• Our full-time faculty consists primarily of ordained ministers in Presbyterian or Reformed denominations who hold earned doctorate degrees from respected universities in their particular fields of study
• Our rigorous theological education, at the heart of which is the study of the Scriptures in their original languages within the context of our confessional protestant faith.
• Our diverse student body from over 30 denominations, 21 states and 10 countries ensures an atmosphere of challenging and stimulating discussions about theology and ministry.
• Our 12:1 student to faculty ratio allows for accessibility and a high level of interaction with renowned faculty members, both in and out of the classroom setting.
• Our beautiful ten acre campus in suburban San Diego County provides a great setting to study in community with other believers.
• For more information, see WSC Distinctives >>

Q2. What is the relationship between Westminster Seminary California and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia?

Westminster Seminary California was planted by Westminster Philadelphia in 1979, at the request and provision of many local Reformed and Presbyterian churches who desired to have a reformed seminary on the west coast. Much like a church plant, WSC existed under the oversight and direction of WTS until 1982 when it demonstrated the ability to be a self-governing and self-supporting institution. Though both institutions maintain a firm commitment to the reformed understanding of Scripture, our distinct identities allow both WSC and WTS to maintain distinct services to Christ's church.

Q3. What is WSC's library like?
Our Library houses over 120,000 titles. Through membership in the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium, the Library affords unlimited online searching of OCLC’s large book database along with nearly seventy other discipline-specific periodical databases through OCLC’s FirstSearch service (thirty-nine of these databases contain full-text documents that can be read online or printed). The Library also has online access to the premier religion and theological periodical database, ATLA, the full-text religion database in Proquest, indexing and abstracting of religion periodicals in Religious and Theological Abstracts, and the full text of seminal works from the Reformation and Post-Reformation eras through the Digital Library of Classical Protestant Texts.

Q4. What is the faculty-student ratio?
Our faculty members are very accessible to students. We maintain an overall ratio of faculty to students of 1:12, and the faculty consider themselves to be mentors to students. Our faculty takes seriously both their tasks of instructing students in the formal classroom setting and of mentoring and advising.

Q5. How does its location in Escondido benefit WSC?
Our location in Escondido, California is excellent in climate, academic access and church/missions opportunities. The San Diego area has access to several major universities and research libraries. Southern California also has a strong Asian and Latin American presence. We are 50 miles from Mexico and accessible to the Pacific Rim, which gives our interns extensive opportunities in multicultural mission work.

Q6. How does WSC prepare people for missions?
WSC is committed to preparing men and women to serve in every part of the world. The purpose of our education is to prepare men and women for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whether in domestic or foreign settings. Our graduates serve in Africa, Europe, South and Central America, as well as in North America. WSC gives students the tools they need to minister in general cross-cultural settings. Our students who go into the mission field typically do so under the auspice of a missionary organization or a denominational committee. These organizations normally provide the specific cultural, social and language training needed to adapt to the particular environment in which the graduate plans to minister.

Q7. Is the M.Div. program open to men and women?
The purpose of our Master of Divinity program is to educate and form men for official, ordained ministries of instruction and leadership in the church as pastors, evangelists, and teachers. Because the seminary board and faculty believes the criteria set down in Scripture limits the candidacy for official teaching and leadership ministry in the church to qualified men, we admit only men to our Master of Divinity program.

However, because God bestows on women as well as men gifts and calling to serve in non-ordained ministries, WSC's Master of Arts programs admit both women and men.

Q8. What can a woman do with a master's degree from WSC?
Our female graduates have used their WSC degrees to give them biblical and theological foundations for pursuing law and Ph.D. degrees, missions work in a variety of capacities, and teaching at primary, secondary and college levels. For others, the benefits have enriched their service in the local church, prepared them to lead Bible studies and women’s ministries, and to be better equipped to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Q9. How many of your M.Div. graduates are currently in the pastorate?
The placement rate for WSC M.Div. students is high - around 90%. More than 600 M.Div. graduates have been trained from 24 states and 21 countries. WSC graduates are ministering in over 30 denominations, and 50 WSC graduates are serving in foreign countries.

Q10. Will WSC prepare me for a Ph.D. program?
WSC has excellent placement into a variety of Ph.D. programs from both the M.Div. and M.A. programs. WSC alumni have been accepted into prestigious programs such as Oxford University, the University of St. Andrews, the University of Virginia and the University of Arizona. WSC's  rigorous academic standards and emphasis in biblical languages give its graduates the skills to excel in Ph.D. programs.

Q11.What degree programs do you offer?
WSC offers the Master of Divinity degree and three Master of Arts degrees: Biblical Studies, Theological Studies, Historical Theology.  Please visit our Academics page for more information.

Q12. Which is more important in WSC's M.Div. program, academics or practical training?
At WSC, academics are not seen as being in opposition to practical ministry. We believe that faithfully expositing the Word, administering the sacraments and providing oversight to God’s flock are among the most practical activities in which one may engage. Serious academic training is necessary to prepare students to be able defenders of the faith who can engage in the daily issues of the pastorate from a firmly grounded biblical foundation. At the same time, serious care is given to providing our students with opportunities for practical experience so they go in to the pastorate prepared to work with real people.

Q13. How much does WSC cost?
For the 2009-2010 academic year, courses are $350 per credit unit – about $12,250 per year for a full-time student.

Q14. What scholarships/financial aid does WSC offer?
WSC offers a variety of financial aid options to students enrolled on a full-time basis (taking at least 12 units per semester), including needs-based grants and awards, merit scholarships, the Church Matching Grants, specialized ministry scholarships, and federal student loans. For more information, see Financial Aid >>

Do you have more questions?  Please contact the Office of Admissions:
By email:  admissions@wscal.edu
By phone:  888/480.8474 (8am-4:30pm PST)