How are we doing?

Barbara G. Wheeler

"This issue reports the results of the first-ever survey of graduates of theological and rabbinical schools in North America. The survey was sent to graduates from Protestant, Catholic and Jewish institutions who earned M. Div., M.A., Rabbinical or comparable degrees in 1995 and 2000. In addition, the Association of Theological Schools, the accrediting body for schools in the U.S. and Canada, provided data from their Entering and Graduating Student Questionnaires (ESQ and GSQ). In combination, these data provide answers to two crucial questions: 1) What do graduates do in the years after they complete their education and 2) How well do they think their theological training prepared them for their work? Generally, the news from this study is good. Large percentages of graduates assume the primary professional role for which their education prepares: leadership in a congregation or...