A Bachelor of Divinity is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a courses taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies. At some institutions, the BD is regarded as a better degree than the BA, however. At Oxford University the BD is still regarded as a postgraduate qualification, and whilst it is regarded as an undergraduate degree at St Andrew's, applicants must have already completed a Bachelors degree before being accepted on the course.
In most modern universities, however, the BD is essentially equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts degree with a specialty in divinity. Relatively few institutions award Bachelor of Divinity degrees today, and the distinction between institutions which do award such degrees and those which award B.A. degrees for theological subjects is usually one of university bureaucracy, rather than curriculum.
The Bachelor of Divinity degree is frequently abbreviated as BD.
