Printer-friendly version

Accreditation

Bethany is dually-accredited, being fully accredited by both The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, as well as The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) is a membership organization in the United States and Canada of schools educating individuals after their baccalaureate education, preparing individuals for the ministries of preaching and teaching.  Bethany is fully accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, and the MDiv and MA (Theology) degree programs are approved, in addition to specific approval for a Comprehensive Distance Education Program.* 

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (HLC) is an accreditation organization which uses a body of peer reviewers to grant membership to degree-granting post-secondary schools.  Bethany is fully accredited by the HLC for the degree programs it offers, in both local and distance formats.

Degree Acceptance

Bethany Theological Seminary's fully accredited Master of Divinity degree is accepted by many denominations and non-denominational Christian communities as suitable preparation for ordination. Some of these denominations include (but are not limited to):

• Church of the Brethren
• American Baptist
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Congregational Christian Churches
• Mennonite Church (USA)
• Presbyterian Church (USA)
• Reformed Church
• Vineyard Churches
• Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
• United Church of Christ
• Other communions accepting a fully accredited MDiv degree

* For your convenient reference, in additional to the links provided above, contact information for the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada is as follows:

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

For more information about accreditation and degree acceptance, contact:
 

Steven Schweitzer, Academic Dean and Associate Professor
     deansoffice@bethanyseminary.edu   765-983-1815