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Qualifications for Admission

• Completed application and application materials
• Evidence of Christian commitment and leadership
• Evidence of readiness for graduate theological study, spiritual formation, mentoring, and ministry preparation.

• GPA (In general, Truett Seminary requires a 2.7 overall and a 3.0 GPA in your major.)
  *For entrance into the MDiv program, only undergraduate grades or post baccalaureate (not graduate) grades are calculated to provide the GPA.

  *For entry to the MA in Theology and Healthcare a minimum of a 3.0 GPA is required.

• Ultimate approval for admission to the seminary is given by the dean of the seminary.

*Click here to view additional information on requirements for international students.

Application Checklist

• Completed application
• Two essays
• Resume
• Transcripts from all colleges/universities where you received a degree
• Four recommendations
• Spouse statement (if applicable)
• All Master of Arts in Theology and Healthcare candidates are required to have an interview with the director of the program. Other degree applicants may be invited to participate in pre-admission interviews. Recommenders and other persons acquainted or familiar with the student seeking admission may be contacted as part of the application review process.

Applications will not be reviewed by the Admissions Committee until all required documents have been received.

Decision Release Schedule

Master's degree program applicants do not have to wait until the application deadline to receive an admissions decision. Admission decisions will be released 30 days after your application is completed including all required documents.

Any student accepted for admission will be given one year in which to enroll. Once a student has been notified of acceptance, if that student fails to enroll within three semesters, the unenrolled student will need to re-apply with a new application for reconsideration of his or her admission.

International applicants to Truett Seminary are required to submit additional application materials:

I. Proof of English proficiency from either TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (View additional information in the FAQ below). This requirement is waived for applicants whose home country lists English as an official language and applicants who have received a college degree from an institution in the US.

Baylor's TOEFL Institution Code: 6032

For IELTS send to: Graduate Admissions, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97264, Waco, TX  76798-7264.

We accept electronic or paper delivery for both tests.

Minimum Scores 

II. A transcript evaluation is required of Truett Seminary applicants for any and all academic degrees earned outside the United States.

• This transcript evaluation is to be requested and paid for by the applicant (starting at about $150) and is a requirement before your admissions application will be considered complete.
• Truett Seminary recommends students request an evaluation through TEC or WES.
• Only one transcript evaluation is necessary and will include all degrees earned outside the US. Please allow several weeks for processing time.
• If your transcript has already been evaluated by a transcript evaluation provider other than TEC or WES, please contact Truett_Admissions@baylor.edu to confirm that the company is approved for use.
• Transcript verification is not required for any degree if the student already holds a degree from Baylor University.

Application Deadlines

• International students who intend to enroll in the Spring semester must submit all application materials by October 15.
• International students who intend to enroll in the Fall semester must submit all application materials by June 1.
• Summer enrollment is unavailable for international applicants.

FAQs

Truett Seminary offers several dual degree opportunities in addition to its standard masters level programs. This allows students to earn a Master of Divinity (MDiv) alongside a graduate-level degree in business, education, law, music, and social work. Explore all of Truett Seminary's degree options below. 

Master of Divinity (MDiv)
Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (MACM)
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
Master of Arts (MA) in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice
Master of Arts (MA) in Theology and Healthcare
Master of Arts (MA) in Theology and Sports Studies
Master of Arts (MA) in Contextual Witness and Innovation
MDiv/Juris Doctor (JD)
MDiv/Master of Business Administration (MBA)
MDiv/Master of Education (MEd)
MDiv/Master of Music (MM)
MDiv/Master of Social Work (MSW)
MTS/Master of Social Work (MSW)

ADMISSIONS

• Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent (other ministerial master's degrees will be evaluated on an individual basis)
• Minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4 point scale)
• At least three years of significant ministry experience

APPLICATION

• Strong affirmation from the ministry where you serve.
• Four Letters of recommendation - one from a professor and one from a pastor, and two from other ministry practitioners
• Writing Sample in Theology or Biblical Exegesis. Write a 2800+ word academic paper on a theological topic or an exegetical paper on a specific biblical text. Footnotes must show evidence of Master level research. The purpose of this paper is to show your ability to research and write. Your paper is considered on the basis of research, content, informed reflection, valid conclusions, form, and style (Turabian or SBL). You are welcome to refit one of the strongest papers you wrote during your Master of Divinity studies.
• Brief Life in Ministry Summary. Give a 250-300 word account of how you spend your time on an average week. Include a summary of your reading habits, titles you have read during the last two years, and three books beyond the Bible that have influenced your life and ministry.
• Theology of Ministry Paper. Give a 1,200 word account of your theology of ministry. Include a statement on your calling and on how you see a Doctor of Ministry degree will further enhance your development of this call and ongoing ministry.
• Pastoral Reflection Paper. To show your ability to reflect theologically on a particular ministry situation/dilemma, choose a pastoral care situation from your own ministry experience and describe your ministerial approach and theological reasoning in 800-900 words.
• Health Form
• Applicants will be invited for a personal interview by the Doctor of Ministry Committee after a careful review of the application.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Entering Fall: April 15
Entering Spring: October 15

International applicants to Truett Seminary are required to submit additional application materials:

I. Proof of English proficiency from either TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (View additional information in the FAQ below). This requirement is waived for applicants whose home country lists English as an official language and applicants who have received a college degree from an institution in the US.

