Accreditation and Educational Effectiveness

Accreditation

The Graduate Theological Union is accredited by:

WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
1001 Marina Village Parkway
Suite 402
Alameda, CA 94501
Phone: 510/748-9001
Fax: 510/748-9797
Website: www.wscuc.org

2023 WSCUC Visiting Team Report
2024 WSCUC Commission Action Letter

The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS)
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275 USA
Phone: 412/788-6505
Fax: 412/788-6510
Website: www.ats.edu

The following degree programs are approved by ATS: MA, PhD.

Statement of Educational Effectiveness

The Graduate Theological Union is committed to the highest standards of educational effectiveness in all of its academic programs. Measures of educational effectiveness include graduation rates, the length of time that students take to complete their degrees, and placement after graduation in positions appropriate to their vocational objectives. 

Doctoral Program

The GTU doctoral program is an advanced academic research degree intended to prepare students for professional careers in teaching, writing, and scholarship, as well as for leadership opportunities with religious organizations, social service agencies, foundations, museums, libraries, publishing, and in educational institutions. 

The table below shows the graduation rates for GTU doctoral student cohorts who entered the program in the years specified. 

Year Entered

Number in Cohort

Graduated within 10 Years

2011-12

12

4 (33%)

2012-13

17

10 (59%)

2013-14

26

17 (65%)

Three-Year Total

55

31 (56%)

 

The normative time to degree for this program is seven years. The table below shows the average time to degree for doctoral students who graduated in the three most recent years. 

Graduation Year

Number of Graduates

Average Time to Degree

Median Time to Degree

2020-21

20

6.1 years

5.8 years

2021-22

24

6.6 years

6.6 years

2022-23

13

8.3 years

7.0 years

Three-Year Total

57

7.0 years

6.6 years

 

GTU doctoral program graduates in the three most recent academic years were in the following placements within 6-12 months after graduation: 

 

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

Three-Year

Total

Full-time teaching

3 (15%)

3 (13%)

2 (15%)

8 (14%)

Part-time or adjunct teaching

7 (35%)

5 (20%)

4 (30%)

16 (28%)

Ministry/Chaplaincy

8 (40%)

7 (29%)

3 (23%)

18 (31%)

Government

---

---

---

---

Academic administration

---

3 (12%)

---

3 (6%)

Non-profit administration

1 (5%) ---

1 (7%)

2 (4%)

Research

---

1 (4%)

1 (7%)

2 (4%)

Business

1 (5%)

---

---

1 (1%)

Seeking employment

---

2 (8%)

2 (15%)

4 (7%)

 Not seeking employment --- 2 (8%) --- 2 (4%)

Unknown

---

1 (4%)

---

1 (1%)

Total

20 (100%)

24 (100%)

13 (100%)

57 (100%)

 

Master of Arts

The MA is a two-year degree program that provides a basic understanding of theological or religious studies for further graduate study or for general academic purposes. The table below shows the graduation rates for GTU MA student cohorts who entered the program in the years specified.

Year Entered

Number in Cohort

Graduated within 4 Years

2017-18

13

8 (62%)

2018-19

13

7 (54%)

2019-20

16

11 (69%)

Three Year Total

42

26 (62%)

The table below shows the average time to degree for MA students who graduated in the three most recent years.

Graduation Year

Number of Graduates

Average Time to Degree

Median Time to Degree

2020-21

16

2.7 years

2.6 years

2021-22

12

2.8 years

2.8 years

2022-23

14

3.5 years

3.0 years

Three-Year Total

42

3.0 years

2.8 years

GTU MA graduates in the three most recent academic years prior to last year were in the following placements a year after graduation:

 

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

Three-Year Total

Further graduate study

3 (19%)

3 (22%)

3 (21%)

9 (20%)

Ministry/Chaplaincy

6 (38%)

2 (14%)

5 (37%)

13 (29%)

Teaching

---

---

3 (21%)

3 (7%)

Business

4 (25%)

3 (22%)

1 (7%)

8 (18%)

Non-profit administration

---

2 (14%)

---

2 (5%)

Writing and Publishing

2 (12%)

---

1 (7%)

3 (7%)

Academic administration

1 (6%)

2 (14%)

---

3 (7%)

Seeking employment

---

1 (7%)

---

1 (2%)

Not seeking employment

---

---

---

---

Unknown --- 1 (7%) 1 (7%) 2 (5%)

Total

16 (100%)

14 (100%)

14 (100%)

44 (100%)

Updated November 15, 2023

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