Houses of Study Initiative contributes to rising enrollment at United Theological Seminary
DAYTON, Ohio, October 20, 2022 — As United Theological Seminary begins its 2022-2023 academic year, the seminary’s enrollment is growing for the first time in five years. In the fall of 2021, 397 students were enrolled at United; this fall, the seminary is serving 467 students, an 18% increase.
Dr. Kent Millard, President of United, attributes the growth in large part to the seminary’s Houses of Study Initiative, which is supported by a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. Since 2021, United has been developing new Houses of Study to provide specialized theological education tailored for different denominational and interest groups. As of October 2022, United has launched four Houses of Study: Fresh Expressions House, Global Wesleyan House, Global Pentecostal House, and Hispanic House, which is for Spanish-speaking students.
The Hispanic House of Study is meeting a need for Hispanic/Latino pastors and church leaders ready to pursue master’s degrees in Spanish. This fall, nearly 50 students from across the United States and Latin America, including students from Mexico, Cuba, Columbia, Peru, started in the online program.
A seminary of The United Methodist Church, United is an ecumenical community welcoming students from 38 denominations this semester as they prepare for Christian ministry. In Fall 2022, 56 international students representing 17 nations are enrolled in a doctoral or master’s program at United, and 47% of the seminary’s U.S. students are African American.
“It is no accident that we are named ‘United,’ since it appears that God is using us to unite a wide variety of students from different ethnic backgrounds, different nations, different denominations, and different language groups to make disciples of Jesus Christ,” said President Millard.
United Theological Seminary is a graduate professional school of The United Methodist Church. For the past 150 years, it has prepared men and women to become faithful and fruitful Christian leaders who make disciples of Jesus Christ. On-campus and online learning options provide access to master’s and doctoral theological degrees or continuing education.
