# Senate of Serampore College (University)

The Senate of Serampore College (University) is an ecumenical regulatory and affiliating body for Christian theological education, which works in partnership with Bible colleges, seminaries and theological research institutes in the Indian subcontinent that comply with its regulations and standards. The college was founded by the Baptist missionaries Joshua Marshman, William Carey and William Ward (the Serampore trio), to give an education in arts and sciences to students of every "caste, colour, creed or country" and to train a ministry for the growing Church in India. It is located in Serampore in West Bengal, India. Serampore was granted the status of university by King Frederick VI of Denmark in 1829.

## History

Since Serampore was then a Danish colony, King Frederick VI, the King of Denmark, issued Serampore College its Royal Charter of Incorporation on 23 February 1827, in Copenhagen, Denmark (Charter, 1, Charter, 2, Charter, 3). The charter came in response to Baptist missionary Joshua Marshman's visit to King Frederick in August 1826; the charter gave Serampore College the privilege of awarding degrees in Arts and Theology. Baptist missionaries William Carey, Joshua Marshman, and John Clark Marshman (Joshua's son) were designated as members of the first Council. At its opening, the Trio released a prospectus which proposed "A College for the instruction of Asiatic Christian and other Youth in Eastern Literature and European Science." The college was open to all persons of any caste or creed, and the founders ensured that no denominational test would apply to faculty members.
After 22 February 1845 when Denmark sold all of its Indian assets to Britain, the management and operation of the college continued without interruption under the direction of a master and council. In 1856 the Baptist Missionary Society in England took over the management of the college and, in 1857, the college became affiliated with the newly established University of Calcutta and became a constituent college of that university. In 1883 the college closed as an arts college and began functioning as a Christian Training Institution and a theological institute for the Baptist churches in Bengal.
The Royal charter has also been confirmed by the Bengal Govt Act. IV of 1918.

## Accreditation and Charter

The Senate of Serampore College draws its power to award degree from the Royal Charter awarded by King Frederick VI of Denmark, giving the Senate of Serampore College the status of a degree granting university. Through the Danish Charter, Serampore became the first institution in India to be given the status of a university.
The Senate of Serampore College is not accredited by any other theological academic body or council. Also, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has given its accreditation only for the secular degree programs of Serampore College, a sister institution, for the degrees that are awarded through University of Calcutta.
The degrees that are awarded by Senate of Serampore are not recognised under the UGC Act for the purpose of the Section 22 of the Act and are awarded by Senate without the need for approval of the University Grants Commission (India). Seminary students having degrees that are not listed under UGC Act of Section 22 are not eligible to sit for public service examinations, or avail public employment or government research grant, etc. based on their degrees. However, "Students of Serampore College in the Faculty of Theology are, entitled to all the privileges of students in any of the other universities and colleges in India."
Senate of Serampore College practices autonomy in the preparation of its curriculum in partnership with the affiliated colleges.

## Degrees awarded

Presently, the Senate of Serampore College (University) restricts itself to award of degrees pertaining to theology. The theology curriculum includes various courses offered in the fields of religion and culture including the study of Old Testament, New Testament, Christian Theology, Study of Classical Biblical Languages: Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, other classical languages: Sanskrit, Arabic, Syriac, Pali, German, Latin etc., Study of other Major Religions: Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism; Ministry related courses such as: Homiletics, Christian Worship and Music, Pastoral Care and Counselling, Clinical Counseling, Christian Education, Communication, Social Analysis, History of Christianity, Missiology, Contextual Theologies and Christian Ministry.
The following are the degrees awarded to students through its affiliated colleges throughout India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka:

### Diploma programmes

* Diploma in Worship and Music (Dip.W.M)
* Diploma in Christian Studies (Dip. C.S) (External)
* Diploma in Clinical Pastoral Counselling (Dip.C.P.C)
* Diploma in Bible Translation (Dip B.T)

### Graduate programmes

* Bachelor of Theology (B.Th)
* Bachelor of Missiology (B.Miss)
* Bachelor of Christian Studies (B.C.S.) (External)

### Postgraduate programmes

* Bachelor of Divinity (B.D)
* Master of Theology (M.Th)
* Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy (MCP)
* Master of Ministry (M.Min.) (External)
* Master of Christian Studies (MCS) (External)

### Doctoral programmes

* Doctor of Ministry (D.Min)
* Doctor of Theology (D.Th)

## Constituent colleges

* Serampore College (Theology Department), Serampore
* South Asia Theological Research Institute, Serampore

