Doctor of Ministry & Master of Sacred Theology Application Requirements
General Application Requirements
- Applicants should have a mature Christian faith, a history of active participation in a church community, and have a disciplined spiritual life.
- Applicants should have a clear sense of vocation, lay or ordained, and how the degree program will support that vocation.
- A completed application is required.
- Applicants to all degrees should hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
- Official transcripts of undergraduate work and all other post-secondary academic work from each institution attended are required.
- Applicants should have the intellectual ability and academic background to engage the curriculum in a satisfactory way and to fulfill successfully the requirements of the degree to which the student is applying. Applicants may be required to submit additional writing samples.
- Applicants for programs with residency in the Advent and/or Easter terms must submit written proof of a background check. Normally ordination track and ordained students should have this sent by their diocese. Non-ordination track students will work with the Office of Admission to fulfill the requirement.
- Applicants should have what the admission committee considers a realistic plan of how they intend to finance their seminary program, including (when appropriate) the needs of the applicant’s family and adequate medical insurance for self and family. It is expected that the applicant will not be encumbered with significant consumer debt.
- An applicant whose first language is not English is required to complete the TOEFL or IELTS. Students who are not U.S. citizens or do not have legal permanent residency in the United States are required to have or acquire a valid U.S. visa.
Degree-specific APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Master of Sacred Theology
- Application to the Master of Sacred Theology (General Track) program requires evidence of a first theological degree.
- Applicants for the Master of Sacred Theology (Anglican Studies Track) must have a Master of Divinity degree from an accredited seminary and have an ecclesiastical endorsement (normally, postulancy for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church or permission of one’s bishop).
- A minimum grade average of B in post-baccalaureate work is generally required for admission.
- Two letters of recommendation, one from a person who can attest to the applicant's academic acumen, normally professors or college faculty, and one from a church official or member of the clergy.
- An official interview is required of all applicants.
Doctor of Ministry
- Admission to the Doctor of Ministry program requires evidence of a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent; evidence of ordination; and a minimum of three years full-time or equivalent experience in ministry, subsequent to the granting of the Master of Divinity degree.
- A minimum grade average of B in post-baccalaureate work is generally required for admission.
- Documentation of non-academic continuing education experiences, such as C.P.E., career development counseling, workshops, and conferences that the applicant considers to be relevant to their participation in the program can be included.
- Two letters of recommendation, one from someone who can attest to the applicant's academic acumen, normally a theological school professor, and one from a church official or member of the clergy.