One
of the most exciting and challenging opportunities available to SFTS
students is the ecumenical educational environment of the Graduate Theological
Union in Berkeley, California.
The GTU is regarded as the model for a successful theological consortium
in the United States, offering doctoral, masters, and education for denominational
leadership within a unique interfaith context. Founded in 1962 by four
seminaries, including SFTS, the consortium now consists of nine theological
schools representing the Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions, three
institutes of Jewish, Buddhist, and Orthodox studies, and five research
centers. The GTU works collaboratively with the University of California
at Berkeley, and is the home of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, the
most comprehensive theological library in the county.
The
nine member seminaries of the GTU individually train religious leaders
in their respective faith traditions while uniting to grant common masters'
and doctoral degrees in theological studies. Those who teach and study
at the GTU learn to live, study, and engage in theological reflection
amidst religious and cultural pluralism.
Through a common course scheduling and registration system, students
in all member schools may take courses in any other member school. Master
of Arts students are required to take at least five courses outside their
school of affiliation, and SFTS Master of Divinity students are permitted
to take any elective and approved substitutes for core courses and area
requirements at another school.
SFTS faculty regularly teach elective courses in Berkeley in order to
encourage cross-registration among the GTU schools. The GTU also provides
opportunities for cross-registration with the University of California
at Berkeley, Holy Names College, and Mills College in Oakland.
A copy of the annual GTU course announcement listing all schools' courses
is available from the SFTS
Registrar's Office and on the GTU
website.
GTU maps
Participating Seminaries
Affiliated Centers of Distinction
