Date: March 5, 2026
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 5, 2026 – Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) has launched a Faith and Justice Concentration in its Master of Divinity degree. The new offering enables students to pursue a pathway that focuses on formation for transformative engagement in the public square.
The concentration prepares Christian leaders to engage their communities faithfully and effectively in the pursuit of justice. The required courses equip students with concrete skills in advocacy, activism, and community organizing, while electives enable students to situate those skills in the broader Christian traditions of theological thought and social action.
Required courses include Foundations in Christian Leadership, and Politics and Christian Ethics, while electives cover areas such as Biblical Prophecy, Environmental Ethics, Resistant Theologies, and Preaching Politics. Students will also have the opportunity to engage with political leaders and take part in political action during a week-long residency at the seat of Virginia’s government. In addition, they can travel to Puerto Rico as part of one of the Seminary’s Cross-Cultural Education Programs.
The new offering follows the launch of the Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice at VTS in September 2025. Led by Kyle Lambelet, Ph.D., the Center works with VTS students to develop their capacity for social and political engagement, enabling them to be effective advocates for justice in the way of Jesus.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., dean and president of Virginia Theological Seminary, said: “The Church needs leaders who can bring faith, wisdom, and courage to the challenges of our time. This new concentration helps form students who are deeply rooted in the Christian tradition and prepared to work for justice in their communities.”
VTS now offers four distinct Master of Divinity concentrations, with other concentrations including New Mission Practices, Christian Spirituality, and Intercultural Ministry.
There is still time to apply for the 2026/27 academic year. The admissions deadline is May 1, and VTS will be reviewing applications and making offers on a rolling basis between now and then.
All full-time residential students pursuing a Master’s-level program at VTS receive a full scholarship package, covering their tuition, housing, and meal plans. Full-time commuter students are eligible for scholarship packages covering their tuition, and the Seminary also offers a tuition subsidy for part-time commuter students.
VTS offers the following Master’s-level programs:
- Master of Divinity – a three-year, residential program designed to meet the educational and formational needs of students in the ordination process in The Episcopal Church or in an equivalent process in another denomination.
- Master of Arts – completed in the equivalent of two years’ full-time study, the program offers three specialized tracks in the areas of Biblical Studies, Church and Witness, and Christian Formation.
- The Diploma in Anglican Studies – a one-year program that provides students who already have an M.Div. degree the opportunity to dive deeply into the Anglican tradition in preparation for ordination.
- The Diploma in Theology – a one-year flexible program that allows students to take a variety of master’s-level seminary courses.
- The Pathway to Ministry – a one-year program that enables students to either graduate with a Diploma in Theology or continue into the M.A. or M.Div. programs.
Alongside its master’s-level programs, VTS also offers a Doctor of Ministry and a Doctor of Educational Ministry, with classes beginning every spring.
The May 1 application deadline for the coming academic year does not apply to international students due to visa requirements. International students wanting to attend the Seminary in the 2027/28 academic year should apply by December 1, 2026.
Find out more about our programs and admissions process here.
Notes to editors:
For media inquiries, please contact Nicky Burridge, Senior Vice President for Communications and Institutional Advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary.
Tel: (703) 461-1782
Mobile: (703) 300-2876
Email: [email protected]
Photo caption: VTS students taking part in the week-long Justice Praxis Seminar in Richmond, Va.
About Virginia Theological Seminary:
Virginia Theological Seminary was founded in 1823 and has a long tradition of shaping faithful women and men, lay and ordained, for leadership in The Episcopal Church and beyond. It is the strongest seminary in the Anglican Communion and provides more than 25 percent of the clergy of The Episcopal Church.