Student Life
This is Your Journey
Attending seminary is a personal journey – your personal journey. While this time in your life will be about your education and formation, you won’t be left alone to find your own way. Central’s goal is to help prepare you for your future success, and the support system and curricula at Central are designed to help you succeed. Faculty members, advisors, directors, and staff want to partner with you to achieve your educational and vocational goals. Whether it is a few years to earn your degree or a lifetime of personal and professional development, Central cares about your present and future.
Supporting You
Central surrounds you with people who will know your name, trusted advisors that care about your achievements, and many opportunities to grow. Here is the support that you can expect:
- Online library and study resources accessible anywhere, anytime.
- Assistance to improve your writing with a personal writing coach.
- Financial coaching to help you make paying for seminary and maintaining other obligations possible.
- Vocational discernment.
- Small class sizes to ensure personal attention from faculty.
- Highly qualified faculty members who are experts and/or practitioners in their field.
- Worship and discussion opportunities to reflect on your journey.
Community Life and Spiritual Growth Opportunities
At Central, “online” doesn’t mean “on your own”. We are serious about building community and forming relationship among students, faculty and staff. Here are a few opportunities:
Refectory
The Refectory is a time for student connection and community. It is informal and conversational and is where students can come to meet students in other programs or in different places in their own program and can find support, prayer, laughter, help, and peer mentoring. The Refectory culture is “come as you are when you can and stay as long as you like.”
Refectory sessions are often held over Zoom on certain Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings throughout each academic term. Meeting schedules are announced at the beginning of each term.
Chapel
Chapel provides students, staff and faculty an opportunity to worship together.
Chapel is held online, once monthly from August to April. Check your student email prior to each of the following chapels to participate:
- Monday, February 6 at 6:00 p.m. CST
- Tuesday, March 7 at 6:00 p.m. CST
- Wednesday, April 5 at 1:00 p.m. CST
- Thursday, May 11 at 6:00 p.m. CST
Convocation
Convocation is a calling together of all Central Seminary students, faculty and staff to refresh the community’s sense of mission, values, and identity. This service is celebrated by faculty in full academic regalia to symbolize this institution’s commitment to demonstrated knowledge, tested scholarship, and academia’s long tradition of pursuing truth.
Online convocation is held each fall and spring near the start of the school’s academic terms/semesters. Students will be provided a participation link in their email.
Commencement
Even if it’s not your turn to graduate, attending Commencement is a great way to stay inspired and meet your faculty and classmates in person.
In-person commencement occurs each May. Commencement is also streamed online.
Our Alumni Network
Central has been graduating students for almost 120 years. Our alumni live and work in most states and many countries around the world. These connections can be invaluable when it is time to find a contextualized learning site for an MDiv degree or when looking for a job. You might also connect with alums at denominational gatherings, events, and in your own community.
Show Your Pride
Shop our online store to find apparel and accessories for all ages and proudly show the world where you are attending seminary.