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Accreditation

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [15935 Forest Road, Forest, VA 24551; Telephone: 434.525.9539; e-mail: info@tracs.org] having been awarded Reaffirmed status as a Category III or IV, as appropriate, see the description of the categories in the Accreditation Manual) institution by the TRACS Accreditation Commission on November 4, 2008; this status is effective for a period of ten years. TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology became an Associate Member of the Association of Theological School (ATS) in 2006 and in February 2011 became a Candidate for Accredited Membership. Please see the Academic Catalog for more details.

Counselor Licensure

The M.A. in Counseling Psychology program at The Seattle School is designed to meet the licensure requirements for the State of Washington (LMHC). Counseling and mental health licensure requirements vary by state; students planning to practice outside of Washington are encouraged to learn about those requirements prior to beginning studies at The Seattle School. While licensure requirements for Washington are similar to most other states, awareness of state-specific course and internship requirements allows students to tailor their degree to meet the requirements of the state(s) they plan to practice in.

Learn more about individual state requirements on our directory of licensure requirements.
 

Church Ordination

The educational content of the Master of Divinity program is designed to meet the ordination/licensure requirements for many denominations. When specific courses other than those already listed in the course offerings are required for ordination/licensure in particular traditions, The Seattle School will approve those courses for individualized research or as electives. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the educational requirements leading to ordination/licensure in her/his intended church/denominational setting.

The M.A. in Theology & Culture program offers general training for ministry in the church, though it is not as extensive as the Masters in Divinity degree, and is not viewed as the standard degree for ordination.
 

Statement of Educational Effectiveness

The Seattle School measures its educational effectiveness through multiple methodologies including assessment of individual courses, program reviews, student questionnaires, and alumni surveys.

  • Each individual course includes student surveys including a focus on student learning outcomes.
  • Average retention rate over the past seven years is 84%.
  • Average graduation rate is 76%.
  • The Association of Theological Schools’ Graduating Student Questionnaire is used as a measure of student satisfaction with their educational experience.
  • In the 2012 alumni survey with participation from all graduate classes going back to 1999…
    • 71% of our graduates obtained their first paid position in their field within 1 year or less.
    • 71% indicated the academic quality of the school met their expectations.
    • 92% indicated the overall value of their education was either very valuable or valuable.