Requirements

To serve in ministerial fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association, it is necessary to have the required educational preparation and be granted Ministerial Fellowship by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee of the UUA. The general qualifications, as stated by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, are these:

All applicants must be college graduates or have had an equivalent education; must have strong motivation and good potential for our ministry; and must have a balanced and healthy personality, a capacity for self-understanding, a concern for others, intellectual ability and the kind of ministerial leadership ability expected by our societies. The committee will further require that the applicant be well informed on the history and development of Unitarian Universalism, familiar with the Bylaws of the Unitarian Universalist Association and fully committed to the purposes and objectives of the Association. An applicant for the ministry shall also have a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent from a theological school approved by the Committee or have had an equivalent educational experience. In examining every applicant's qualifications, the Committee may consider any evidence which it deems relevant to assessing them and may reject any application.

The basic requirements for UU ministry are:

1. Career assessment program at a career center approved by the Ministerial Fellowship Committee
   
2. Candidacy status granted by an RSCC
   
3. Sponsorship by a UU Congregation
   
4. Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent;
   
5. Approved internship;
   
6. Basic unit of Clinical Pastoral Education;
   
7. Completion of the Reading List;
   
8. Interview with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.

Theological Schools Offering the M.Div. Degree

The Unitarian Universalist Association is most closely related to two theological schools, Starr King School for the Ministry and Meadville/Lombard Theological School. In addition, the UUA maintains close ties with Harvard Divinity School which is non-denominational. Each of these schools has a distinctive approach to theological education and should be seriously considered in relation to the others, and in relation to your own background and personal needs. The Modified Residency Program at Meadville/Lombard focuses on theological education for men and women who are restricted from attending a residential program.

The Ministerial Fellowship Committee and the Ministry and Professional Leadership encourage you to contact each of the following schools to obtain the latest materials on entrance requirements, programs of study, degree requirements, field education and internship opportunities, and financial aid:

Harvard Divinity School
45 Francis Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

Starr King School for the Ministry
2441 LeConte Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709

Meadville/Lombard
Theological School
5701 S. Woodlawn Ave.
Chicago. IL 60637

Modified Residency Program at Meadville/Lombard
5701 S. Woodlawn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637 

It is not required that you attend one of the above theological schools. By doing so, however, you will have access to courses on Unitarian Universalist history, polity, religious education and arts of ministry that may not be available at other schools. Since a high percentage of the students preparing for UU ministry are associated with one of the above schools, they are also able to provide Unitarian Universalist students with support, a sense of community, and rich opportunities for academic discourse from a liberal religious perspective.

Other schools with a significant UU student presence include: Andover Newton Theological School, Austin Presbyterian Seminary, Bangor Theological Seminary, Brite Divinity School, Claremont School of Theology, Colgate Rochester Divinity School, The Institute for Theological Studies at Seattle University, Iliff School of Theology, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Methodist Theological School, New York Theological Seminary, Pacific School of Religion, Perkins School of Theology, Union Theological Seminary, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, and Wesley Theological Seminary. Contact the Association of Theological Schools for information about these and other theological schools. Students electing to attend theological schools that are not accredited by the Association of Theological Schools must obtain permission from the Ministerial Fellowship Committee.

The UUA Ministerial Credentialing Director visits the UU-related schools on a regular basis and is available to all students for consultation concerning the requirements of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. Visits are arranged to non-UU-related schools on a less regular basis.

For a list of schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, contact ATS, 10 Summit Park Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15275, 412-788-6505.

Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon St. | Boston, MA 02108 | 617-742-2100