Educational Effectiveness
Educational Effectiveness at BTS
BTS is committed to making faithful theological education accessible to learners everywhere, equipping leaders for Christ’s church. The following data provides information about the success of our students.
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| Program | Suggested Length of Program | Number of students who started in 2021-2022 | Number of students who graduated | Number of Students who started in 2022-2023 | Number of students who graduated | Number of Students who started in 2023-2024 | Number of students who graduated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 1 year | 29 | 1 | 25 | 9 | 20 | 16 |
| Advanced Certificate | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Master's Programs | 2-3 years | 12 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 41 | 7 |
| Master of Arts | 3-5 years | 26 | 5 | 33 | 6 | 21 | 5 |
| MDiv | 3-5 years | 18 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 33 | 2 |
| DMin | 4 years | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 5 |
| Total | *129 | 11 | 145* | 19 | *155 | 35 | |
| *Total Includes Audit and Undeclared Students |
| Program | Graduation Year | Matriculation Year | Number of Students | Number of years to graduate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 2024 | 2021 -2023 | 16 | 1-3 years |
| Advanced Certificate | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
| Master's Programs | 2018 - 2020 | 7 | 4-6 years | |
| Master of Arts | 2005 - 2020 | 5 | 13 | |
| MDiv | 2017 - 2018 | 2 | 6-7 | |
| DMin | 2017 - 2020 | 5 | 6 |
More Information:
The chart provides an overview of the time required for students to complete various academic programs. The Certificate program, which had 16 graduates in 2024, typically took between one to three years to complete, with students matriculating between 2021 and 2023.
There were no recorded graduates for the Advanced Certificate program during this period.
For Master's programs, students who graduated entered between 2018 and 2020 and took four to six years to complete their degrees.
The Master of Arts program had a notably extended timeline, with graduates who matriculated as early as 2005 through 2020, taking up to 13 years to finish their degrees.
Students in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program from the 2017–2018 cohort took approximately six to seven years to complete their degrees.
Finally, the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program saw graduates from the 2017–2020 matriculation years, completing their degrees in about six years on average.
Graduation Rates
- Master – 6.7% of students enrolled graduated with a Master's degree
- Master of Arts – 5.6% of students enrolled graduated with a Master of Arts degree.
- MDiv – 2.67% of students enrolled graduated with a Master of Divinity degree.
- DMin – 9.0% of students enrolled graduated with a Doctorate of Ministry degree.
* Graduation rates were determined by dividing the number of students who completed their degree by the total number of students enrolled in the same program during 2023-2024.
Rolling Enrollment
Birmingham Theological Seminary follows a rolling enrollment policy, allowing students to apply and start a program of study at various times throughout the year, specifically at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters. For this reason, Birmingham Theological Seminary does not calculate graduation rates by the traditional cohort model.
Most students at Birmingham Theological Seminary attend part-time while balancing full-time jobs and family responsibilities.
Class Size
The average class size for the 2023-2024 Academic Year was 5 students. This number was calculated by dividing the total number of unique students by the number of courses offered during the academic year.
Student Course Evaluations
Every student in every class is asked to evaluate the course, the professor, and the impact BTS is having on their life, church, and ministry. Click on the link below to see a copy of our course and professor assessment questionnaire. This information provides qualitative data for the academic affairs team and faculty related to continual instructional improvement.
Faculty
During the 2023 – 2024 Academic year Birmingham Theological Seminary employed 27 adjunct professors. 24 hold post-graduate degrees including PhD, DMin, or Ed.D. Three are currently enrolled in PhD programs.
To help ensure faithfulness to the doctrinal standards and mission of BTS, each faculty member must annually reaffirm one of the following historic creeds of faith:
- Philadelphia Confession
- Westminster Confession
- London Confession of 1689
- Heidelberg Catechism
Licensure and Ordinations
In 2024, one student was licensed in the PCA, and two were ordained as Teaching Elders.
Continuous Improvement
To promote continuous improvement of our academic programs, the BTS academic leadership team annually reviews and shares student feedback with faculty, evaluates course syllabi and outcomes effectiveness, and reassess program curriculum.
