Graduate Theological Union

What is the history of Graduate Theological Union?

Graduate Theological Union (GTU) was founded in 1962 as a cooperative venture among theological schools in the Berkeley area. Its original purpose was to let students and faculty share academic resources while their schools retained distinct religious identities.

That cooperative model still defines GTU. Rather than functioning as a conventional college with a single undergraduate campus, it brings together graduate-level study, a shared theological library, research centers, and relationships with member schools and other partners. Prospective students should distinguish a degree awarded by GTU from one awarded by a member school: the institution granting the degree determines the applicable admissions, tuition, and graduation policies.

What are the faculties and departments at Graduate Theological Union?

GTU is organized around graduate study in religion and theology, not undergraduate colleges or majors. Its academic offerings include interdisciplinary graduate degrees and research opportunities that draw on faculty and courses across the consortium.

Areas of study span subjects such as religious traditions, sacred texts, ethics, spirituality, and religion's relationship to society. The consortium also includes schools with different Christian denominational affiliations, while GTU's broader academic work engages multiple religious traditions. Students considering a particular master's or doctoral program should check which institution awards the credential, which courses they may take across schools, and who will supervise their research. Cross-registration is an academic opportunity, not a guarantee that every course will count toward every degree.

What is the location of Graduate Theological Union?

GTU is in Berkeley, California, near the University of California, Berkeley, in the East Bay portion of the San Francisco metropolitan area. Its academic setting is connected to a cluster of theological schools rather than a self-contained residential campus.

The surrounding urban area offers access to public transit, libraries, religious communities, and cultural institutions. It also calls for practical planning: students may travel between partner-school facilities, and Bay Area housing can be a substantial expense. Applicants planning to commute should check where their required classes and library services are actually held, rather than assuming every activity takes place at one address.

What is the mission and vision of Graduate Theological Union?

GTU's stated purpose centers on collaborative, interdisciplinary study of religion and theology across institutional and religious boundaries. Its consortium structure is intended to make dialogue among different traditions and scholarly approaches part of graduate education.

That purpose does not mean every member school has the same mission or religious commitments. Some prepare students for ministry within particular traditions; others have different academic and professional emphases. A prospective student should compare the aims of the specific degree program and degree-granting institution with their own research or vocational goals.