Adviser Norm Beck Professor Phone: 830-372-6066 E-mail: nbeck@tlu.edu

Pre-Ministry

Students who anticipate continuing their program of study at a school of theology should plan their undergraduate program to meet the requirements of the particular school they expect to enter. The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada recommends that an undergraduate program emphasize several broad areas. High competency is desired in at least one of the following: understanding human selfhood and existence, modern social institutions and problems, and culture and religion. Moderate competencies are valuable either in science and technology or in the modes and processes of human understanding. The undergraduate should also be moderately competent in at least one area of theological study: biblical content and interpretation, the history of religious traditions, or systematic and ethical construction. Finally, the student needs to have a reading knowledge of Greek (four semesters), plus either Hebrew, Latin, German, French, or Spanish, and a mastery of written and oral English. Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who are planning to enroll in a seminary of the ELCA must be registered with the candidacy committee of a synod of the ELCA, generally about two years prior to their application to a seminary program.