Admissions – Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, and Master of Arts

General Requirements

Admission to the George W. Truett Theological Seminary is by formal application. Truett Seminary complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws and does not engage in prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, nationality or ethnic origin, sex, age or disability.

Information regarding admission to the Doctor of Ministry degree program can be found here. Information about admission to the Ph.D. degree program can be found here.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in the United States or proof of equivalent training at a foreign university. Although several factors constitute the total profile for admission (application materials, GPA, evidence of Christian commitment, and interviews), as a general rule a minimum grade point average of 2.7 overall and 3.0 in the major is required. The admissions committee may admit applicants on a provisional status. For entrance into the masters’ programs only undergraduate grades or post baccalaureate (not graduate) grades are calculated to provide the GPA. Final approval for admission is given by the Dean of the Seminary.

An undergraduate student currently enrolled at Baylor University who, at the beginning of the final baccalaureate semester, lacks no more than ten semester hours of degree course work may, upon admission to the seminary, register for M.Div., M.A., M.T.S. or coursework subject to the following conditions:

1. all coursework for the bachelor’s degree must be completed during that semester;
2. total registration for the semester must not exceed fifteen semester hours; and
3. the student’s overall grade point must satisfy the minimum 3.0.

Students applying for the joint degrees also must apply to the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, the Law School or the Graduate School and complete all appropriate requirements toward admission to that program.

Upon acceptance, students will receive a letter of admission into the master’s program for which they have applied. Students are required to express their intent to enroll through the online application system and remit an enrollment deposit of $300, paid online or with check payable to Truett Seminary and mailed to the Truett Admission Services Office. The deposit will be placed in the student’s account and credited toward tuition and fees for the semester when enrollment is completed. If enrollment is not completed by the 12th class day, the fee will be forfeited.

Deadlines for all completed applications, including references, to be received at Truett are as follows:

Seminary Deadlines

Entrance	Date
Summer entrance	April 1
Fall entrance	May 1 (Priority) / July 1 (Final)
Spring entrance	November 15

Applications received after the deadlines will be placed on inactive status until the applicant notifies the Admissions Services Office concerning his/her anticipated initial semester.

Seminary tuition and fee rates are applicable to students solely within a seminary degree program or within seminary joint programs (MDiv/MSW, MTS/MSW, MDiv/MM, MDiv/MBA, MDiv/JD, MDiv/MSEd). If a student is concurrently enrolled within two degree programs at Baylor University involving a seminary degree program and an undergraduate or graduate degree program then that student’s primary status is designated as undergraduate or graduate and tuition and fee rates specific to undergraduate or graduate status will be charged across all coursework. For example, if a student is within their final semester of an undergraduate program at Baylor University and is admitted to seminary and takes a seminary course, undergraduate tuition and fees will be charged across all coursework to include the seminary course for that particular semester. Additionally, if the student were eligible to receive a seminary scholarship, that award would be restricted to seminary coursework and the seminary tuition rate. Once the student’s undergraduate degree is conferred and their primary status becomes seminary, seminary tuition and fee rates would then be applicable.

Requirements for International Students

International candidates for admission must attain a minimum score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 80 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or a minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System Exam (IELTS).

Students (either non-U.S. citizens or U.S. passport holders) who have completed work at either a college/university located outside of the United States must adhere to the following guidelines when submitting transcripts:

• Transcripts or mark sheets must include: years of enrollment, course titles and all marks earned for each course for each semester of enrollment. For freshman applicants: If a student’s school or education system consists only of three years of secondary school, a transcript of mark sheet should be submitted for the year prior to secondary school.
• Transcripts should be submitted in the original language and accompanied by an official literal English translation.
• Although original documents are preferred, certified photocopies are acceptable when a signature and the stamp from the school or government official is included. Copies received through fax, email, or submitted by the student in an unsealed envelope will not be accepted.

International applicants must obtain the assistance of an international official in monetary matters to confirm in writing that the applicant is capable of sustaining financial security during the U.S. period of study. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service will not approve off-campus employment of international students during the student’s first year in the U.S.

When all of the preceding requirements have been received and satisfied, and after the applicant has been accepted by the seminary, an I-20 or IAP-66 form will be mailed to the student so that an F-1 (student) visa classification can be obtained from the admitted student’s nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. After admission, Baylor University will require that the international seminary student and dependents obtain medical insurance.

Given the many adjustments for new students arriving to the U.S. and Truett Seminary, it is mandatory that international students come alone for their first semester at Truett. It is in the best interest of the student and their family that this be in place, as it

1. allows for the student to adjust to challenges of their move and seminary life,
2. allows the student to determine the financial implications of family living here and better discern if and when the family will arrive, and
3. allows the student to become familiar with the Waco community and investigate any school/educational options for young children.

Additional financial resources are needed for living expenses and required health insurance for each family member. As with the student, documentation of resources to cover family expenses is required by the US CIS and is extremely costly.

Student Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to become informed of and to observe all regulations and procedures for degree completion required by Truett Seminary. This includes strict attention to all internal deadlines, such as application, degree completion, registration, and graduation as well as satisfying all requirements leading to degree completion.

Admission Information

Additional information concerning admission is available from:

Office of Student Services
George W. Truett Theological Seminary
Baylor University
One Bear Place #97126
Waco, TX 76798-7126

Web: www.baylor.edu/truett