Reinvention is a hallmark of Hartford Seminary, so it’s no surprise that this institution founded in the early 19th century has once again embarked on a quest to redefine its future.

After a yearlong strategic planning process, Hartford Seminary’s Board of Trustees adopted a new Strategic Vision in March 2020.

By 2025, Hartford Seminary will be the nation’s leading resource for interreligious education, research, and peace studies, providing cutting-edge research and immersive learning opportunities that enable leaders and institutions to thrive in a religiously complex world.

Soon after that approval, our faculty developed three new degree programs that streamline Hartford Seminary’s offerings and align them anew with emerging academic and professional standards.

These include three new 36-credit programs:

• Master of Arts in Interreligious Studies, which capitalizes on Hartford Seminary’s history and expertise in this specialized area. Students may also select to specialize in two other areas: Ministerial Studies for those who would like to pursue ministry and go on to complete a Master of Divinity at one of our partner schools through our Cooperative MDiv, or Islamic Studies.
• Master of Arts in Chaplaincy, which expands on our history-making Islamic Chaplaincy Program, opening it up to people of all faiths, while maintaining an option to specialize in Islamic Chaplaincy. Students will learn the critical skills necessary for a profession in chaplaincy.
• Master of Arts in International Peacebuilding, which builds on our one-of-a-kind International Peacemaking Program and allows scholarship recipients to complete this full-time, cohort-based, professional MA in 12 months.

These new degrees have been accredited by The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and the New England Commission on Higher Education.

We welcome applications to these new programs for Fall 2021. Please visit the links above or in the left-hand menu for more details on applying for these degrees, or contact our Admissions Office at admissions@hartsem.edu or 860-509-9549.

Accreditation and Associations

Hartford Seminary is accredited by The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, the Board of Higher Education of the State of Connecticut and the New England Commission of Higher Education. Hartford Seminary is also a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and is thus authorized to operate in all states that participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).

Hartford Seminary is a member of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education, which also includes Capital Community College, Central Connecticut State University, Charter Oak State College, Connecticut Public Television and Radio, Goodwin College, Rensselaer at Hartford, University of Saint Joseph, Trinity College,The University of Connecticut, University of Hartford, and Saint Thomas Seminary.

Hartford Seminary is also a member of the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium, through which our students can take courses at nine other theological institutions, including Boston College Theology Department, Boston College School of Theology & Ministry, Boston University Gradate Program in Religion, Boston University School of Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, Hebrew College, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and Saint John’s Seminary & Theological Institute. For more information on the BTI schools and cross-registration programs, visit this link.