Baylor's TOEFL Institution Code: 6032

For IELTS send to: Graduate Admissions, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97264, Waco, TX  76798-7264.

We accept electronic or paper delivery for both tests.

Minimum Scores 

II. A transcript evaluation is required of Truett Seminary applicants for any and all academic degrees earned outside the United States.

• This transcript evaluation is to be requested and paid for by the applicant (starting at about $150) and is a requirement before your admissions application will be considered complete.
• Truett Seminary recommends students request an evaluation through TEC or WES.
• Only one transcript evaluation is necessary and will include all degrees earned outside the US. Please allow several weeks for processing time.
• If your transcript has already been evaluated by a transcript evaluation provider other than TEC or WES, please contact Truett_Admissions@baylor.edu to confirm that the company is approved for use.
• Transcript verification is not required for any degree if the student already holds a degree from Baylor University.

Application Deadlines

• International students who intend to enroll in the Spring semester must submit all application materials by October 15.
• International students who intend to enroll in the Fall semester must submit all application materials by June 1.
• Summer enrollment is unavailable for international applicants.

FAQS

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Admission Requirements

Applicants will be required to have a Master of Divinity degree (or 72 hours of graduate credit from an accredited program) with a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade point average. Students must demonstrate proficiency in Hebrew and Greek before admission and enrollment.

The following items must be submitted/completed as part of your online application to Truett Theological Seminary and the Baylor University Graduate School:

1. Provide a statement of purpose of 7-10 pages (single-space) indicating rationale for pursuing graduate work in preaching. Students will:
   • Explain your motivation for and expectations of doctoral education in preaching
   • Include particular qualities that you bring to the seminary/university and to the profession as well as areas in which you would like to grow academically and professionally
   • Specify your areas of academic and research interests
   • Speak to your scholarly potential
   • Address the integration of doctoral studies to your ministry in the local church
2. Applicants will also be required to submit two sermon manuscripts and recordings of two preaching events—one from the Old Testament and the other from the New Testament.
3. Applicants will demonstrate their facility with the biblical languages by submitting exegetical papers for both sermons and by taking a language competency exam during the admissions process. The applicant will provide the name and title, email address, and telephone number of a person who can proctor their competency exam. [This may be an elder, deacon, pastor, professor or other individual who can witness that the applicant is not using aids.]
4. One foreign language must be completed before the end of the first year of the program. Until then, the student will be admitted on probation. It is advisable to complete the foreign language requirement prior to enrollment in the program. Students must provide transcripts of language course completion with an average grade of at least B or higher.
5. Applicants will provide a sample of scholarly writing, representing the applicant’s best research and writing. One example (not exceeding 25 pages double-spaced) of a recent work of scholarly writing that provides evidence of one's capacity to think analytically and critically about homiletics. The following are examples of appropriate submissions:
   • Published article, book chapter, or excerpt from a published work
   • Unpublished research paper
   • A paper written in a graduate level course
   • A 7-10 page paper on a topic (homiletics) of interest to the applicant that is written specifically as the writing sample for the application
6. Applicants will provide a resume or Curriculum Vitae. Include a list of publications and professional presentations.
7. Applicants must have three to five years of full-time pastoral/preaching ministry.
8. Applicants will submit official transcripts of all degree work: undergraduate, master degrees, and specifically the master of divinity degree (with a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited seminary or university.
9. Applicants will provide three letters of recommendation. Two of the references should come from academic faculty who can attest to the applicant’s superior ability and potential. A third reference should come from the leadership of the congregation in which the applicant is serving, in support of PhD studies. This can be from the board of deacons, elders, or other leadership body of the church. For full time applicants, a letter from a member of the pastoral staff will be acceptable.
10. Selected students may be brought to campus for interviews in the final stage of selection.

Admission to the PhD in Preaching represents a competitive process. The most qualified applicants will receive an invitation to enter the PhD program. Admission to the PhD in Preaching program does not rest on a single factor but on the strength of the entire application portfolio, which demonstrates readiness for research doctoral studies.

International applicants to Truett Seminary are required to submit additional application materials:

I. Proof of English proficiency from either TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (View additional information in the FAQ below). This requirement is waived for applicants whose home country lists English as an official language and applicants who have received a college degree from an institution in the US.

Baylor's TOEFL Institution Code: 6032

For IELTS send to: Graduate Admissions, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97264, Waco, TX  76798-7264.

We accept electronic or paper delivery for both tests.

Minimum Scores 

II. A transcript evaluation is required of Truett Seminary applicants for any and all academic degrees earned outside the United States.

• This transcript evaluation is to be requested and paid for by the applicant (starting at about $150) and is a requirement before your admissions application will be considered complete.
• Truett Seminary recommends that students request an evaluation through TEC or WES.
• Only one transcript evaluation is necessary and will include all degrees earned outside the US. Please allow several weeks for processing time.
• If your transcript has already been evaluated by a transcript evaluation provider other than TEC or WES, please contact Truett_Admissions@baylor.edu to confirm that the company is approved for use.
• Transcript verification is not required for any degree if the student already holds a degree from Baylor University.

Application Deadlines

• International students who intend to enroll in the Spring semester must submit all application materials by October 15.
• International students who intend to enroll in the Fall semester must submit all application materials by June 1.
• Summer enrollment is unavailable for international applicants.

FAQS

PhD in Preaching