United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is committed to providing an outstanding educational experience for all of its students. The measurements below are among the ways we assess our educational effectiveness. We use these findings to identify and act on areas for improvement in ensuring students are successful in attaining their desired vocation.
Graduate Vocational Placement
Our graduate vocational placement data is collected each fall from students who completed their degree during the prior academic year. The following results represent graduates who completed their degree during the 2022–2023 academic year. All responding graduates who were already employed or seeking employment upon graduation either continued or gained employment related to their area of study.
| MA |
MAL | MDiv |
DMin |
Overall |
|
| Number of Responses | 7 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 28 |
| Response Rate | 100% | 100% | 100% | 80% | 97% |
| Currently in a position for which my degree program prepared me. | 57% | 33% | 64% | 75% | 61% |
| Degree acquired for personal enrichment rather than vocational reasons. | – | – | – | 25 | 4% |
| Pursuing additional education. | 14% | – | 7% | – | 7% |
| Actively seeking placement. | – | – | 14% | – | 7% |
| Placement or position other than the above. | 29% | 67% | 14% | – | 21% |
| Placement Rate | 100% | 100% | 82% | 100% | 89% |
Graduate Satisfaction
Our graduate satisfaction data is collected each fall from students who completed their degree during the prior academic year. The following results represent responding graduates who completed their degree during the 2022–2023 academic year. Scores for possible responses: 4=Strongly agree, 3=Agree, 2=Partially agree, 1=Disagree
| MA |
MAL | MDiv | DMin | |
| Number of Responses | 3 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
| Overall, I am satisfied with my learning experience at United. | 3.67 | 3.00 | 3.36 | 3.50 |
| My learning experience at United adequately prepared me for my current vocational work. | 2.00 | 2.00 | 3.33 | 4.00 |
| If I could do seminary over again, I would still pursue my degree at United. | 2.67 | 3.00 | 3.36 | 4.00 |
| I would recommend United to a prospective student considering seminary. | 3.67 | 3.00 | 3.64 | 4.00 |
Student Degree Learning Outcomes
We assess student learning for each degree program through courses that provide summative assessment for outcomes shared between degrees and, for outcomes specific to a degree program, the capstone project each student completes at the end of that program. Each outcome for each course and project is scored on a 4-point scale:
4=Exceeds Expectations
3=Meets Expectations
2=Partially Meets Expectations
1=Does Not Meet Expectations
The following mean direct outcome scores are for summative courses and projects completed in the 2022–2023 academic year.
Master’s Degree Mean Scores
| Outcome | Count | Mean Score |
| Religious Texts (e.g., Hebrew Bible, New Testament) | 141 | 3.73 |
| Theological Traditions (e.g., Christian Theologies, Modern Theologies) | 118 | 3.05 |
| Ethics and Justice 1 (e.g., Christian Ethics, Comparative Religious Ethics) | 53 | 3.34 |
| Ethics and Justice 2 (e.g., Queer and Trans Theologies, Black and Womanist Theologies) | 19 | 2.94 |
| Cultural Context—MAL and MDiv only (e.g., Global Christianities, World Religions) | 17 | 3.60 |
| Theology and the Arts—MAL and MDiv only | 44 | 3.27 |
| Spiritual and Personal Formation—MAL and MDiv only | 36 | 3.84 |
| Leadership and Strategies for Social Change—MAL and MDiv only | 16 | 3.39 |
| Constructive Theology—MDiv only | 35 | 3.33 |
| Organizational Leadership and Administration—MDiv only | 17 | 2.87 |
| Capstone: Research and Writing | 33 | 3.09 |
| Capstone: Academic Synthesis—MA and MAL only | 12 | 3.42 |
| Capstone: Academic Integration—MDiv only | 21 | 2.95 |
DMin Degree Mean Scores
| Outcome | Course | Dissertation |
| Continued growth in spiritual, personal, and moral maturity | 3.24 | 3.60 |
| Engagement with diverse contexts, as defined by culture, religion, or global location. | 3.55 | 3.60 |
| Advanced competency in the praxis of ministerial and community leadership | 3.38 | 3.60 |
| Analytic and practical research that engages with various theological and other related disciplines | 3.00 | 3.80 |
| Research investigation that makes a significant contribution to the practice of ministry, chaplaincy, or other vocational leadership | 3.25 | 3.20 |
Graduation Rate
Our graduation rate is defined as the percentage of students matriculated in each degree who graduate within 200% of the expected completion time for a full-time student in that degree. This translates to 4 years for the MA and MAL degrees, and 6 years for the MDiv and DMin degrees. The following results represent matriculated MA and MAL students admitted in fall 2019 and matriculated MDiv and DMin students admitted in fall 2017 who completed their degrees by the end of August 2023.
Overall (n=24): 54%
Master of Arts (n=7): 14%
Master of Arts in Leadership (n=4): 50%
Master of Divinity (n=11): 82%
Doctor of Ministry (n=2): 50%
Student Retention
Our student retention rate is defined as the percentage of students who are enrolled in a degree program in the fall of a given year who are still enrolled in any degree program in fall of the subsequent year or have completed that degree program. The following results represent students who were enrolled in Fall 2022 who are still enrolled in Fall 2023.
Overall (n=57): 74%
Master of Arts (n=5): 60%
Master of Arts in Leadership (n=2): 100%
Master of Divinity (n=28): 82%
Doctor of Ministry (n=21): 62%