Pre-Ministry

As a church-related university noted for academic excellence and service-learning, we’re well positioned to prepare and equip students through academic preparation, spiritual formation and experimental learning.

Academic Preparation

• A broad-based liberal arts education aims to expand your mind, enlarge your horizons and help you develop critical thinking skills.
• The Central Curriculum encourages you to cross boundaries between disciplines and integrate the various fields of learning.
• Majors and minors in religion, philosophy and other disciplines are especially appropriate for those preparing for lay or ordained ministry.
• Susquehanna’s ethos that encourages intellectual growth, promotes personal development and values creativity and imagination.
• A highly qualified, committed and caring faculty provides strong advising and individual mentoring.

Spiritual Formation

• An extensive and energetic religious life program.
• Multiple worship opportunities on campus and in numerous congregations in the community.
• Organized and informal opportunities to cultivate a life of faithful prayer, reflection, service and action.
• Vocational counseling and mentoring with the chaplain.
• Life in close community with others — some holding beliefs and values consistent with your own, others subscribing to divergent beliefs and values.

Experiential Learning

• Abundant leadership opportunities in a variety of religious life organizations, programs and events.
• Internships, externships and practica through the Department of Religion and Philosophy.
• The Student Deacon Program in the Chaplain’s Office.
• Winter, spring and summer break service learning trips.
• Outreach ministries.

You’ll benefit from close cooperation between the chaplain and members of the Department of Philosophy and Religion. These faculty members are available to assist you with course selection, internship/externship/practica possibilities, exploring the nature of the call to ministry and discovering opportunities for professional service in the church.

A vocational discernment library as well as the catalogs of a number of seminaries are available in the Office of the Chaplain. Each year, the Office of the Chaplain hosts a Church Vocations Day for seminary admissions officers and interested students.

When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s).

Preministry and Church Occupations

Susquehanna has a special interest in preparing students for service in the church. This service can include the ordained ministry, parish work, diaconal ministry, social ministry and ministry in music. These career goals typically require graduate study.

Preparation for graduate theological study, ministry and church occupations includes academic instruction, spiritual maturation and experiential learning. Although students may major in any field, they are encouraged to emphasize the broadening aspects of the liberal arts. In addition, preministerial students are advised to study a language likely to be spoken by those whom they may be called to serve (e.g. Spanish studies for those with an interest in ministry areas with significant Latino/Hispanic populations).

Susquehanna’s historic relationship with the Lutheran Church (ELCA) attracts many students to its service, but graduates have also entered service in many other denominations. The university chaplain can give advice on the many options available in this area.