About

Our unwavering commitment is to the preparation of women and men for pastoral ministry. Austin Seminary has a strong reputation in theology and biblical studies, as well as in preaching, worship, and practical experience for pastoral ministry. While a large percentage of our graduates serve in the parish, we recognize that God calls people to a variety of ministries and we are dedicated to educating the people of God for the church of God. Whatever your call, there’s no better place to acquire a solid foundation for Christian ministry than at Austin Seminary. In a recent survey of graduating students, the top three areas in which they felt stronger because of their Austin Seminary education were: trust in God, self-knowledge, and respect for their religious tradition.

In recent studies, Austin has ranked first as the “best city for relocating families,” second among “top creative cities,” third “best city for singles.” Home to one of the nation’s largest universities as well as the seat of state government, Austin is a welcoming community whose cultural diversity and tolerant attitude make it easy to fit in. We delight in our claim as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” where you can hear the symphony perform on the banks of Lady Bird Lake just steps from a statue commemorating Austin blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughn. More than 150 restaurants and clubs within ten minutes of campus offer a smorgasbord of culinary and musical fare. Life in Austin is largely lived outdoors in the city’s parks, trails, spring-fed pools, and lakes. Chances are you’ll fall in love with Austin as you discover that our unofficial slogan, “Keep Austin Weird,” is about cherishing our natural resources, homegrown businesses, and authentic Tex-Mex cuisine along with hosting the world's largest music/film/interactive festival as well as the largest urban colony of Mexican freetail bats. 

Students, faculty, and staff model the unity and diversity of the church, evidenced in a student-driven Beloved Community Covenant. Our community’s broad geographical, theological, experiential, and age representation means that you will engage in conversations that both nurture and challenge your own deeply held beliefs. Such is the path toward self knowledge, one of the most important attributes for a capable Christian leader. Our community is enhanced by international students through our Global Partnership program. While we continue to strive for even greater racial-ethnic diversity, the faculty and students we attract are a rich source of inspiration and challenge to the dominant culture. One commitment to cross-cultural diversity is evidenced  in our Certificate program in Jewish Christian Relationships. And all MDiv and MATS students are eligible for a Gunther Scholarship which helps to subsidize an international or cross-cultural experience. 

Many places brag about their faculty-student ratios—an important factor, and ours is an intimate ten to one. At Austin Seminary, however, we’re more interested in faculty-student relationships—which are unquantifiable. Prospective students tell us that the most important reason for attending Austin Seminary is the quality of  the faculty and the academic reputation of the school. The twenty-one Christian scholars who make up our faculty integrate into their own daily lives a spirit of devotion to the mission of God’s church in the world. This dedication is evident in and outside the classroom; in a typical year, these scholar / pastors will preach and teach in more than 400 settings around the country. 

What are your gifts for service? Student Senate-sponsored groups offer numerous ways for students to be involved in mission opportunities. Engage in a ministry of presence with homeless families or with immigrant families in detention. March to the Capitol steps for fair and just legislation. Plant a garden on campus or at the Texas Foodbank. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, create a program and recruit volunteers. Austin Seminary is an intimate and responsive community—the kind of place where you can make a difference. 

Classes, worship, mission opportunities—life in general at Austin Seminary—teach and encourage the practice of ministry, in all its myriad forms. No seminary education can provide everything you need to know about ministry. That’s just a fact. But our Supervised Practice of Ministry (SPM) program will expose you to many of the situations you will encounter in ministry and will give you the skills needed to respond in appropriate and theologically sound ways. Three SPM tracks, a year-long internship, a summer internship, and a school-year teaching church option, allow students to engage in learning under the supervision of competent and experienced persons who have been trained and certified by the Seminary.

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) offers students an educational experience in a clinical setting, such as a hospital, mental health institution, or local congregation, conducted under the supervision of a certified clinical pastoral educator. Students usually complete one unit of CPE in ten weeks. Pastoral Care in a Hospital Setting is a four-week seminar which introduces students to the concepts and practices of ministry in a medical context.

A program unique to Austin Seminary is The Louis H. and Katherine S. Zbinden Chair of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership. Through this professorship we invite distinguished and experienced pastors to teach in the broad area of ministry, including church administration, stewardship, worship, preaching, Christian education, pastoral care, and church programming. This attention to the everyday life of the church adds a distinctive strength to a curriculum already focused on building and equipping strong pastors.

Corporate worship is the cornerstone of spiritual formation and is at the center of this community’s life. We gather in Shelton Chapel to proclaim the Word, to break bread, and to experience together the profound and joy-filled worship of God. Students, faculty, staff, and our dean of the chapel lead worship—preaching, singing, and praying in a variety of settings and styles; special services throughout the liturgical year and student-organized services create rich and diverse worship opportunities.

In addition, all first year students participate in narrative spiritual formation groups twice a month, in which they experience God by reflecting theologically on each other’s stories.  In an increasingly divided world, these sessions remind us of our universal connection to one another and to God.  All students are welcome to join weekly spiritual directions groups.  These groups are an opportunity to reflect on the movement of the Spirit in one’s life, under the direction of a trained spiritual director.

For thinkers in the Reformed tradition, Christian scholarship is considered one of the classic spiritual disciplines, and there is plenty of study here! Such attention to scholarship seeks to deepen our faith, broaden our knowledge of God, and bring us into a lively conversation with the vast experience of Christians and their communities of faith throughout history. An added bonus: the discipline of deriving spiritual energy from your work and worship will serve you well when you leave seminary.