Capstone University

What Capstone University does

Capstone University is a Washington State religious-exempt, non-profit institution of higher learning headquartered in University Place, Washington (Tacoma area). Founded in September 2015 by First Congregational Church of Tacoma and now operating under an independent board with three seats each from FCC and the Spiritual Care Association, it delivers online graduate-level programs in spiritual care, chaplaincy, spiritual direction, thanatology, clinical pastoral psychotherapy, pastoral ministry, and spiritual care nursing. The portfolio spans Master of Theology and Master of Divinity degrees, Doctor of Theology degrees, twelve Executive Diploma programs, and eleven Professional Specialty Certificate programs, supplemented by Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units through its subsidiary Graduate Academy of CPE Supervision (GACS).

The institution runs entirely online through the Canvas Learning Management System, allowing asynchronous coursework for working professionals; students in CPE tracks access both online and onsite clinical training through GACS. Curriculum is anchored in Quality Indicators and Scope of Practice documents produced by international interdisciplinary expert panels, and key content collaborations exist with the Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing, the Spiritual Care Association, HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, and Carolina Christian College. A religious exemption from the Washington Student Achievement Council under RCW 28B.85.040(2)(c) and WAC 250-61-060(7), granted December 29, 2016, supplies degree-granting authority; the institution is reported as one of only 51 such exempt schools in Washington State. Capstone University holds itself out as interfaith, inter-spiritual, interdenominational, and holistic rather than tied to a specific faith tradition, distinguishing it from traditional seminaries.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-credit tuition. Doctoral degrees range from $17,850 (60 credits) to $21,150 (72 credits); master's degrees list a base total of $13,725 (45 credits) with adjustable transfer credits; Executive Diplomas cost $2,300 for 12 credits; Professional Specialty Certificates cost $750 for 4 credits. Additional fixed charges include a $75 application fee, $75 enrollment fee, and varying transfer-credit fees. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the institution's website and a $75-fee online application portal on a third-party Orbund SIS, with top-of-funnel awareness driven by organic web, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram), and affiliate referrals from partner organizations. With 9 listed employees and no publicly disclosed revenue, financial disclosure is limited.

Name

Capstone University

Legal name

Capstone University

Website

https://capstoneuniversity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capstone University is a Washington State religious-exempt, non-profit online graduate school that delivers Master's, Doctoral, Executive Diploma, and Professional Specialty Certificate programs in spiritual care, chaplaincy, spiritual direction, thanatology, clinical pastoral psychotherapy, pastoral ministry, and spiritual care nursing to working professionals, primarily through Canvas LMS with clinical training via its GACS subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Theological Universities & Pontifical Universities (EDAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Theological education
• Online chaplaincy training
• Spiritual care degrees
• Pastoral ministry programs
• Clinical pastoral education

Headquarters

HQ city

University Place

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: CAPSTONE generates revenue primarily through tuition charges per credit hour. Doctoral degrees range from $17,850 to $21,150 total program cost. Master degrees range from $13,725 total. Additional fees include $75 application fee, $75 enrollment fee, and $75 per transfer credit. Executive diplomas cost $2,300 for 12 credits. Professional specialty certificates cost $750 for 4 credits. A maximum of 24 transfer credits can be applied to any degree.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Capstone University is a religiously-exempt, non-profit online institution of higher learning offering Master's and Doctoral degree programs in spiritual care, chaplaincy, spiritual direction, thanatology, and pastoral ministry. Programs are delivered asynchronously online through the Canvas learning management system and are designed for working professionals pursuing chaplaincy credentials and ministry formation.

Product overview

Capstone University is a religiously exempt institution of higher learning offering online degree programs in spiritual care and chaplaincy. The university provides a portfolio of Master of Theology degrees (M.TH.) in Chaplaincy, Spiritual Care, Spiritual Direction, and Spiritual Care Nursing, plus a Master of Divinity (M.DIV.) in Pastoral Ministry. At the doctoral level, the university offers Doctor of Theology degrees (D.TH.) in Chaplaincy, Spiritual Care, Spiritual Direction, Thanatology, and Clinical Pastoral Psychotherapy. Supporting these core degree programs, the university offers 12 Executive Diploma Programs for specialized professional development and 11 Professional Specialty Certificate Programs for focused skill certification. The Graduate Academy of CPE Supervision (GACS) provides Clinical Pastoral Education units and Supervisor Education Fellow training. All courses are delivered online through the Canvas Learning Management System.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Graduate Academy of CPE Supervision (GACS): Graduate-level clinical pastoral education training and learning center offering CPE units and Supervisor Education Fellow programs.

