ATS Accreditation: The Standard for Graduate Theological Education

What ATS accredits — and what it does not

ATS accredits graduate theological education only. It does not accredit undergraduate Bible colleges. A school can be an ABHE-accredited Bible college at the undergraduate level and an ATS-accredited seminary at the graduate level; those are two separate reviews of two separate operations.

Because ATS is a specialized accreditor, most ATS schools also hold institutional accreditation from a regional accreditor. Fuller holds WSCUC. Gordon-Conwell holds NECHE. Dallas Theological Seminary holds SACSCOC. When you see both listed, that is normal and it is a good sign.

Why ordination boards and chaplaincy endorsers insist on it

Denominational credentialing committees need a consistent, external measure of whether a candidate has actually been trained. ATS provides that: standardized degree nomenclature, minimum credit-hour requirements, faculty qualification standards, and formation expectations that hold across hundreds of schools and a dozen traditions.

Military chaplaincy is the sharpest example. The Department of Defense requires a graduate theological degree of at least 72 semester hours from an accredited institution, plus ecclesiastical endorsement. In practice that means an ATS-accredited M.Div. Hospital chaplaincy through the major certifying bodies has similar expectations, layered with Clinical Pastoral Education units.

• Mainline ordination (PCUSA, UMC, ELCA, Episcopal, UCC): ATS M.Div. is typically required.
• Military chaplaincy: 72+ graduate hours from an accredited school plus endorsement.
• Board-certified hospital chaplaincy: graduate theological degree plus CPE units.
• Ph.D. admission in biblical or theological studies: an ATS master's degree is the standard pipeline.

The ATS degree vocabulary

One underrated benefit of ATS is that degree names mean the same thing across schools. That makes comparison shopping possible in a way it simply is not elsewhere in Christian higher education.

• M.Div. — the professional pastoral degree, typically 72 to 90 credit hours over three years.
• M.A. (Theological Studies, Biblical Studies, Counseling, and similar) — typically 36 to 60 hours, specialized rather than comprehensive.
• Th.M. — a post-M.Div. research year, heavy on languages and exegesis, often a bridge to doctoral work.
• D.Min. — a practitioner's doctorate for experienced ministers, usually part-time and cohort-based.
• Ph.D. / Th.D. — research doctorates for future faculty and scholars.

How to verify ATS accreditation

Search the school in the ATS member school directory. Confirm two things: that the school holds accredited membership rather than associate or candidate status, and that the specific degree you want is listed as an approved degree program. ATS approves degrees individually, so a seminary can be accredited while a newly launched degree is not yet covered.

Also check whether the degree is approved for comprehensive distance education if you plan to study online. ATS approves online delivery program by program, and this is the detail most commonly missed by prospective students.