893. Its current focus is preparation for ministry in the Episcopal Church, with a fully hybrid Master of Divinity (MDiv) designed for students who need to remain in their home communities and often keep working while they study. The school is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, and the MDiv is the degree it currently identifies as approved.

How the hybrid MDiv works

The four-year program combines one facilitated online course each quarter with four in-person gatherings per year. Students complete spiritual formation with a cohort and local field education in their own ministry context, rather than following the former three-year residential model. CDSP’s quarterly gatherings take place with partner dioceses; the school says it subsidizes travel, and covers housing and meals for the required sessions. Applicants should discuss the travel calendar, local formation arrangements and their diocese’s role with admissions before committing.

For the 2027–28 intake, CDSP says it will consider 12–15 MDiv students. The application asks for three reference letters, transcripts, documented consent from the applicant’s bishop and an interview. The priority deadline is January 20, 2027; later applications may be considered as space allows. The school also offers CALL continuing education courses for lay and ordained learners who want selected courses without applying to the MDiv. Its degree and admissions page explains the current format and entry process.

Tuition support and the post-graduation path

For 2026–27, listed MDiv tuition is $700 per unit, but every admitted MDiv student receives the Trinity-CDSP Scholarship for Ordained Leadership, which covers tuition. Required gathering housing and meals are covered, and travel is subsidized. That makes the published per-unit charge different from the expected tuition bill for an admitted MDiv student; ask what personal expenses, technology, local formation or travel costs remain. The school’s scholarship and support page sets out the terms.

CDSP also describes a two-year funded curacy after graduation, developed with the student and their bishop or representative. Its materials say MDiv students qualify in consultation with school and diocesan leadership; applicants should confirm placement eligibility and location rather than assume a particular position. A curacy includes salary and benefits and is intended to provide mentored ministry experience after the degree. This vocational route is specific to Episcopal ministry and may not fit students seeking a broadly academic theology degree or preparation in another denomination.

Student perspectives and what has changed

Student comments posted before the transition praised the academic rigor, approachable professors and community life. Those accounts date from 2021, when CDSP was still part of Berkeley’s residential Graduate Theological Union environment, so they do not describe the current hybrid program or its gatherings. Read them as historical context, then ask the school to connect you with current students about workload, cohort support and spiritual formation in the low-residence format. A small number of public comments cannot establish typical outcomes.

Berkeley contact information: the former campus is no longer a walk-in site

CDSP lists its address as 2450 Le Conte Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709, and its main phone as (510) 204-0700. The seminary announced that it left its Berkeley campus in May 2025; its current degree model is hybrid, with gatherings hosted through partner dioceses. The address remains on the official contact pages, but the school does not publish public office hours or advertise a walk-in campus. Contact admissions before traveling. For questions about the MDiv or to begin an application, use the official application and admissions page or email admissions@cdsp.edu.