Atlantic School of Theology is an ecumenical, tri-denominational theological school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, founded in 1971.
Atlantic School of Theology is an ecumenical, tri-denominational theological school located at 660 Francklyn Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It has an ecumenical Board of Governors, Senate, Faculty, student body, and curriculum. AST serves Christ's mission by shaping effective and faithful ordained and lay leaders and understanding among communities of faith.
The school was founded in 1971 by institutions of three founding parties: the Divinity Faculty of the University of King's College (Anglican Church of Canada), Holy Heart Theological Seminary (The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Halifax), and Pine Hill Divinity Hall (United Church of Canada). Articles of Agreement were signed on March 29, 1971, and the school admitted its first students in September 1971. The Province of Nova Scotia passed An Act to Incorporate Atlantic School of Theology, establishing it as an autonomous university with power to confer degrees in its own right. Since March 2002, AST has been formally affiliated with Saint Mary's University in Halifax.
AST offers Master of Divinity, Master of Arts (Theology and Religion), and Bachelor of Theology degrees. The Master of Arts (Theology and Religion) degree is offered in conjunction with Saint Mary's University. The school offers flexible pathways through on-campus, hybrid, and online learning. It is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.
AST is located in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq Peoples. Campus facilities include the AST Library, St. Columba Chapel, and a teaching centre. Student residence offers a communal kitchen and dining space, a coin-operated laundry room, and recreational facilities including a television lounge and common room. Students can reach the campus by Metro Transit bus routes and the Husky Patrol shuttle to and from SMU and AST.
Applicants without a previous university degree may apply through a Prior Learning Portfolio (PLP). Diploma programs are available for lay people, and no university degree is required for them. Graduate and Diploma programs use application forms with program-specific deadlines.