LTS nurtures and challenges all people for Christ-centered leadership and witness for God’s mission in the world.
We welcome people from both Lutheran and non-Lutheran traditions, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We are currently offering these programs:
The Dmin offers an opportunity to reflect on experience gained in church leadership roles. The program focuses especially on community development, finding ways to connect church institutions and community needs.
Eligibility: 1) attainment of an MDiv or MTS degree (or their equivalents); and 2) the student will normally have the equivalent of three years of active ministry subsequent to an MDiv/MTS degree (or equivalents); and 3) will be located in a ministry site suitable for carrying out a collaborative ministry project.
The MDiv is our basic professional degree. If you want to serve the church as a pastor or in a related professional role, this is the right program. LTS is supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), so we are the place to study if that's where you see your future. We prepare people for other church denominations too, so it's worth asking whether we can work with you.
Eligibility: 1) attainment of the Bachelor of Arts degree, or its equivalent, from a recognized college or university, or 2) attainment of PLAR (see below); and Candidacy Committee (CC) endorsement for ELCIC students or, for students from other denominations, a letter from their judiciary.
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
The MTS program is designed to offer rigorous, advanced theological learning that engages Christian thinking with contemporary issues and challenges. Graduates can use their training in a variety of ways such as working as chaplains, teaching, or as a stepping stone to further theological studies.
Eligibility: 1) attainment of the Bachelor of Arts degree, or its equivalent, from a recognized college or university, or 2) attainment of PLAR (see below)
Diploma in Diaconal Ministry (DDP)
This one-year certificate prepares candidates for diaconal ministry in the ELCIC (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada).
Eligibility: 1) attainment of a bachelor's degree, college degree, a graduate degree or a professional certificate appropriate to the designated field of specialization. If the degree is in an unrelated field of study, significant work experience (minimum of three years) with leadership responsibilities appropriate to the type of diaconal ministry being sought; and 2) Candidacy Committee (CC) endorsement for ELCIC students or, for students from other denominations, a letter from their judiciary.
Certificate in Lutheran Leadership Lay Track (CLLL)
This program is a minimum of three years, part time.
Eligibility: Interest, as a lay leader in their church, to increase their personal formation and education in Lutheran theology.
Occasional courses for rostered ministers
Are you actively serving as clergy in a church and interested in enhancing your learning? Clergy are welcome to audit our graduate-level courses.
Students are welcome to take the occasional graduate-level course for credit or for audit. As an occasional student, you may take up to six degree-courses for credit (or unlimited non-credit courses) before registering for a degree program.
Not all people take the same path to seminary studies. Thus, LTS has developed a PLAR process for those who do not have completed university undergraduate degrees. If you are 30 years of age or older, and interested in studying at LTS, but do not have a Bachelor degree from a university, there are alternatives. To explore whether you qualify for the PLAR process, and for more information about this alternative, please visit the information link below. Then, if you qualify for this process, fill in the PLAR application form; please do this before you fill in the application form for the degree program for which you would like to apply.
PLAR Information and Application Form:
Through LIFT, anyone involved or interested in lay or local leadership—including the general public—can study church history, theology, the story of the Old and New Testaments, worship and liturgy, and other topics related to Christianity. More...