BD is a standard undergraduate degree in religious studies, unlike the more theologically Christian-orientated BDs of the others, where there are options for specialising in Christian theology or religious studies in general depending on module selection. Ireland In Ireland, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth (Pontifical University) offer the Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD) degree to students who already have completed studies in theology or philosophy. The Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy and most other Roman Catholic seminaries (Clonliffe College, Thurles, Carlow, Dominican House of Studies(Studium), etc.), would also have awarded the BD degree. Trinity College, Dublin, as it traditionally did for Church of Ireland clergy, offers a Bachelor in Divinity (BD) as a postgraduate degree; it is the highest ranking bachelor's degree and is so senior that it outranks all degrees but doctorates. It requires a significant contribution to knowledge in the area of Christian theology, and is awarded based on the completion of eight examination papers and a 40,000 word thesis within five years. The Presbyterian Union Theological College previously awarded the Bachelor of Divinity as an undergraduate qualification as part of Queen's University, Belfast. India In India, the seminaries affiliated to Senate of Serampore College (University) offer Bachelor of Divinity as a postgraduate degree. In order to be eligible for Bachelor of Divinity program one must already possess an undergraduate degree. Those with Bachelor of Theology (B.Th) degree are allowed to have a lateral entry into Bachelor of Divinity courses. It is mandatory to have a BD degree or its equivalent to enter into Master of Theology (M.Th) program at SSC Seminaries. Other countries The Bachelor of Divinity degree offered in the region of South Asia by the affiliated colleges under the Senate of Serampore College is a graduate degree with post-graduate requirement for admission, in the sense that only graduates can register for BD. The university is going through change to adopt a three-year BD course with field-work and expand its accessibility through distance education, this will be considered as the essential degree for ordination in the diasporic Christian churches. Meanwhile, the university have implemented a five-year integrated and research oriented MDiv program with specializations. The same used to apply in New Zealand, where the undergraduate degree is Bachelor of Theology (BTheol). Until recently both were offered at the University of Otago. The BD was the older, postgraduate degree and was usually attained by people training for ministry