The presidents of Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary: Desiring to make witness to a shared mission in theological education, Luther and Northwestern seminaries were functionally unified in 1976, beginning with a single administration.

In the fall of 2013, Luther Seminary suspended new admissions to the Ph.D program for at least three years as part of budget cuts.

[7] The seminary has since returned to financial stability, reporting a budget surplus of $594,000 after fiscal year 2022.

A full year of internship, usually in a parish, is an integral part of pastoral training, and a degree requirement for ELCA M.Div.

While individual situations may vary, internship typically begins after two-thirds of coursework has been completed.

The internship requirement is unique to the ELCA among the other mainline denominations in the U.S. Luther Seminary has affiliations with the acclaimed American theologian and author, Frederick Buechner.

In addition to being a key part of the curriculum, the works of Buechner have regularly been distributed by the seminary among its students.

In 2014, Luther Seminary also instituted the Frederick Buechner Prize for Excellence in Preaching.