## Affiliated colleges

The affiliated colleges of the university up to 2016 are, :
| No. | State | Institution | Founded | Town PIN | Courses | Courses |
| No. | State | Institution | Founded | Town PIN | Residential | Non-residential |
| I | Andhra Pradesh | Bethel Bible College | 2000 | Guntur 522 006 | B.D. | B.C.S. |
| II | Andhra Pradesh | Master's College of Theology | 1996 | Visakhapatnam 530 041 | B.D. | Dip.C.S. B.C.S. |
| III | Assam | Eastern Theological College | | Jorhat 785 014 | B.D. M.Th. | Dip.C.S. B.C.S. |
| IV | Gujarat | Gujarat United School of Theology | | Ahmedabad 380 006 | B.Th. | - |
| V | Gujarat | Methodist Bible Seminary | | Vasad 388 306 | B.Th. | Dip.C.S. |
| VI | Haryana | Dharma Jyoti Vidyapeeth | | Faridabad 121 101 | B.D. | - |
| VII | Haryana | Nav Jyoti Post graduate and Research Centre | | Faridabad 121 006 | M.Th. | - |
| VIII | Jharkhand | Gossner Theological College | 1866 | Ranchi 834 001 | B.Th. | - |
| IX | Jharkhand | Santal Theological College | | Benagaria 814 101 | B.Th. | - |
| X | Karnataka | Karnataka Theological College | 1965 | Mangalore | B.D. | Dip.C.S. |
| XI | Karnataka | United Theological College, Bangalore | 1910 | Bangalore | B.D. M.Th. D.Th. | - |
| XII | Kerala | Faith Theological Seminary | 1970 | Adoor 691 551 | B.D. B.Miss. M.Th. D.Th. | B.C.S. |
| XIV | Kerala | Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture, | | Kottayam 686 001 | M.Th. D.Th. | - |
| XV | Kerala | India Bible College and Seminary | 1930 | Thiruvalla 689 541 | B.D. | - |
| XVI | Kerala | Kerala Theological Seminary | 2000 | Kottarakara 691 531 | B.D. | - |
| XVII | Kerala | Kerala United Theological Seminary | 1943 | Thiruvananthapuram 695 011 | B.D. | - |
| XVIII | Kerala | Malankara Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary | | Mulanthuruthy 682 314 | B.D. | - |
| XIX | Kerala | Mar Thoma Episcopal Jubilee Institute of Evangelism | | Tiruvalla 689 105 | B.Th. | - |
| XX | Kerala | Mar Thoma Syrian Theological Seminary | | Kottayam 686 001 | B.D. | - |
| XXI | Kerala | Orthodox Theological Seminary | 1815 | Kottayam 686 001 | B.D. | Dip.W.M. |
| XXII | Madhya Pradesh | Leonard Theological College | | Jabalpur 482 001 | B.D. | - |
| XXIII | Maharashtra | St. Thomas Orthodox Theological Seminary | 1995 | Nagpur 441 501 | B.D. | - |
| XXIV | Maharashtra | Union Biblical Seminary | 1953 | Pune 411 037 | B.D. M.Th. D.Th. | - |
| XXV | Maharashtra | United Theological Seminary of Maharashtra | | Pune 411 001 | B.Th. | Dip.C.S. |
| XXVI | Manipur | Manipur Theological College | | Kangpokpi 795 129 | B.D. | - |
| XXVII | Manipur | Trulock Theological Seminary | | Imphal 795 001 | B.D. | - |
| XXVIII | Meghalaya | Harding Theological College | | Tura 794 002 | B.D. | - |
| XXIX | Meghalaya | John Roberts Theological Seminary | | Shillong 798 009 | B.D. | - |
| XXX | Mizoram | Academy of Integrated Christian Studies | 2000 | Aizawl 796 001 | B.D. M.Th. | - |
| XXXI | Mizoram | Aizawl Theological College | 1907 | Aizawl 796 001 | B.D. M.Th. D.Th. | B.C.S. M.C.S. |
| XXXII | Mizoram | Missionary Training College | | Aizawl 796 005 | B.Miss. | - |
| XXXIII | Nagaland | Baptist Theological College | | Pfütsero 797 107 | B.D. | - |
| XXXIV | Nagaland | Clark Theological College | | Mokokchung 798 601 | B.D. M.Th. | - |
| XXXV | Nagaland | Trinity Theological College | | Dimapur 797 112 | B.D. | - |
| XXXVI | Nagaland | Witter Theological College | | Wokha 797 111 | B.D. | - |
| XXXVII | Odisha | Orissa Christian Theological College | | Gopalpur 761 002 | B.Th. | - |
| XXXVIII | Tamil Nadu | Bethel Bible Institute, | | Danishpet 636 354 | B.D. B.Miss. | - |
| XXXIX | Tamil Nadu | Concordia Theological Seminary | | Nagercoil 629 001 | B.D. | - |
| XL | Tamil Nadu | Gurukul Lutheran Theological College | 1953 | Chennai 600 010 | B.D. M.Th. | - |
| XLI | Tamil Nadu | Indian Theological Seminary | 1990 | Chennai 600 062 | B.D. | - |
| XLII | Tamil Nadu | Madras Theological Seminary and College | | Chennai 600 010 | B.D. | B.C.S. |
| XLIII | Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary | 1969 | Madurai 625 010 | B.D. M.Th. | Dip.C.S. B.C.S. |
| XLIV | Telangana | Advanced Institute for Research on Religion and Culture | 2016 | Hyderabad 500 052 | M.Th. | - |
| XLV | Telangana | Andhra Christian Theological College | 1964 | Hyderabad 500 080 | B.D. | Dip.C.S. B.C.S. M.C.S. |
| XLVI | Telangana | Calvin Institute of Theology | | Yacharam 501 509 | B.D. | - |
| XLVII | Telangana | Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College | 1920 | Shamshabad 501 218 | B.D. | Dip.C.S. |
| XLVIII | Uttarakhand | Luther W. New Jr. Theological College, | | Dehra Dun 248 001 | B.D. Dip.W.M. | - |
| XLIX | Uttar Pradesh | Allahabad Bible Seminary | | Allahabad 211 002 | B.D. | Dip.C.S., B.C.S. |
| L | West Bengal | Bishop's College | | Kolkata 700 017 | B.D. | - |
| LI | West Bengal | Calcutta Bible Seminary | | North 24 Parganas 700 132 | B.D. | - |
| LII | West Bengal | North India Institute of Post Graduate Theological Studies | 1980 | Serampore 712 201 | M.Th. D.Th. | - |

## Other affiliated centres

Affiliated centres as of 2014 for the purpose of Diploma in Clinical Pastoral Counselling.
* Karnataka
** Christian Medical Association of India, Bangalore
* Kerala
** Life Enrichment Counselling and Training Centre, Idukki district
** Mar Thoma Hospital Guidance, Trivandrum
** T. M. A. Institute of Counselling, Kottayam
* Tamil Nadu
* Christian Medical College, Vellore, Vellore