Presbyterian seminary in Richmond and Charlotte offering rigorous graduate theological education in multiple modalities.
Union Presbyterian Seminary offers graduate theological education through multiple modalities: in-person, hybrid, and online. Degree programs include Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Arts in Christian Education (M.A.C.E.), Master of Arts in Public Theology (M.A.P.T.), Master of Theology (Th.M.), and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.). The seminary also offers dual degree combinations and certificate programs in Christian Education and Public Theology. Faculty scholars teach in Bible, Christian education, theology, ethics, preaching, worship, church history, Christian leadership, and pastoral care.
The Richmond campus features two chapels (historic Watts Chapel and modern Lake Chapel), the William Smith Morton Library (completed 1996, housing over 900,000 volumes), student housing, the Belk student center, recreation fields, community gardens, and tennis courts. The Charlotte campus, relocated to 5141 Sharon Road in 2012, houses a chapel, library, classrooms, and a regional Christian Education Resource Center. The student body of approximately 180 comprises primarily Presbyterian students but draws from over 20 Christian denominations, with international representation from Ghana, South Korea, Switzerland, and other nations.
Union Presbyterian Seminary was founded in 1812 as the theological department of Hampden-Sydney College near Farmville, Virginia. In 1895, financier Lewis Ginter donated eleven acres in Richmond, and the seminary relocated to its current North Richmond campus in 1898. The institution merged with the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (PSCE) in 1997 and adopted its current name in 2009 to distinguish itself from Union Theological Seminary in New York. The seminary's mission is to prepare people to be leaders of gospel-inspired transformative change in pursuit of a more just and compassionate world.
The William Smith Morton Library, completed in 1996, contains over 900,000 volumes and adds approximately 5,500 volumes annually. The Richmond campus includes the historic Watts Chapel in Watts Hall (serving as classroom and administration building) and the state-of-the-art Lake Chapel in the Early Center (completed 2008). Additional facilities include student dormitories, apartments, guest housing, recreation fields, community gardens, and tennis courts. The Charlotte campus includes dedicated chapel, library, and classroom facilities.