UTS is an interfaith seminary that seeks to serve students from the world's religions, and an ecumenical seminary that enrolls students from a wide variety of Christian churches.It offers three degree programs. The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Program is a non-residential program aimed at developing ministerial leadership at an advanced level. UTS also offers certificate and continuing education programs. The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Program is a three-year course of study to prepare men and women for pastoral leadership. The M.A. in Religious Studies is a broad-based degree program for students who seek to integrate their faith with knowledge of religions and their impact on society, and who may be seeking to equip themselves for a variety of ministries, especially for the task of building peace among religions and cultures or for non-profit leadership.The Master of Religious Education (M.R.E.) Program is a two-year program with two concentrations-Religious Education and Interfaith Peacebuilding andhas the flexibility to prepare students for a variety of lay ministries. The Interfaith Peacebuilding concentration develops educators and peace workers who are equipped to address all the dimensions of peacebuilding: peace within the individual, peace in the family, and peace among the world's peoples, nations, religions and races. The curriculum is rooted in the premise that peacebuilding requires attention first to the spiritual causes of conflict as a basis for effective action.
The Seminary'sNew York location affords students from a wide array of Christian churches the opportunity to focus on Biblical Studies, Urban Ministry, Peace and Justice Ministry, Interfaith Studies, or whatever they need to succeed in their chosen ministries. The Seminary's interdenominational faculty assures a diversity of faith perspectives. UTS students can also prepare for ordination in their respective denominations by taking any courses required by their denominational bodies to complete their ordination requirements.
Unificationist students also have the opportunity to select courses designed for in-depth study of their faith tradition, including study of the Korean language as the church's language of faith.
Each of UTS's programs strives to balance theological instruction with training in practical skills. Grounding in the basic theological disciplines of Scriptural Studies, Living Traditions and Theology is necessary to understand the complexities and nuances of religious discourse, and to develop an empathetic understanding of the beliefs of others. One pillar of the bridge to interfaith understanding is thorough grounding in one's own faith; the other pillar is familiarity with the other traditions, whether in the Christian family or spanning the world's religions. The theological disciplines address both of these.
Professional courses equip students with practical skills for diverse forms of ministry. Contemporary religious leaders must be equipped with a variety of skills necessary for their multi‑faceted role as pastor, teacher, counselor and public figure. The Ministry and Religious Education curricula include a broad range of courses that move from theoretical foundations to develop student abilities through practical experience. Elective courses provide opportunities to concentrate in specific areas of ministry, including pastoral counseling, conflict resolution, church growth, character education and management.
Field Education is an integral part of the UTS programs, enabling students to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience in a variety of pastoral and educational roles. Internship placements are in professional settings under the supervision of trained supervisors. They may involve full-time apprenticeship in a church or non-profit setting for a period of up to 3 months. A new feature of the program is Clinical Pastoral Education, where students fulfill internships as chaplains in hospital or prison settings for the purpose of becoming a licensed chaplain.
Given the powerful influence of the American media globally, ministers and church workers around the world are faced with the task of communicating the unchanging truth of God in a world saturated by American culture. For this reason, many international students come to UTS in order to receive theological education within an American cultural milieu. |