Academics

Our graduates go on to do work in many different areas of ministry, most frequently parish ministry and chaplaincy.

Statement of Educational Effectiveness

ETS prides itself on serving non-traditional students. Almost all of our students are second-career students, and are attending graduate school while working, caring for their families, and serving in their churches. As a result, our graduation statistics look a little different from those of most schools as well. We’re not concerned with the percentage of students who finish their Master of Divinity in 3 years, because most of our students are attending school part-time and plan to take much longer to finish their degree. We’re more concerned with whether our students finish in a timeframe that works for them and helps them to meet their own goals.

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Our most recent graduation statistics are presented below; these include both the percentage of students who have completed their degree/diploma, as well as students who are continuing to work towards completing. Combining these two statistics gives a more complete picture of the work ETS is doing to serve its student body.

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Our graduates go on to do work in many different areas of ministry, most frequently parish ministry and chaplaincy. In a typical graduating class, roughly half of our Master of Divinity students will find an immediate calling, while most of the others continue to work towards ordination through their denomination. Many of our Urban Ministry Diploma students enter into the program as pastors, deacons, and teachers in their churches, and continue these roles after graduation. ETS continues to be proud of the work our students and graduates do in the community of Detroit and beyond.

Cultural Context

We promote ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and action across a spectrum of faith traditions. We facilitate relationships among city, suburban and rural congregations and colleagues.

Spiritual Formation

We seek to develop an ever-expanding consciousness of the way spiritual and social realities affect each other. We seek to foster justice at local, national and global levels, beginning with accountability to ourselves, our churches and to those who are marginalized.

Community Ministry

We seek to connect academic theory with life practice. We ground ministerial vision and social action in our life of prayer, encouraging ongoing reflection regarding self, community, and world concerns in relationship to God.

Religious Heritage

We seek to utilize educational methods that are flexible, transformational, and uniquely relevant to the needs of our students and our world. We encourage members of our learning community to evaluate and utilize insights from broad spectrums of faith, culture and life experience.

The Urban Ministry Diploma welcomes anyone interested in learning more about ministry and the church even if you do not have a college degree.