Westminster partners with Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to offer path to Master of Divinity degree

Westminster College and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary have established a 3+3 program partnership to offer Westminster students an accelerated path toward earning a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree.

A partnership agreement was signed on the Westminster College campus on Tuesday, Dec. 14, by Dr. Jamie G. McMinn, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Westminster, and the Rev. Dr. Leanna K. Fuller, interim dean of faculty and vice president for academic affairs at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

The 3+3 program will enable students in any discipline to earn both a bachelor’s degree and Master of Divinity degree in just six years. The agreement allows Westminster College students to earn the final 30 credits of their bachelor’s degree at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, while simultaneously pursuing their M.Div. degree.

Students must indicate their intent to participate in the program during their first year at Westminster. Qualifying students must complete their major and general education requirements by the end of their junior year and formally apply to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary no later than Feb. 1 of their junior year.

“Westminster College and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary share many historical ties through the Presbytery, especially when considering the number of Westminster alumni who have benefited from graduate studies at the seminary,” said McMinn. “With this new agreement, both institutions clear the way for Westminster students to enter a high-quality graduate program that further prepares them for a life of discernment, service and leadership as they explore what it means to enter the ministry in a period marked by medical and sociocultural complexities.”

While a Master of Divinity degree can lead to careers in ordained ministry, it can also prepare students for a wide variety of jobs in other fields such as chaplaincy positions, church leadership, counseling and teaching.

“Westminster College and Pittsburgh Seminary share a vision of education as holistic-encompassing not only students’ knowledge, but their creativity, curiosity, ethics, spirituality and relationships,” said Fuller.  “This partnership will benefit both of our institutions and, most importantly, the students who learn in our communities.”

“We are optimistic that this academic agreement is the first of several that we will be able to offer to Westminster students moving forward, and I am appreciative of the collaborative spirit that our friends at Pittsburgh Seminary have brought to this process,” said McMinn. Westminster recently entered into another 3+3 partnership program with Widener University Commonwealth Law School, allowing students to obtain a bachelor’s and law degree in just six years.

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, founded in 1794, is a Presbyterian graduate seminary offering master’s and doctor of ministry degrees in addition to certificate programs. For more information, please visit www.pts.edu.

For more information about the partnership, please contact McMinn at 724-946-7121 or mcminnjg@westminster.edu.

Top photo, officials from Westminster and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary gather for the articulation agreement signing. From left are the Rev. Erin Davenport, director of strategic initiatives and special projects (PTS); the Rev. Dr. Leanna Fuller, interim dean of faculty and vice president for academic affairs (PTS); the Rev. Dr. Asa Lee, president (PTS); Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, president (Westminster); Dr. Jamie McMinn, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college (Westminster); the Rev. James Mohr II, chaplain (Westminster); Dr. Russell Martin, professor of history and history/religion department chair.  Bottom photo, the Rev. Dr. Leanna Fuller and Dr. Jamie McMinn officially sign the articulation agreement between Westminster and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

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