Westminster Theological Seminary

An Introduction to Westminster

Our Mission

Westminster Theological Seminary exists to serve Christ and His Kingdom by extending the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ "until that knowledge covers the earth as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). MORE>>

Our Core Values

"The Bible is the centre and core of that with which Westminster has to do."
- J. Gresham Machen, founder of Westminster Theological Seminary, at its opening convocation, September 25, 1929

Westminster Theological Seminary prepares leaders for ministry, developing graduates with a depth of understanding of God's Word and a heartfelt desire to use that knowledge in God's service. A Westminster education starts with the Bible. In pursuit of our mission, we hold to seven core values. MORE>>

Our Curriculum

"...a theological seminary is an institution of higher learning whose standards should not be inferior to the highest academic standards that anywhere prevail."
- J. Gresham Machen, September 25, 1929

Westminster students come from approximately 40 countries and 100 different denominations to reach new levels of spiritual understanding and to learn to apply that knowledge through meaningful ministry. They come expecting to be challenged. Our rigorous curriculum is based on our core values. MORE>>

Our History and Government

Founded in 1929 as a seminary dedicated to education in the Reformed tradition, Westminster grew out of Princeton Seminary (established in the early 1800s) and its conviction that the Bible is the only infallible rule of Christian faith and practice. Westminster was created specifically to carry on old Princeton's tradition of heart piety and solid learning. Westminster is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association of Theological Schools, and is governed by a Board of Trustees. Our Faculty subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. MORE>>

Our Programs of Study

"We may... wish that the Holy Spirit had given us the Word of God in a language... that we could more easily understand; but in his mysterious wisdom he gave it to us in Hebrew and in Greek. Hence if we want to know the Scriptures, to the study of Greek and Hebrew we must go."
- J. Gresham Machen, September 25, 1929

The cornerstone of Westminster's degree programs is study of the Bible. With the exception of the Master of Arts (M.A.) program, students read in the original Greek and Hebrew. This, along with other common areas of study, forms the foundation for learning that is exceptional in richness and depth. We currently offer the following programs: Certificate, MDiv, MAR, MA, THM, DMin, PhD. MORE>>

Our Faculty

The Westminster Faculty has always included the finest minds of Reformed Christianity, beginning with J. Gresham Machen, Robert Dick Wilson, Oswald T. Allis, Edward J. Young, Ned B. Stonehouse, Cornelius Van Til, and extending to the present. They are gifted teacher-scholars who extend the realms of theological understanding. MORE>>

Our Graduates

"...the minister who goes forth from Westminster will be a man with a message ... who can so deliver his message as to reach the hearts and minds of men..."
- J. Gresham Machen, September 25, 1929

The power of a Westminster education is embodied in the lives of its graduates. Our alumni serve all over the world as pastors, professors, missionaries, counselors, doctors, translators, writers, church planters, and in many other capacities. MORE>>

Our Locations

Westminster has campuses in suburban Glenside, Pennsylvania, approximately 15 miles from downtown Philadelphia; and in downtown Dallas, Texas. Additional programs of study are offered in urban Philadelphia, New York City, London, and Seoul. For information specific to these locations, please click on the appropriate links in the banner at the top of this page.

A photo and video tour of the suburban Philadelphia campus is available here.

For more general information, please see:

Visiting the Seminary, including directions to the Philadelphia campus
Board of Trustees
Administrative Officers
Honor System
Communication with the Seminary