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Messages from the President & Director of Admissions

Degrees, Diploma, and Certificates

United offers innovative and rigorous academic programs to serve those who seek theological education for a wide variety of applications and ministries. As you review the degrees and their requirements, note the forward-looking curricula that are recognized for careful integration of academic knowledge, practical skills, spiritual formation, and ethical commitment.

Also intrinsic to the academic experience are the emphasis on the ability to analyze the context of ministry, the challenge of learning how to think, not what to think, and an ecumenical, multifaith, multiracial community in which open dialogue across differences is learned and cultivated.

PREPARATION FOR ORDAINED AND LAY MINISTRY

Three degrees at United focus on preparation for leadership within religious communities and institutions:

Master of Divinity (M.Div.) - Prepares people for ordained leadership in a broad array of religious communities. Master of Arts in Religious Leadership Degree (MARL) - Prepares people for professional ministerial roles that do not require ordination and ordained leadership roles in communions that do not require the M.Div. Doctor of Ministry Degree (D.Min.) - For religious leaders who wish to expand or re-energize their ministries.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ENRICHMENT

Master of Arts Degree (MA)

People who want to pursue theological and religious questions in a broad and systematic way, or would like to add theological depth to their existing professional work, or wish to prepare for doctoral study in theology and religion have an academic home suited to their needs in United’s Master of Arts degree. This degree is adaptable to a broad array of interests and purposes through its four concentrations: Religion and Theology, Theology and the Arts, Women’s Studies, and Leadership toward Racial Justice.

Diploma in Advanced Theological Studies

For students from outside the United States and Canada who already have theological training and wish to pursue a year of advanced study in the United States, United offers the Diploma in Advanced Theological Studies. This one-year program is highly adaptable to the individual student’s specific needs.

Certificates

United’s two certificate programs offer an opportunity for focused and in-depth study in areas of a student’s particular interest or areas that will equip the student for more effective leadership in church and society. These five-course programs are: Certificate in Theological and Religious Studies and Certificate in Leadership toward Racial Justice.

Non-degree Enrollment Status

One can also pursue study at United without any pre-set curriculum. This approach, called non-degree status, is particularly suited for individuals who wish to try out theological education or to pursue their own interests without concern for earning an academic credential.