Statement of Educational Effectiveness

Hartford Seminary has a long history of innovative scholarship and teaching and a strong commitment to preparing reflective religious practitioners in today’s multi-faith and pluralistic world whose influence reaches far beyond the walls of churches, mosques and synagogues.  Our degree and educational programs are designed to develop the leadership capacities of religious leaders who come to Hartford Seminary to take advantage of its curricular strengths in leadership development and practice of ministry, interfaith dialogue, and Islamic studies and Christian-Muslim relations and also to nurture and mature individual spiritual growth.   

• In the Master of Arts program, Hartford Seminary welcomes students that seek academic praxis, spiritual enrichment, and job placement.  The current graduation rate exceeds 50% with many students continuing their graduate education in Master of Divinity and doctoral programs. While others have been placed as chaplains in universities, hospitals, prisons, and the military.  In the last few years, our Islamic chaplaincy graduates have been placed in some of the most prestigious universities like Princeton, Yale, Duke, Wesleyan and Trinity.
• Our Doctor of Ministry has challenged over 100 religious leaders in the past decade to explore the changing contemporary context, to rethink their ministry strategies, and to implement action plans that positively reshape their congregations and other ministry settings.  A number of these graduates now hold influential denominational, consultant and other national leadership positions.
• Hartford Seminary has a cooperative Master of Divinity program with Andover Newton Theological School and Yale Divinity School, in which students are allowed to begin their graduate theological studies at Hartford Seminary and then finish their M.Div. program at either of these two institutions.  In the last decade, 41 Cooperative M.Div. students received a strong theological education, especially in interfaith and leadership training, before moving on to either ANTS or YDS.
• Graduate Certificate Programs in Biblical Studies, Interfaith Dialogue, Ministry in Daily Life, Religious Studies, Spirituality, and Theology and Ethics are used by students wishing to deepen their knowledge in a specific area of religious studies and/or explore graduate level studies without committing to a full degree program.  In the last 10 years the program has a 74% retention rate.