Concordia Theological Seminary

Alternate Routes to Ordination

A program alternative to the traditional four-year MDiv for men who demonstrate exceptional circumstances warranting that they need not complete the MDiv to be certified for a call into the pastoral ministry of the LCMS. No academic degree is offered; a certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the 93-quarter-hour program.

Deaconess Certification

The Deaconess Certification program prepares women who already hold a Master's degree in Theology to study at an advanced and formative level so that they may be certified as deaconesses. Offered in residential and distance formats and requires 33 quarter hours. Upon completion a certificate is awarded; no academic degree is offered.

Deaconess Studies

The Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies prepares women for service to the church in the vocation of deaconess through theological education and formative practical experiences. Offered in residential and distance formats; students who complete it may pursue deaconess certification in the LCMS. Requires 72 quarter hours.

Divinity

The Master of Divinity degree program is reserved for men who are members of an LCMS congregation and is intended to lead directly to ordination into the ministerium of the LCMS. Students complete 139 quarter hours of coursework, ordinarily over four years including a vicarage year.

Ministry

The Doctor of Ministry program enhances a pastor's understanding and practice of ministry, combining classroom and contextual learning to integrate biblical and theological understanding with pastoral development, culminating in a project dissertation and oral defense. Requires 36 credit hours and is designed for pastors who normally have served at least three years in the ministry.

Missiology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology is a research degree program designed to prepare students for mission leadership in academia or the field, integrating biblical-confessional theology with study of the social contexts in which Christian witness takes place. Requires a minimum of 60 quarter hours.

Missionary Formation

An online formation certificate program CTSFW offers to missionaries already serving in the field. Students take five modules, each eight weeks in length and devoted to a particular topic related to missions; no academic prerequisites are required.

Pastoral Studies

A professional degree program designed for students from foreign contexts seeking the essential curriculum in Lutheran pastoral formation without vicarage or LCMS placement, or for LCMS students simultaneously enrolled in the Alternate Route program. Requires 72 hours of coursework; proficiency in New Testament Greek is a prerequisite.

Sacred Theology

The Master of Sacred Theology provides the opportunity to acquire specialized knowledge in a chosen field of theological study and to gain skills for scholarly work and research at an advanced level. The residential thesis program requires 27 quarter hours; a non-thesis option requires 30.

Specific Ministry Pastor

The Specific Ministry Pastor program trains pastoral leaders from existing or planned ministry and/or mission contexts where a residentially trained pastor or commissioned minister cannot be provided. SMP students complete 16 courses, year-round, within four years, including a vicarage.

Theological Studies

The Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies is the highest academic degree program of Confessional Lutheran Studies and Biblical Studies offered at CTSFW, designed to enable students to do original research and writing for vocations of teaching and research in theological schools. Requires a total of 60 quarter hours.