Products and services

• Master's degree programs in spiritual care and chaplaincy Master's degree programs preparing working professionals for chaplaincy practice across spiritual care, chaplaincy, spiritual direction, thanatology, and pastoral ministry specializations. Delivered asynchronously online for adult learners.
• Doctoral degree programs in spiritual care and pastoral ministry Doctoral degree programs for advanced study and practice in spiritual care, chaplaincy, spiritual direction, thanatology, and pastoral ministry, designed for working professionals seeking terminal degrees in their field.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Graduate Academy of CPE Supervision (GACS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGACS is a general partner of CAPSTONE University, providing 16-week CPE training courses via online and onsite clinical training. GACS offers Clinical Pastoral Education units and Supervisor Education Fellow training programs. GACS operates from the same address (2607 Bridgeport Way West, Suite 1-A) as CAPSTONE's University Place office.
• Westberg Institute for Faith Community NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Westberg Institute provides expertise for the School of Spiritual Care Nursing program. The collaboration brings together experts in nursing and spiritual care to offer degrees in parish nursing and interfaith nursing.
• Carolina Christian CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration announced where Carolina Christian College's over 40 years of educational excellence combines with CAPSTONE's leadership in Chaplaincy education. Degrees and courses are now accredited through Carolina Christian College and made available to students from both institutions.
• First Congregational Church (FCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCC founded CAPSTONE University (originally University of Theology and Spirituality) in September 2015. FCC's substantial contribution and investment made the university possible. The partnership continues with FCC providing ongoing support and relationship, including board representation.
• Spiritual Care Association (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCA partnership formed in April 2019 transformed the Academy of Theology and Spirituality into SCA University of Theology and Spirituality. On April 12, 2023, the DBA changed to CAPSTONE University. SCA provides leadership, relationship, and access to the largest think tank of spiritual care providers globally.
• HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (HCCN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCCN was founded in 1961 and is led by Dr. Rev. Eric J. Hall, also an SCA UTS founder. HCCN is a global nonprofit advancing integration of spiritual care in healthcare, providing professional chaplaincy services at major institutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Biola University: Christian university with a Talbot School of Theology offering graduate programs in spiritual formation, ministry, and biblical studies. Operates regionally accredited theological programs comparable to Capstone's portfolio.
• Princeton Theological Seminary: Major accredited theological seminary offering master's and doctoral programs including spiritual formation, pastoral care, and chaplaincy-related tracks. Sets the academic credibility benchmark in theological education against which Capstone's degrees must compete.
• Regent University School of Divinity: Regionally accredited online seminary offering master's and doctoral programs in divinity and chaplaincy-related fields. Much larger and broader in scope than Capstone, but targets similar working-professional students seeking flexible online theological degrees.
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: One of the largest accredited Southern Baptist theological seminaries offering extensive online graduate programs in theology, ministry, and pastoral studies. Provides significant competition for faith-based online seminarians seeking accredited credentials.
• Liberty University: Large accredited religious university offering extensive online seminary and theological programs at low cost, including chaplaincy and ministry tracks. Significant scale advantage over Capstone in online theological education and student reach.

Direct peers

• Ashland Theological Seminary: Accredited evangelical seminary offering online master's and doctoral programs in ministry and biblical studies. Comparable in scale, online delivery model, and faith-based positioning to Capstone, though more denominationally focused.
• Tyndale University: Canadian private religious university offering theological degrees including seminary programs. Comparable in religious-affiliated education focus and online/hybrid delivery model to Capstone, with overlapping chaplaincy-adjacent curriculum.
• Carolina Christian College: Direct strategic collaboration partner with Capstone, offering accredited theological and pastoral degrees in a faith-based online model; Capstone degrees are currently accredited through this alliance, making it the closest operational peer.
• Memphis Theological Seminary: Mid-sized accredited theological seminary offering online master's and doctoral programs in pastoral care, theology, and ministry. Comparable in product portfolio, online delivery, and adult-learner target student to Capstone.
• Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary: Religious-affiliated college and seminary offering graduate theological and ministry programs in online and hybrid formats. Comparable in faith-based higher education approach and target student profile to Capstone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/University_TS
• Facebookfacebook.com/uofts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capstoneuniversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/uofts

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Capstone University