Discerning Your Academic Interests
- How do you know when it is time to begin or return to seminary study?
- How do you know whether your love of an academic subject can translate into a viable profession?
- How can you discern the next steps in your academic career?
- How can you tell which seminary will move you toward your vocational goals?
Taking time to intentionally explore these and other questions may help you as you consider your next steps in graduate theological education.
Review the methods of discernment below, and take part in as many as you are able on your way to answering the questions above. The hope is that the more methods you try, the clearer your academic goals will become.
- Talk to your academic mentor. If you are currently in a degree program or have recently graduated from one, your academic mentor should be a good resource for you. An academic mentor could be a Professor, a Dean, or a school-appointed academic advisor—whoever has been a help to you academically. This person has likely helped you shape the curriculum of your current program. Ask your mentor for an opinion of what your academic strengths and weaknesses are. More than just “in what classes did you receive a high grade,” this question of your strengths and weaknesses should be an honest look at your propensity for a given field of study—do you excel in the humanities, are you fascinated by history, do you not enjoy independent research but love languages? What does your mentor think about your next steps, given your natural strengths and weaknesses?
- Look at your transcript. Though this is not always the case, oftentimes if you have a natural talent in a given field of study it is likely that you have done well in that subject as far as grades are concerned.
- Think about third grade. Think back to when you were younger and in classes at an elementary or high school level. What were the subjects that excited you the most back then? If there is something that has always piqued your interest, perhaps this is a field to explore further.
- Review your notes from previous classes. Many of us have piles of papers, class notes, and reading materials from previous classes. This is the time to go through them! Reviewing what you learned could help re-excite dormant interests and get you on the right academic track.
- Read your favorite books again. Just like reviewing class notes, reading books that you’ve held on to for years could help you to remember why you held on to them in the first place.
- What comes to mind in your free time? If you enjoy a class, odds are that you will think of the concepts arising from that class in your personal time. But just because you enjoyed a class or did well in a class doesn’t mean that you should pursue that subject as your life’s work. What are the classes that you have taken whose concepts have continued to intrigue you perhaps years after you first took it? Are there subjects whose books you read again and again? Have you ever looked into further reading in a subject after the class ended? Perhaps your excitement shows that these are the subjects on which to build a career.
CHOOSING A SCHOOL
- Talk to the Admissions Office. Sure they’re trying to interest you in their school, but talking to a variety of admissions professionals will help you to learn the differences in schools, degree programs and career opportunities available after graduation. First narrow down your interests to a handful of professional goals (for example, “I want to be a lawyer, minister, professor or counselor.”) Go online and search for schools with programs in your areas of interest. If you can’t physically visit a variety of schools, call their admissions offices and ask to speak with an admissions counselor. Be prepared with as many questions as possible, and ask each admissions office each question. Some of their answers will differ, but you’ll begin to hear themes in their responses. Remember to ask in more general terms about their programs (“What can one do with the Master of Theological Studies degree?” or “Would I need to follow that degree with a certification process in order to counsel, or could I begin my counseling practice right after graduation?”), as well as questions about their programs themselves (“How does your MBA prepare people for the business world?”).
- Ask to speak with a current student. As you talk to the admissions office, ask them for the contact information for one of their current students in the degree program that interests you. When you connect with them, ask them about their own discernment process—how did they know that this field of study was right for them; how did they decide this school over another one; how have they enjoyed the program so far? Ask them, knowing what they know now about the field and program in which they’re studying, what would they tell a prospective student. Ask them what their plans are after graduation.
- Visit as many schools as possible. For many people, visiting a school is the best way to determine if it is a good fit. Though you may get a feel for the school by speaking to an admissions representative or visiting their website, there is nothing like moving through the campus and sitting in on a class to tell you if you feel comfortable there. The reality is that visiting several schools can be an expensive endeavor, and not everyone is able to do this. If you are having trouble affording a visit, perhaps you could check with your current school, church, or a civic organization about supporting your trip. Sometimes funds are available to help finance such a visit