As you fill out your application, you will need to choose a preseminary emphasis or minor. The following is meant to help you with that choice.
Both Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and the preseminary faculty of Martin Luther College recommend you choose one of the following nonbiblical language options. (Click on each one to see the specific course requirements.)
German Emphasis (12 credits)
GER2001 Intermediate German I
GER2002 Intermediate German II
GER2011 Survey of Theological German
GER2012 Luther German
German Minor (21 credits)
Required Courses (18 credits)
GER2001 Intermediate German I
GER2002 Intermediate German II
GER2011 Survey of Theological German
GER2012 Luther German
GER3021 European German Lutheran Writings
GER3022 American German Lutheran Writings
German Elective Courses (3 credits)
Choose one:
GER4010 German Immersion I
GERxxxx German Guided Reading
Linguistics for Biblical Exegetes
Latin Emphasis (12 credits)
LAT2003 Intermediate Latin I
LAT2004 Intermediate Latin II
LAT2011 Classical Latin Literature
LAT2012 Ecclesiastical Latin
Latin Minor (21 credits)
Required Courses (18 credits)
LAT2003 Intermediate Latin I
LAT2004 Intermediate Latin II
LAT2011 Classical Latin Literature
LAT2012 Ecclesiastical Latin
LAT3001 Roman Historians
LAT3003 Post-Reformation Latin Lutheran Writings
Latin Elective Course (3 credits)
Choose one:
LAT4001 Latin Guided Reading
Linguistics for Biblical Exegetes
Confessional Languages Emphasis (18 credits)
GER2001 Intermediate German I
GER2002 Intermediate German II
LAT2003 Intermediate Latin I
LAT2004 Intermediate Latin II
GER2012 Luther German
LAT2012 Ecclesiastical Latin
Confessional Languages Minor (24 credits)
Required Courses (18 credits)
GER2001 Intermediate German I
GER2002 Intermediate German II
LAT2003 Intermediate Latin I
LAT2004 Intermediate Latin II
GER2012 Luther German
LAT2012 Ecclesiastical Latin
Elective Courses (6 credits)
Two German/Latin Elective Courses (6 credits)
Spanish Emphasis (12 credits)
SPN2001 Intermediate Spanish I
SPN2002 Intermediate Spanish II
SPN2012 Communicating Christ
Choose one:
» SPN2011 Intermediate Spanish III (on-campus option) OR
» SPN4011 Spanish Immersion I (summer immersion)
Spanish Minor (21 credits)
SPN2001 Intermediate Spanish I
SPN2002 Intermediate Spanish II
SPN2011 Intermediate Spanish III
SPN2012 Communicating Christ in Spanish
SPN4011 Spanish Immersion I (summer immersion)
Two SPN3/4xxx Additional Spanish Elective Courses**
**A Spanish minor student may elect SPN4012 in place of the two SPN3/4xxx elective courses.
As you make your choice, consider the following:
- By choosing a language, you will be following in the footsteps of many generations of pastors who did this before you.
- Choosing one of these languages enables you to earn a college minor in addition to your major in biblical languages and theology.
- Learning a language requires daily self-discipline — a quality critical for pastoral ministry.
- German and Latin are the languages of our theological history and heritage. The greatest theologians God has given to the Lutheran church wrote in Latin and German. These are the languages of our Lutheran Confessions and our WELS literature.
- The skills you will use in acquiring one of these languages will support your study of the biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew.
- The German and Spanish choices each provide an opportunity to study abroad as you fulfill the course requirements.
- The German, Latin, and Confessional Languages (German and Latin) choices provide you with additional opportunities to study Lutheran theology at MLC.
- An ability to use Spanish can open doors to doing gospel outreach in the United States and abroad.
A scholarship is available to those who choose one of the German, Latin, or Confessional Languages options.
Other Emphasis Choices
Though we recommend you choose one of the languages, the reality is that language is not where every preseminary student has interest and ability. Greek and Hebrew may present enough of a challenge. So, you do have other choices available to you.
Please understand, these other choices will present challenges of their own. Some of them will require much reading, research, and writing. Others will require specialized knowledge. All of them are in addition to courses already required in each of these academic areas. You should also remember that many of the upper-level courses will be filled with education students who are majoring in that discipline. Finally, realize that these options will often leave you with a more limited list of courses to choose from because of prerequisites, corequisites, or scheduling issues.
But if you know that language is not your strength, and you have a passion for one of these other areas, then this may be the right choice for you as you prepare yourself to serve Jesus and his Church. (Click on each one to see the specific requirements.)
English Emphasis - Literature and Writing (12 credits)
ENG3109 Shakespeare
ENG3207 Literature of the Modern World
ENG3303 Advance Expository Writing
ENG3xxx English elective course
Four Free Elective Menu Courses
History Emphasis - US and World History and Historiography (12 credits)
HIS2001 United States History I
HIS4110 Foundations of History
Two HIS3/4xxx History Elective Courses
Music Emphasis - History, Culture, Theory, and Hymnody (12 credits)
MUS3213 Music in World Cultures (Gen Ed Intercultural)**
MUS320x Music History course (Gen Ed Fine Arts)**
MUS3101 Theory of Music I
MUS3102 Theory of Music II
MUSxxxx Christian Hymnody
One Music Elective Course
**Those who choose Music must take these courses in fulfillment of general education requirements in those areas.
Science Emphasis - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Ecology, and the Nature of Science (12 credits)
SCI1003 & SCI1004 Biology & Lab (Gen Ed Science)**
SCI4105 Science in Our Society
Three SCIxxxx Science Elective Courses
**Those who choose Science must take these courses in fulfillment of general education requirements in those areas.
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