The pre-seminary program provides academic preparation in the liberal arts for professional study for full-time pastoral ministry in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Following the earning of the baccalaureate degree, the pre-seminary student continues his program of study at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, or Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.

The mission of pre-seminary education is to prepare students for theological studies and pastoral formation at a seminary of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. This preparation ordinarily encompasses biblical knowledge, biblical language competency, and understanding of Lutheran doctrine; competency in communication skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening; skills in critical thinking and philosophical inquiry; acquisition of a global perspective; the understanding of and appreciation for the Lutheran ethos, identity, and ethic; and helping the student to perceive, proclaim, teach, and live out the centrality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the whole world.

Program Learning Outcomes

Outcomes will depend upon the major and/or minor of the student's choice.

Curriculum

Pre-seminary students must take REL 201 Old Testament, REL 203 New Testament, and REL 204 Biblical Theology through the core and are encouraged to include two majors in their studies: theological languages and applied theology. These majors are designed to prepare students for the seminary competency examinations in the Old Testament, New Testament, Christian Doctrine, Greek, and Hebrew. These majors also include broader liberal arts studies in German or Latin, communication, writing, social science, and philosophy, all of which are helpful for theological study on a graduate level. Students in the pre-seminary program may choose other majors and minors, but must always include at least a minor in theological languages.

Students must have a minimum of 126 credits in order to graduate as part of the pre-seminary program. 

Program Admission

Application for Entry into the Pre-Seminary Program

Since the public ministry of Word and Sacrament is an office of the Church of Christ, it demands individuals exhibiting the highest level of talent, personal knowledge, aptitude, skill, and Christian character. For this reason the following criteria have been established for acceptance into the Pre-Seminary Program of Concordia University Ann Arbor. Application is generally made in the second semester of the sophomore year.

1. Successful completion of a minimum of 45 semester hours of credit.
2. CGPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. (Probationary acceptance may be given to students with a CGPA of at least 2.0 if other requirements are met.)
3. Evidence of proficiency in English and foreign languages appropriate to the pre-seminary program.
4. Submission of a completed application form, available from the theology office.
5. Completion of basic theology courses.
6. Exhibition of exemplary Christian life-style.
7. Interviews with and written recommendation of the pre-seminary director.

Acceptance Procedure

1. Notification of acceptance into the program will be made by letter.
2. Notification of non-acceptance or probationary acceptance of the applicant will also be made by letter after the interview with the pre-seminary director.
3. A copy of this letter is filed in the applicant’s folder in the pre-seminary director's office.
4. A student who is refused acceptance into the pre-seminary program may re-apply up to two more times. Acceptance into the pre-seminary program is not a requirement for the successful completion of a student's major.

 Program Continuation

To maintain ‘‘good standing’’ status in the pre-seminary program, a student must maintain a 2.5 CGPA.