Pre-Seminary

Thousands of pastors and theological scholars received their pre-theological education at Capital, one of the predecessor seminaries to Trinity Lutheran Seminary, now located across College Avenue from Capital’s Bexley campus. While most of these serve the Lutheran Church, other denominations have been represented as well.

Pre-seminary studies continue to be a vital program of this university. While the program is centered in the religion department and guided by religion faculty, students from a variety of majors are part of the program.

Admission officers at seminaries are not so much interested in students with specific majors as they are in mature students with good relational skills, good communication skills, a solid liberal arts background and commitment to the church.

Courses for the Pre-Seminarian

Seminaries generally urge applicants to receive a well-rounded education. The seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America encourage students to have a breadth of coursework, including classes in English, history, modern languages, philosophy, Greek, communications and the social sciences. Seminaries also expect that candidates will have familiarity with the Scriptures and at least a basic knowledge of their denomination’s basic teachings.

SEMINARIES ATTENDED

• Capital graduates have attended various seminaries, including:
• Trinity Lutheran Seminary
• Methodist Theological School in Ohio
• Wartburg Theological Seminary
• Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
• Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
• Luther Seminary
• Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
• Harvard Divinity School
• Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary 

Pre-Professional Studies

Pre-Dentistry • Pre-Law •  Pre-Law Accelerated • Pre-Medicine • Pre-Occupational Therapy • Pre-Optometry •  Pre-Pharmacy • Pre-Physicians Assistant • Pre-Physical Therapy • Pre-Podiatry • Pre-Public Health  • Pre-Seminary • Pre-Veterinary Medicine     

Pre-professional means that you would like to prepare for a specific career. It's a set of courses that you should take if you plan on taking the exam and entering Law school, or medical school, after you graduate.

It is important to note that a pre-professional plan (e.g. - Pre-law) is not a major. You could major in Instrumental Performance and be Pre-law at the same time if you wanted. However, most students attempt to major in an area that will complement their career choice.

Here are some examples:

• A Pre-law student might major in Government or Economics.
• A Pre-veterinary student might major in Biology or Biochemistry.
• A Pre-seminary student might major in Literature or History.  

Why is Capital a good fit for my pre-professional plan?

Choosing a pre-professional program and completing your plan does not guarantee admission into a professional program. We know that navigating through the first four years is challenging enough, so thinking about your post-degree plans can be mind-boggling. 

At Capital, our professors are also your academic advisors. They are your mentors and biggest advocates.

With a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Capital can enrich your studies with personal connections between you and our faculty, and we have several programs in place to ensure student success – from academic advising and career development to our peer-to-peer compass leaders who help you align your vocation with your career.