Study Leave for Ministry Professionals

Study Leave for Ministry Professionals is for Christian institutional leaders and pastors of all traditions who want to spend a week immersed in learning and renewal through self-directed study, worship and prayer on the Duke University campus.

While on campus, study leave participants have full access to university libraries, community worship and lectures. Special arrangements can be made for participants to audit courses or meet privately with Divinity School faculty.

Unlike traditional continuing education events that offer a specific course of study, Study Leave allows each participant to propose a study topic during the registration process. Previous participants have studied such topics as church history, Christian tradition, Scripture, worship, ethics and preaching.

Ideal candidates for this program are those who have a clear proposal and who will plan their time to include many aspects of the campus experience.

The program lasts five days, and participants can choose from a list of available dates. Each hour spent studying, auditing a class, meeting with faculty, worshipping or researching is worth 0.1 Continuing Education Units. Twenty hours of study are expected during the week, for a minimum award of 2.0 CEU.

Scholarships are available for clergy serving Duke Endowment churches or who are members of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.