About the Center
Shape Our World
The Center for Ethical Leadership at the University of St. Thomas focuses on foundational issues in the study of ethical leadership. Through carefully examining the efforts of politicians, intellectuals, grassroots activists, and moral and spiritual leaders we can respond to the challenges of our time and shape the world in which we live.
Our Curriculum
Why Study Ethical Leadership?
Study theoretical questions and problems that have occupied moral and political thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to St Thomas Aquinas and the American Founders: What makes a leader successful? What sort of characteristics and virtues are necessary for leadership? What kind of education and formation do leaders need? Is there a distinctly practical form of wisdom and how can it be acquired? Who are moral exemplars and how can we identify them?
Our Curriculum
The Ethical Leadership Minor
Leadership Studies minors offered through the Center for Ethical Leadership are vocation centered. Students reflect on their particular calling and their response to it as leaders in their professions, community, and families. They are encouraged to think reflectively, critically, analytically, and creatively toward living a life of service in their chosen vocations.
Students will choose one of the following concentrations:
- Peace & Reconciliation
- Business
- Education
- Nursing
Program Overview
Considering Center Semillero at UST?
Discover how our programs form leaders through engaging academics, pastoral depth, and a vibrant multicultural community. Explore answers to common questions about our academic focus, masters programs, and student experience. For personalized guidance, contact Mrs. Belinda Trujillo at trujilmb@stthom.edu or 713‑628‑6221.
How does the Center Semillero teach Scripture all in Spanish?
At the Center Semillero, students encounter the Bible in the beauty and depth of their native Spanish language. This allows them to understand Scripture with clarity, cultural resonance, and spiritual familiarity. Through guided study, learners explore how the experiences of the disciples illuminate their own lives, always with the richness of shared language and cultural understanding.
Who should consider studying through the Center Semillero?
Everyone who feels comfortable with Spanish is invited to study at the Center Semillero: lay men and women, religious and consecrated persons, deacons, and priests. Our programs welcome all who desire to grow in Scripture and pastoral theology within a culturally resonant, Spanish‑speaking learning community.
What academic programs are offered?
The Center Semillero offers two graduate programs – the Master of Arts in Sacred Scripture (MASE) and the Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology (MATP). Both are fully in Spanish and fully online.
How does the Center Semillero support enhanced engagement beyond an online experience?
The Center Semillero offers a rich formation experience that extends well beyond virtual learning. Students participate in hybrid spiritual retreats, academic and pastoral symposia, personalized advising sessions, and community‑building gatherings that deepen their learning and spiritual growth. A signature pilgrimage experience further invites students to encounter Scripture and Theology in transformative ways while journeying with their classmates.