Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary

What Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary does

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) is a private theological seminary and graduate school of California Lutheran University, founded in 1952 in Berkeley, California. It is the only Lutheran seminary serving the western half of the United States and is a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), a consortium of 19 seminaries and research centers in partnership with UC Berkeley. PLTS prepares students for rostered leadership (pastors and deacons) in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) through degree programs including the Master of Divinity (MDiv, in Standard, Flex 9, and Flex 6 pathways) and the MA in Spirituality and Social Change, supplemented by certificate offerings such as CATS, CTS, Lutheran Year, TEEM, Climate Justice and Faith, and Racial Justice and Faith.

Instructional delivery relies on a standard educational technology stack: Moodle as the learning management system (shared with GTU at moodle.gtu.edu), Zoom for synchronous sessions, and VoiceThread and Panopto for asynchronous media sharing; supplementary tools include Accordance Bible software. Both residential and Distributed Learning Modality formats are offered. Practical formation is embedded through Contextual Education components including Ministry in Context placements, supervised internships, and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), all structured around the seminary's "Dimensions of Ministry Excellence" pedagogical framework.

PLTS operates as a non-tuition-only institution: revenue sources include tuition, subsidized student housing (ranging $10,847–$16,255 for a 9-month term at The Overture Apartments), seminary fund contributions, scholarships, grants, and a recent $10M Lilly Endowment Grant (2025). It is governed as a subsidiary of California Lutheran University and channels student recruitment through ELCA synod partnerships, virtual events, discernment retreats, and standard institutional digital channels.

Name

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary

Legal name

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary

Website

https://plts.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary is a private ELCA-affiliated graduate school in Berkeley, California, and the only Lutheran seminary in the western United States. It offers MDiv and MA degrees, certificates, and distributed-learning theological education within the Graduate Theological Union consortium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Theological education
• Graduate seminary programs
• Divinity degree programs
• Ministry formation training
• Theological certificate programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) is a graduate theological school that delivers Master of Divinity (MDiv), MA in Spirituality and Social Change, certificate, and contextual ministry programs primarily to prepare candidates for ordained ministry (pastor or deacon) in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is the only Lutheran seminary in the western half of the United States and operates as a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union consortium in Berkeley, California. Programs combine classroom theological learning, contextual ministry placements, and spiritual formation, with options for residential and distributed (online/hybrid) study.

Product overview

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) offers a portfolio of theological degree programs, certificate programs, and practical training components, all operating within the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) consortium in Berkeley, California. The core academic offerings include the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree available in Standard, Flex 9, and Flex 6 pathways, and the MA in Spirituality and Social Change (MASSC) in Standard and Flex 6 pathways. These are supplemented by certificate programs including CATS, CTS, Lutheran Year, TEEM (Theological Education for Emerging Ministries), Climate Justice and Faith, and Racial Justice and Faith. PLTS also delivers a Distributed Learning Modality for remote education. Practical formation is built around Contextual Education components (Ministry in Context, Internship, and CPE). All programs are guided by the Dimensions of Ministry Excellence and Orienting Perspectives pedagogical framework. Technology-mediated instruction is delivered through the Moodle LMS, with asynchronous media tools (VoiceThread, Panopto) and synchronous conferencing (Zoom) supporting both residential and distributed learners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Climate Justice and Faith: A center focused on climate justice and faith-based environmental ethics.

Products and services

• Master of Divinity (MDiv)

Quantifiable outcome

• For more than a decade, at least 50% of student body have been women

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Graduate Theological Union (GTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLTS is a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union, a consortium of 19 seminaries and research centers in Berkeley, California. This partnership provides students with interfaith and cross-cultural academic experiences and access to GTU's shared library and research resources in collaboration with UC Berkeley.
• California Lutheran UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLTS is a graduate school of California Lutheran University (Cal Lutheran). This affiliation provides administrative support, access to university resources including disability services, counseling, veteran services, and student employment opportunities.
• UC BerkeleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLTS students have access to UC Berkeley courses through cross-registration. Full-time degree seminarians may take one UC Berkeley course per semester at no additional charge. The GTU partnership includes collaborative research opportunities with UC Berkeley.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLTS is a seminary of the ELCA, preparing rostered leaders (pastors and deacons) for the denomination. The seminary works with ELCA synod candidacy committees and offers specialized programs like TEEM for synod-directed students.
• Luther SeminaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for TEEM Summer sessions, where PLTS cohorts gather for intensive theological education alongside students from other ELCA seminaries.
• Church Divinity School of the PacificminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTU member seminary with joint appointment arrangement for certain faculty members (e.g., Professor Cynthia Moe-Lobeda holds joint appointment at PLTS and Church Divinity School of the Pacific).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• California Lutheran University: Parent institution of PLTS and the system's primary undergraduate/graduate university. Provides administrative services, IT, student support, and conferral of degrees, making it the closest institutional backer and capacity provider.
• Graduate Theological Union (GTU): Consortium of 19 seminaries and research centers of which PLTS is a founding member. Functions as a shared academic and library infrastructure provider that PLTS depends on and whose brand is closely tied to PLTS' Berkeley identity.

Direct peers

• Wartburg Theological Seminary: ELCA seminary in Dubuque, Iowa offering MDiv and TEEM pathways. Direct peer as another ELCA formation institution targeting the same rostered-leader candidate market as PLTS.
• Church Divinity School of the Pacific: GTU member Episcopal seminary in Berkeley sharing joint faculty appointments with PLTS (e.g., Professor Cynthia Moe-Lobeda). Comparable as a small denominational seminary operating within the same GTU consortium and cost base.
• Trinity Lutheran Seminary: ELCA seminary in Columbus, Ohio offering MDiv and candidacy pathways. Comparable peer for ELCA seminarian formation competing for candidates in the central and eastern U.S.
• Luther Seminary: Largest ELCA seminary in St. Paul, MN. Direct peer in ELCA rostered-leader formation, partner with PLTS for TEEM summer intensives, and competes for the same denomination-wide candidate pool.
• Pacific School of Religion: GTU member seminary in Berkeley and PLTS' co-recipient of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Transformative Learning Collaborative grant. Directly comparable as a small, progressive, interfaith Protestant seminary serving overlapping student segments in the same Berkeley location.
• Pacific School of Religion (Climate Justice): Note: included above as primary peer. Listed separately here to flag that PSR and PLTS jointly deliver the Transformative Learning Collaborative funded by the $10M Lilly grant, making them programmatic co-developers in addition to geographic peers.
• Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC): ELCA seminary in Chicago where PLTS faculty (e.g., Adam Braun) earned doctoral degrees. Direct peer in ELCA theological education with comparable MDiv and advanced degree offerings.

Regional players

• Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology: GTU member Catholic seminary in Berkeley. Comparable as a small denominational seminary sharing the GTU library, cross-registration, and Berkeley location, though serving a different (Roman Catholic) student segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pacificlutherantheo
• Facebookfacebook.com/45130652267
• Instagraminstagram.com/pltsberkeley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-lutheran-theological-seminary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary