Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

. It was founded in 1902 to provide pastors for the rapidly growing Presbyterian Church in the frontier Southwest. It opened its doors to five students on October 1, 1902, at Ninth and Navasota Streets. The seminary moved to its present location adjacent to the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

campus in 1908.

History

Earlier institutions

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary was preceded by Austin School of Theology, 1884 – 1895, and Stuart Seminary, originally Stuart Female Seminary, 1876 – 1899.

Academics

The seminary offers three degrees: *

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...

, including the dual degree MDiv/MSSW offered in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work *

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

* Doctor of Ministry The seminary also offers non-degree programs, including two English-language certificates, the Certificate in Ministry and the Certificate in Jewish-Christian Relationship, and two Spanish-centric certificates, ''Certificado en Ministerio en Español'' and the bilingual Certificate in Christian Leadership for Hispanic Women. Education Beyond the Walls at Austin Seminary (EBW) offers workshops, webinars, and other opportunities for church leaders and the public. EBW also supports clergy through The College of Pastoral Leaders and Fellowships in Pastoral Leadership for Public Life programs. It resources ministry among Hispanic congregations through the Hispanic Ministries Mission Network, ''Instituto de Mujer Virtuosa Hispana,'' and Latinx Church Leadership Renewal Grants for congregational revitalization.

Accreditation and memberships

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the

Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. History The ATS was found ...

and the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

. It is a member of the Council of Southwestern Theological Schools,

American Schools of Oriental Research The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR), founded in 1900 as the American School of Oriental Study and Research in Palestine, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, which supports the research and teaching of ...

, and the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. The seminary is related to the

Synod of the Sun The Synod of the Sun is a higher governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. It has 11 Presbyteries, 687 congregations and 86,580 members (2022). The Synod is headquartered in the Da ...

and to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is one of the nine official PC(USA) seminaries. The seminary is approved by The University Senate of The United Methodist Church and attracts students from many Protestant denominations.

Campus

The campus comprises 12 acres in the center of

. Its main buildings include the McCord Community Center, McMillan Memorial Classroom Building, Trull Administration Building, the Mary B. and Robert J. Wright Learning and Information Center, Shelton Chapel, and student residential buildings, including duplexes, Currie Hall (a co-ed dormitory), McCoy House, and the John F. and Nancy Anderson House apartments.

Library and archives

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

The Stitt Collection contains approximately 96,000 print volumes and 399,000 ebooks. The Austin Seminary Archives collects, preserves, and provides access to material documenting the history of the seminary, as well as the work of the Presbyterian Church in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The Archives provides physical and intellectual access to the collections. One notable collection in the archives is The Apollo Prayer League collection, which contains a mounted Microform KJV Bible that was part of a set that traveled in the spacesuit of astronaut

Edgar D. Mitchell Edgar Dean "Ed" Mitchell (September 17, 1930 – February 4, 2016) was a United States Navy officer and United States Naval Aviator, aviator, test pilot, Aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer, Ufology, ufologist, and NASA astronaut. ...

during the 1971

Apollo 14 Apollo 14 (January 31February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to Moon landing, land on the Moon, and the first to land in the Geology of the Moon#Highlands, lunar highlands. It was the las ...

mission to the moon.

Notable alumni

Stuart Seminary

* Amelia Worthington Williams, Texas historian

References

External links

Official website
* {{Authority control Presbyterian Church (USA) seminaries

Presbyterian Theological Seminary The Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary was located at 3303 North 21st Place in North Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Opened in 1891 in downtown Omaha, the institution moved to the Kountze Place neighborhood in North Omaha in 1902 and closed i ...

Seminaries and theological colleges in Texas Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges established in 1902 Presbyterianism in Texas 1902 establishments in Texas