Seminary of the Southwest offers a tranquil campus in the heart of a vibrant city. Shaded by the huge, stately live oak trees that are an icon of Austin and occupying a single city block on the north edge of the University of Texas campus, Seminary of the Southwest provides both the advantages of a close, familiar community and those of a world-class city.
Academics
The curriculum at Seminary of the Southwest follows a path focused on three areas of formation: being, knowing, and doing. The seminary’s foundational attention to academic excellence (knowing) is complemented by attention to character (being) and skill (doing). Each program seeks to produce well-rounded, thoughtful graduates who have become not only proficient in a field of study but wise and charitable in its practice.
Chapel
Chapel participation is required for students in the MDiv and DAS programs. Students from the MAR, MHC, and MSd degrees are encouraged and welcome to participate as their schedule allows.
Our chapel is at the center of formation for students preparing for ordination. Southwest students graduate ready to lead congregational worship. They are given opportunities to officiate offices, lead sung services, preach, read, and distribute communion beginning in their first weeks on campus. Collaborating with faculty mentors, students plan full worship services and write liturgical texts in our CIS (community initiated services) program.
We draw from the broadest variety of resources authorized for use in the Episcopal Church including Rite I, Rite II, Enriching our Worship, Spanish translations of the Book of Common Prayer. Christ Chapel music roots our worship in the broadest Episcopal traditions. With our Director of Chapel Music and Lecturer in Church Music and seminarians leading us on our Holt Kamp organ, Christ Chapel worship includes the deepest engagement with our rich Anglican heritage drawing from the Hymnal 1982, Plainsong and Anglican Psaltery. We celebrate the diversity of the Episcopal church as it exists now by inviting expert musicians from racially diverse local congregations to lead our music offerings from resources such as LEVAS and El Himanario providing an ongoing cultural exchange that draws us all closer to God. Our balanced approach to worship as formation equips Southwest graduates to lead parishes across the spectrum from the first Sunday.
Housing
Southwest owns a variety of properties immediately adjacent to the campus. These vary from apartments to large single family homes. We will work with you to determine a home that meets your budget and other needs. Pets are welcome in all seminary housing. Southwest student housing is open and available twelve months of the year. One distinctive feature of our campus is the “Episcpool” , the center of student social life in summer months.
- To ensure applicants have an equal opportunity for housing, requests are received until June 15 with official assignments being made July 1.
- A housing survey with the floorplans and pricing of available on-campus housing is available upon request.
- Connections with our neighborhood sister seminary or a local realtor are available for off campus housing needs.
Austin
Known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin is consistently ranked on almost every national “best places” list. Austin has established itself as a world leader in technology, innovation, energy, workforce development, music, and creativity.
