In Western Christian theology , a Bachelor of Divinity ( BD or BDiv ) is usually an undergraduate academic degree given for courses taken in the study of divinity . At some institutions , the BD is a higher degree than the Bachelor of Arts . The Master of Divinity has replaced the Bachelor of Divinity in most American seminaries as the first professional degree , since the latter title implies in the American academic system that it is on a par with a Bachelor of Arts or other basic undergraduate education .