Are you one of the estimated 46 million Americans who have some college education, but not a completed undergraduate degree?* Have you also spent time or are currently serving in a ministerial or pastoral context? Do you feel God’s call and desire a seminary education, but are uncertain you are educationally qualified? If you answered yes to these questions, Winebrenner Seminary’s Educational Journey process with Bachelor Equivalency might be just what you are looking for.
Bachelor Equivalency
The Educational Journey application process at Winebrenner Theological Seminary evaluates earned college credits and life experience. Using a system that combines a review of earned college credits and life experience, Winebrenner may be able to offer you the opportunity to enroll in a graduate program without the time and expense of completing your undergraduate degree. This Educational Journey application process is designed to maintain academic quality and integrity, and offer a pathway to seminary for those without an undergraduate degree.
Unearned Undergraduate Degree
Recently I spoke with a potential student I will call John. John told me his early college years found him more focused on his social life than his academic life. As a result, he now has dozens of college credits, but he never completed his undergraduate degree. John is now a 43-year-old, married, father of four who has been serving as an associate pastor for over seven years. He understands the importance of seminary education and wants to obtain his graduate degree. Winebrenner, with a robust process to determine Bachelor Equivalency, allowed John to apply through our Educational Journey process. A team of qualified staff evaluated John’s credits and his experience, subsequently approving his application. This process became the educational bridge John needed for his journey, and he is now a student in our Master of Arts in Practical Theology program. John is just one of many prospective seminary students in this same position.
Equipping Leaders
The mission of Winebrenner is to equip leaders for service in God’s Kingdom. The Educational Journey process with Bachelor Equivalency is just one of many ways in which Winebrenner works to fulfill this mission. As many have said, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” Ephesians 4: 11-12 tells us, “Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the Body of Christ may be built up.” Winebrenner Seminary recognizes that ministerial/pastoral leaders come from many different backgrounds and with a variety of educational experience. Maybe this is the time to consider if Winebrenner may be able to help you qualify for seminary, and as a Christ-focused servant, transform the world you serve actively being a part of building up the Body of Christ.
Contact Us
If you are interested in the Educational Journey application process and Bachelor Equivalency through Winebrenner Theological Seminary, contact Enrollment Management at admissions@winebrenner.edu. In as few as two years, you may be graduating with a Master’s degree. Winebrenner offers the following degrees: Master of Arts in Practical Theology (available fully online), Master of Divinity, and Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling.
God’s grace and peace to you as you journey through this wondrous calling.
*Statistics taken from a Lumina Foundation report; Scaling Completion College Services as a Model for Increasing Adult Completion. Nate Johnson and Ali Bell, December 2014. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED555863.pdf
by Amy Kinney
Director of Enrollment Management
Background photo by Andreea Ch from Pexels