Wartburg Theological Seminary (WTS) educates graduates for leadership roles in church and society: pastors, diaconal ministers, chaplains, youth workers, missionaries, teachers, and other vocations. More than 90% of WTS students and graduates are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which has a comprehensive candidacy process with strong evaluative feedback loops between the school and its main employment organization.
Assessment of learning-both quantitative and qualitative-establishes a baseline during the admissions process, continues throughout all stages of student learning in the school’s curriculum, and includes evaluation by graduates. This assessment demonstrates the effectiveness of the school’s educational processes in preparing graduates for securing employment in church and society. The degree programs of WTS prepare leaders with requisite theological understanding and ministerial skills, which are assessed through the stated curriculum outcomes, the Twelve Pastoral-Diaconal Practices.
Evaluation by the WTS faculty and synod leaders of the ELCA demonstrates the educational effectiveness of the school. Data from longitudinal assessment on a 5-point scale consistently indicates that students make continual growth throughout the educational process and that graduates rank higher than 4 (on a scale of 1 to 5) in relation to the stated curriculum outcomes. Further information is available upon request to the Office of the Academic Dean.