FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

About ABSW

For more information, contact the Office of Seminary Advancement.

• How do I make a request for a transcript?
• How is ABSW associated with GTU and University of California, Berkeley?
• Is ABSW accredited?
• May I take classes at other GTU schools and Cal Berkeley?
• What do ABSW students typically do after graduation?
• What programs are offered by ABSW?
• When are classes held?
• When was ABSW established?
• Where is ABSW located?

How do I make a request for a transcript?

Please send a completed and signed Transcript Request Form, along with a check or money order for $5.00 per copy, to Nancy Svensson, ABSW Registrar. Please allow five days from day of receipt for processing.

Nancy Svensson

ABSW - Office of the Registrar

2606 Dwight Way

Berkeley, CA 94704

Click the link to access the Transcript request
PDF

How is ABSW associated with GTU and University of California, Berkeley?

ABSW is a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), which was formed in 1962. The Graduate Theolgoical Union is composed of ABSW, the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (Episcopal Church in the USA), the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (Roman Catholic Church), the Franciscan School of Theology (Roman Catholic Church), the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (Roman Catholic Church), the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), the Pacific School of Religion (multidenominational), the San Francisco Theological Seminary (Presbyterian Church - USA), and Starr King School for the Ministry (Unitarian Universalist)

As a student at ABSW you are also a student of the GTU and may cross register for classes at the other member schools. You may also take classes on a limited basis at the University of California, Berkeley, Mills College, and Holy Names University.

Is ABSW accredited?

Yes, ABSW is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools.

May I take classes at other GTU schools and Cal Berkeley?

Yes. Please see the ABSW catalog or contact the Registrar for specific details.

What do ABSW students typically do after graduation?

ABSW graduates are engaged in a vast range of ministries, traditional and non-traditional. Positions held by ABSW graduates include senior and associate pastors, youth ministers, ministers of Christian Educaiton, Music ministry, health care chaplains, campus chaplains, military chaplains, colleges and seminaries professors, international missionaries, and director of non-profit agencies. . In short, ABSW graduates go on to do great things for the church and for the world.

What programs are offered by ABSW?

Master of Divinity

Master of Arts in Community Leadership

Master of Arts (in cooperation with the GTU)

Th.D. and Ph.D. (in cooperation with GTU)

Doctor of Ministry in partnership with Bakke Graduate University, Seattle, WA

Certificate of Ministry

Certificate of Theology

Certificate of Advanced Studies

When are classes held?

ABSW is sensitive to the needs of students who must work full or part time. Consequently, the majority of classes at ABSW are held in the evening, Monday through Thursday. Most classes are offered in three hour blocks one day a week. Students enrolled at ABSW may elect to take courses offered at the other member schools of the Graduate Theological Union. These courses are generally offered during the day. Use the Online Searchable Course Schedule to explore your options!

When was ABSW established?

ABSW traces its lineage to the 1871 Charter of California College. The school was first located in Vacaville, California and then moved to Oakland in 1887. In 1912 California College relocated in Berkeley, changing its name to Berkeley Baptist Divinity School.BBS as it was known, merged with California Baptist Theological Seminary of Covina, California. The current name, American Baptist Seminary of the West was adopted in recognition of this new partnership.

Where is ABSW located?

2606 Dwight Way

Berkeley, CA 94704