Luther Seminary is committed to continually enhancing our education to meet the needs of the church and world. To this end, faculty and staff are busy preparing for the rollout of a new curriculum for the Master of Divinity and Master of Arts programs in the 2014-15 academic year.
The new curriculum is a response to the changing needs of congregations and church leaders around the world. Students continue to bring a vast array of education and life experiences to Luther Seminary. The new curriculum offers greater flexibility to meet their distinct needs and interests. Our hope and goal is that students will not only learn how to lead in today’s church, they’ll learn how to adapt to the changing nature of their ministries moving forward as well.
Some things will stay the same. True to the mission of Luther Seminary, education is based in the good news of God in Jesus Christ. We are committed to educating Christian leaders who are strong in their faith and understanding, as well as flexible in how they share the gospel. Learning will continue to be fostered by stellar faculty members in class, online and in small-group discussion.
Some new dimensions will be introduced as well. Based on best practices, there is a new emphasis on building strong cohort groups. These groups will provide a supportive environment in which students move through their theological education together. Student success will be based on key outcomes, which reflect what is learned as well as the impact students will have in the communities they will lead. These outcomes will be demonstrated in student portfolios that show the breadth of their learning.
On a practical level, it is our hope that the flexibility offered with the new curriculum will make a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree increasingly more viable for the development of leaders for Christian communities. The new curriculum is thoughtfully designed and marks an exciting transformation in the field of seminary education—one that is more responsive to the communities our leaders are called to serve.
Watch for updates regarding the implementation of the new curriculum in the coming months. The spring issue of Story magazine will be devoted to further exploration of this exciting new curriculum.