• Program Requirements

Ordinarily a student will be able to complete the academic requirements for this program in six terms (three academic years). The requirements for graduation include the satisfactory completion of courses totalling 95 hours of credit. Students desiring to take two biblical languages in their diploma program may defer one of their first-year courses to the second year. Students who complete a major portion of their diploma program through part-time studies, prior to becoming full-time students, may find that scheduling conflicts can develop which would lengthen their total program by a term or two.

Because the aim of the diploma program is preparation for the professional ministry, students in this program must have obtained by the end of their first term, endorsement as acceptable ministry candidates by the church of which they are a member. Continuance in the diploma program after the first term is contingent upon the maintenance of such an endorsement.

Requirements for Graduation in Addition to the Six Terms of Academic Study

Supervised pastoral education: Every student must successfully complete 12 weeks of supervised (clinical) pastoral education. This course is normally taken during the summer after the first or second academic year. Students who can demonstrate an equivalency of this requirement may apply to the seminary faculty for the waiver of the SPE requisite.

Internship: Students preparing for the professional ministry must meet the internship and/or field education requirements of the church of which they are a member. Students preparing for the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada must successfully complete one year of internship in a parish or in an institutional ministry. This is normally taken after the second year.

Contextual education: Students preparing for the ordained ministry are required, as part of their contextual ministry courses, to be involved satisfactorily in the life of a congregation. Placements are arranged through the supervisor of contextual education.

In addition to completing successfully the academic courses, students must be judged by the seminary faculty to be capable of assuming the professional responsibilities of the ordained ministry. Any student not meeting these requirements may be required by the principal-dean of the Seminary to withdraw from the program.