Minor in Theological Languages

God’s Word in its original words

If you’re planning to attend seminary after you graduate from Concordia, theological languages is about as practical as it gets. Knowing the original languages of the Old and New Testaments will not only enrich your personal devotional studies, it will give you a firm foundation to build upon in seminary and eventually the pastoral office.

Program Overview

You’ll learn Hebrew, Greek, and either Latin or German in order to read the Bible and major theological works in their original languages. Reading these texts creates a closer connection to God’s Word, and offers a deeper understanding of the early Christian world and subsequent Church history. Concordia’s curriculum and faculty will help you attain a high level of competency for reading and translating these original languages. Plus, this program is excellent preparation for seminary requirements and other graduate work in theology. This major can be combined easily with the pre-seminary studies major, the Christian thought major, or others.

What to Expect

Yes, you are going to be challenged. You’ll be learning two new alphabets that likely you’ve never encountered before. However, your future faculty, classmates, and tutors are eager to give you the support and resources needed to succeed. You’ll learn and practice self-discipline (which is necessary for language acquisition). In terms of benefits, you’ll experience the Bible and theological literature in a depth not possible with English translations. You’ll be preparing to spend a lifetime digging into Scripture and writings by Church Fathers with more clarity than before. Plus, through the study of other languages, your mastery of English will also improve. Alongside your languages courses, you’ll also get to take classes with our committed theology faculty.

How to Apply

Undergraduate Application Steps

It’s time to help you become a Falcon! Just follow these simple steps to complete your application.

For first-time freshman:

Submit your online application
Submit the Common Application
Have your school send your official high school transcripts. Transcripts may be mailed or sent via a transcript processing service to:

Concordia University Wisconsin
Admissions Office
12800 N. Lake Shore Dr.
Mequon, WI 53097
Send your official ACT or SAT scores.

Scores on your high school transcript will be considered official. If your school does not put scores on transcripts, please contact ACT at www.act.org or College Board at www.collegeboard.org.

For transfer students:

Submit your online application
Submit the Common Application
Submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended

*Transfer students with less than 60 college credits completed will also submit official high school transcripts. Students who have less than 30 college credits also need to submit official ACT or SAT scores. Scores on your high school transcript will be considered official.

Minimum Requirements

A minimum GPA of a 2.5/4.0 (C average) or higher
ACT composite of 18 or above
SAT equivalent of 940 or higher for combined math and evidence-based reading and writing (for tests taken after March 2016).

*If your GPA or ACT score falls below the minimum for acceptance, your admissions counselor may ask you to retake the test or supply additional documents, such as an essay or letters of recommendation, to complete the application.

Required Academic Coursework in High School

A minimum of 16 units of high school (secondary school) work is required, of which at least 11 should be in basic liberal arts areas. Units should be distributed as follows:

English: At least three units, but four are strongly recommended.
Mathematics: Two units of college-prep math, preferably one each in Algebra and Geometry.
Natural Science: Two units, preferably one each in Biology, Physics or Chemistry.
Social Studies: Two units, preferably one each in world history and American history.
Liberal Arts: Two units of the same foreign language or additional units in one or more of the other listed subjects or in fine arts.
Other Electives: Five units from any area of academic study, but ideally from the areas listed above.
German or Latin is recommended for pre-seminary students.