Contextual Education

Then
The very first CTS curriculum in 1855 required students to combine theory and practice, action and reflection. Students served in churches and mission settings across the Midwest, where they encountered the realities of congregational and community life in the restless, experimental culture of the western frontier. These excursions marked the beginning of the first field education component ever introduced into a seminary curriculum in the United States.

Now
Students in every program engage in ministry outside the classroom, learning the importance of combining critical reflection with strategic action. Congregations, hospitals, prisons, shelters, hospice facilities, medical clinics, community organizations and the nighttime streets of Chicago all provide formal contexts for learning by CTS students.