Admission Requirements

Degree Applicants

1. A completed application with a nonrefundable application fee of $25.
2. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or the equivalent.
• Applicants for the Master of Arts in Liturgical Music: A bachelor’s degree in music or the equivalent from an accredited institution.
3. Official transcripts of post-secondary coursework sent directly from the Registrar's Office to the Director of Admission for the School of Theology·Seminary.
4. Three letters of recommendation from educational or professional contacts who can attest to the academic ability, leadership qualities, communication skills, and overall readiness of the applicant for graduate theological study. The letters should be on the recommender's letterhead and sent directly to the Director of Admission for the School of Theology·Seminary.
• Lay applicants for the Master of Divinity: One of the three letters must come from an employer who can speak to the applicant's potential for ministry.
• Applicants for the Master of Arts in Liturgical Music: Two of the three letters must come from music instructors.
• Applicants from religious communities: One of the three letters must come from a major superior.
5. Results of either the Miller Analogy Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) sent directly to the Director of Admission for the School of Theology·Seminary (Institutional Code: 6624; Department Code: 4902).
• Applicants who already have a master's degree or doctorate: The MAT/GRE requirement is waived.
• International students: The results of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) sent directly to the Director of Admission for the School of Theology·Seminary.
6. Typewritten narrative of 1250 to 1500 words:
   Describe the life experiences that have had a significant impact on your personal growth and development with particular attention to the ways these experiences have revealed both your strengths and areas for improvement. Describe your view of the Church in the next decade and the role you might have in the ministry of the Church. Outline the desired goals you wish to achieve at Saint John's and how Saint John's can assist in the fulfillment of your personal, professional, and educational goals.
7. Résumé outlining personal, educational and professional backgrounds.
8. List of books and articles read in the previous three years.
9. Applicants for the Master of Arts in Liturgical Music: An audition and interview with the music faculty is required.

Priesthood Candidates

Admission requirements for degree applicants, outlined above, also apply to priesthood candidates. In addition, the following documents are required:

1. One of the three recommendations must come from the bishop, vocation director, or religious superior.
2. An autobiography of 7-10 pages. (This autobiography replaces the narrative outlined in the general admission requirements).
3. Certificates of Baptism and Confirmation.
4. A statement from a physician indicating the results of a recent physical examination.
5. Diocesan seminarians: A psychological profile sent directly to the Rector of Saint John's Seminary and an interview with a seminary staff member.

Study Abroad Programs

1. A completed application with a deposit of $200 ($100 refundable if the individual cancels).
2. A one-page essay describing the applicant’s physical and emotional status.
3. Two letters of recommendation from educational or professional contacts.
• Applicants from religious communities: One of the two recommendations must come from a major superior with a statement of sponsorship.
• Clergy applicants: One of the two recommendations must come from the bishop of the diocese.
4. Applicants seeking credit: Official transcripts of college and graduate level work sent directly to the Director of Admission for the School of Theology·Seminary.

Graduate Certificate Program/Sabbatical Program

1. A completed application form with a nonrefundable application fee of $15.
2. Two letters of recommendation from educational or professional contacts.
• Applicants from religious communities: One of the two recommendations must come from a major superior with a statement of sponsorship.
• Clergy applicants: One of the two recommendations must come from the bishop of the diocese.

Non-degree Study

Contact the Director of Admission for further Information.

Enrollment under ATS Clause

Guidelines established by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) provide a clause that permits a small percentage of the student body to be admitted to professional degree programs without having completed a bachelor's degree.

Those who apply for admission to Saint John's under the ATS clause must:

1. Have earned at least 60 semester credits of college coursework;
2. Complete all of the standard admission requirements;
3. Be applying for one of the following professional degrees: the Master of Divinity, the Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, or the Master of Arts in Liturgical Music.

 

Last updated: 4/25/08 RB

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Saint John's School of Theology·Seminary
Collegeville, Minnesota 56321
Phone: 320-363-2102
Toll-Free: 800-361-8318
Fax: 320-363-3145