ACCREDITATION
Like many other top-tier schools and seminaries, Ecumenical Theological Seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools.
Accredited Degree Programs
Ecumenical Theological Seminary degrees are fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).
ETS degrees accredited by ATS include Onsite MDiv, Onsite MAPM, Onsite MA (academic), Online MA (academic), and The DMin. Accreditation means that the faculty and administration of ETS have engaged in years of research and have given extensive consideration to the many details that go into making a degree from ETS a quality and respected degree.
The process of accreditation is a rigorous one. The highest academic and administrative standards are required of the school, to meet the accountability of ATS accreditation.
A non-accredited degree program at another institution may seem more appealing because of the price. Non-accredited schools, however, are not accountable to an external accrediting review process, and therefore they can do whatever they want. In the end, the cost may be less, but so is the value of the degree. It is also a very real problem that credits earned for courses taken at non-accredited schools cannot be transferred to accredited schools. The value just isn’t there.
Hiring institutions, churches, denominations, etc., view a degree from an accredited school as an invaluable necessity because of the recognized quality and proven academic rigor of the instruction provided.
Examples of ATS-accredited schools include Aquinas Institute of Theology (St. Louis), Chicago Theological Seminary, Covenant Theological Seminary (St. Louis), Eden Theological Seminary (St. Louis), Harvard University Divinity School (Boston), Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Princeton Theological Seminary, Saint Paul School of Theology (Kansas City), University of Chicago Divinity School, Wartburg Theological Seminary (Dubuque), Yale University Divinity School.
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ETS is in very good company. You would be too after earning your accredited degree from ETS!
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Association of Theological Schools
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275 1110
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Telephone: 412.788.6505
Fax: 412.788.6510
www.ats.edu
Educational Values
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Cultural Context
We promote ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and action across a spectrum of faith traditions. We facilitate relationships among city, suburban and rural congregations and colleagues.
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Spiritual Formation
We seek to develop an ever-expanding consciousness of the way spiritual and social realities affect each other. We seek to foster justice at local, national and global levels, beginning with accountability to ourselves, our churches and to those who are marginalized.
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Community Ministry
We seek to connect academic theory with life practice. We ground ministerial vision and social action in our life of prayer, encouraging ongoing reflection regarding self, community, and world concerns in relationship to God.
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Religious Heritage
We seek to utilize educational methods that are flexible, transformational, and uniquely relevant to the needs of our students and our world. We encourage members of our learning community to evaluate and utilize insights from broad spectrums of faith, culture and life experience.
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Student Learning Outcomes​
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Demonstrate ability to engage in issues using sound, ethical, multicultural and justice-focused decision-making
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Demonstrate ability to engage social issues using sound, ethical, multicultural, and justice-focused, critical decision-making
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Develop ecumenical awareness as it impacts effectiveness in ministry practices
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Increase competence in dealing with interfaith issues
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Demonstrate competence in dealing with interfaith issues
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Become effective leaders in contemporary spiritual, justice, and religious issues of the day
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Demonstrate effective leadership in contemporary spiritual, justice, and religious issues
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Prepare and implement worship services with sound biblical and theological principles
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Demonstrate effective leadership, administrative, and critical thinking skills, reflecting on contemporary issues
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Demonstrate the ability to critically articulate the biblical, theological, and historical development of the Christian tradition and relate it to contemporary religious issues
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Demonstrate competence in biblical interpretation when addressing contemporary justice issues
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Demonstrate historical awareness when addressing contemporary justice issues
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Demonstrate a diverse knowledge of Scripture, theology, ethics and moral theology in historic and the modern global context.
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Understand how contextuality informs theological interpretation.
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Interpret Scripture in a wide range of ministry contexts.
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Understand how contextuality informs ethical considerations.
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Perform scholarly interdisciplinary research.
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Effectively serve faith-based organizations as leaders and teachers.
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Ability to utilize multiple theological methodological approaches.
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Produce a scholarly thesis/research paper.
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Demonstrate ability to engage in issues using sound, ethical, multicultural and justice-focused decision-making
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Develop ecumenical awareness as it impacts effectiveness in ministry practices
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Increase competence in dealing with interfaith issues
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Become effective leaders in contemporary spiritual, justice, and religious issues of the day
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Prepare and implement worship services with sound biblical and theological principles
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Demonstrate effective leadership, administrative, and critical thinking skills, reflecting on contemporary issues
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Demonstrate the ability to critically articulate the biblical, theological, and historical development of the Christian tradition and relate it to contemporary religious issues
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Examine and analyze ethical, multi-cultural, and justice-focused study that impacts ministry for the poor and the privileged
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Engage in ecumenical practices and dialogues to understand the various ministry contexts
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Enhance effective leadership skills by integrating social, racial, economic, environmental, cultural, and political issues in their research and practice of ministry
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Establish effective administrative practices through efficient ministerial supervision, pastoral analysis, and organizational management
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Demonstrate integration of new biblical, theological, and historical reflection in their context of ministerial leadership
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Effectively serve faith-based organizations as leaders and teachers.
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Successfully communicate with people of diverse gender, racial, experiential, and faith backgrounds, and articulate ways in which systemic dynamics (such as power) effect and influence these communications.
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Interpret Scripture in a wide range of ministry contexts using solid principles of exegesis.
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Communicate in effective ways your knowledge of scripture, theology, and ethics to a variety of contemporary ministry contexts.
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Understand how contextuality informs theological interpretation and ethical considerations.
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Statement of Educational Effectiveness
ETS prides itself on serving non-traditional students. Almost all of our students are second-career students, and are attending graduate school while working, caring for their families, and serving in their churches. As a result, our graduation statistics look a little different from those of most schools as well. We’re not concerned with the percentage of students who finish their Master of Divinity in 3 years, because most of our students are attending school part-time and plan to take much longer to finish their degree. We’re more concerned with whether our students finish in a timeframe that works for them and helps them to meet their own goals.
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Our most recent graduation statistics are presented below; these include both the percentage of students who have completed their degree/diploma, as well as students who are continuing to work towards completing. Combining these two statistics gives a more complete picture of the work ETS is doing to serve its student body.
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Our graduates go on to do work in many different areas of ministry, most frequently parish ministry and chaplaincy. In a typical graduating class, roughly half of our Master of Divinity students will find an immediate calling, while most of the others continue to work towards ordination through their denomination. Many of our Urban Ministry Diploma students enter into the program as pastors, deacons, and teachers in their churches, and continue these roles after graduation. ETS continues to be proud of the work our students and graduates do in the community of Detroit and beyond.
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Of the 2021 graduates, 6 responded to our survey – 3 Doctor of Ministry graduates, and 3 Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry graduates. These graduates reported an average completion time of 3 years for the Doctoral program, and 6 years for the Master’s program. 3 of these students were ordained at the time of graduation, with 2 additional students licensed by their religious communities. 4 of the students indicated that they had already secured employment at the time of graduation, while 2 of the graduates would begin seeking employment.
Ecumenical Theological Seminary is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).