Academic Degrees and Programs

Our Master of Divinity program prepares men and women for ordained ministry by equipping, empowering and forming those called by God to serve the church. The M.Div. also gives foundational training for ministries in mission, social service, evangelism, education, pastoral care, chaplaincy, and theological research.

Two Pathways:

• In-Residence Master of Divinity
• Distance Learning Master of Divinity

A versatile foundation for counseling, social work, chaplaincy, and vocational ministry

Are you passionate about making a difference in this world? The Dual Track M.Div.-MSW degree program can prepare you for professional ministry where Christian theology and faith meet the pain and struggle of human life. You will learn to integrate the theory, knowledge, and skills required of pastors and social workers as they seek to be instruments of grace and peace.

The M.A. is designed to provide men and women with the resources for thoughtful and competent Christian leadership in a broad range of ministry settings.  It is grounded in integrated reflection on Scripture, systematic theology, and core Christian practices.

Western has five M.A. programs:

• If you are a ministry practitioner, the Master of Arts in Christian Ministry will provide resources for you to be formed for thoughtful Christian service.
• The Master of the Arts in Disability and Ministry offers specialized training for those who seek to work toward empowering all of God’s people in ministry and witness.
• Whether you are teaching, counseling, pursuing justice, working with a non-profit organization, or sharing the good news, the Master of the Arts in Biblical Studies will prepare you through the study of original languages and biblical texts to form a biblically-based, contextually informed, and culturally sensitive grounding for your ministry.
• Our Master of Arts in Theology is a flexible degree for Christians looking to deepen theological and scriptural foundations for all kinds of witness, leadership, and service.
• The Master of Arts in Christian Studies is our most flexible degree program. Fully half of the 42 credits needed to earn this degree are electives. That means YOU decide what interests you and where you want to focus your learning.

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Developing church leaders for mission and ministry around the world

The Master of Theology (Th.M.) program is designed to enable qualified graduates of post-baccalaureate degree programs in theology (i.e., the M.Div. degree or its equivalent) to broaden and deepen their theological knowledge.  Students in the program will:

• participate in core seminars with a cohort of ThM students
• take advanced electives drawn from the broader course offerings
• pursue research in a specialized area under the guidance of a faculty member

The Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Ministry prepares pastors, elders, and ministers for church leadership or church planting.

Three versions of the program to choose from:

Church planting & multiplication emphasis
a unique collaboration between the seminary and experienced practitioners and planters within the Harbor Churches network

• Provides strengthened skills for pastoral ministry with an emphasis on missional church planting and multiplication
• Classes taught by both WTS faculty and experienced pastors from Harbor Churches
• Deeper biblical and theological knowledge
• Increased ability to share the gospel of Jesus Christ
• A community of peers to challenge and support you
• A pathway for RCA Commissioned Pastors to complete their required training criteria
• Momentum toward a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree

Church leadership emphasis
Preparing pastors, elders, ministers, and church leaders for ministry today

• Provides strengthened skills for pastoral ministry for the next generation
• Classes taught by both WTS faculty and bilingual professors from multicultural backgrounds
• Deeper biblical and theological knowledge
• Increased ability to share the gospel of Jesus Christ
• A community of peers to challenge and support you
• Insight into relating across cultures
• Momentum toward a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree

Soul Care Emphasis

A unique collaboration between the seminary and Potter’s Inn Soul Care Institute

• Strengthened skills for pastoral ministry with an emphasis on counsel and care
• Classes taught by both WTS faculty and experienced faculty from the Soul Care Institute.
• Deeper biblical and theological knowledge
• Increased ability to minister to others without burnout
• A community of peers to challenge and support you
• Momentum toward a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree

Helping you dig deeper into questions of disability & theology

You’ve been called to be a church leader and you know that means ministering to and with everyone—especially those who are so often left out or feel separated from the congregation. You want to grow in ministry, yet your educational needs are unique because the issues you deal with are specific to those with disabilities. Western Theological Seminary offers you the Graduate Certificate in Disability and Ministry:

• Strength in the art and practice of ministering to those with disabilities
• Deeper biblical and theological knowledge
• Increased ability to share the gospel of Jesus Christ
• Insights into relating across cultures
• Practical tools for dynamic preaching
• Community of peers to challenge and support you
• Momentum toward a Master of Divinity degree

The Graduate Program for Christian Educators is a 15 credit program that can be completed either in-residence or fully online.  

This program is designed with Christian School educators in mind. Its purpose is to help educators enrich integration between faith and learning as they guide students through complicated life challenges. The program focuses on mission-oriented Christian discipleship and digging deeper into scripture and theology. Choose from a wide array of electives in fields such as counseling, disability and ministry, leadership, and spiritual formation.

The Doctor of Ministry provides a flexible professional program for nurturing your ministry identity.

Strengthen your practice of ministry by developing your capacity in critical biblical and theological reflection, reliable social research and cultural discernment, and missional vision and practice in ministry. Tailored learning units, peer collegiality, faculty mentoring, and annual on-campus seminars will nourish these capacities for learning and ministry leadership growth.

Western Theological Seminary allows those who wish to register for seminary courses without enrolling in one of our degree programs to apply for non-degree-seeking status. Those admitted as non-degree-seeking students may audit courses or take courses for credit. Those wanting academic credit for a course are subject to all regular academic requirements.

Non-degree-seeking students may not register for more than 15 semester credit hours without receiving permission from the academic dean. Formation for Ministry courses and directed-study courses are not available to non-degree-seeking students.