Admission Requirements
United States Applicants (citizens, permanent residents, dual citizens)
The M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies program will continue to review completed fall semester applications after June 15 on a rolling basis. Please note that decisions after the June 15 date are dependent upon the availability of remaining spaces. We encourage following earlier deadlines to enhance your application experience. Please note that the greatest level of scholarship funds is awarded to students who apply by February 1 of the year they plan to enroll.
Deadlines
- Early Action Application: Apply by November 15 to receive an admissions decision by December 6.
- Priority Application: Apply by January 15 to receive an admissions decision by February 5.
- Regular Application: Apply by March 15 to receive an admissions decision by April 6.
- Final Application (decisions after this date dependent upon availability): Apply by June 15 to receive an admissions decision by July 6.
International Applicants
Application deadline for all international applicants is January 1.
The M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies program reviews completed spring semester applications on a rolling basis. Please note that the greatest level of scholarship funds is awarded to students who apply by February 1 of the year they plan to enroll.
The M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies program reviews completed summer term applications on a rolling basis. Please note that the greatest level of scholarship funds is awarded to students who apply by February 1 of the year they plan to enroll.
Requirements for All Applicants
The M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies is available in a fully remote format, i.e. a combination of online and hybrid courses. Applications are reviewed holistically.
- Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- GPA 2.75 minimum.
- Official Transcripts from all colleges where a degree was earned or is currently being earned.
- Applicants will be required to provide official transcripts from each institution where they have received or will receive a degree prior to enrollment in Wheaton College Graduate School. Applicants who have earned more than 25% of their degree from institutions outside of their degree-conferring school will be required to supply official transcripts for those credits in the event they are not explicitly listed on their original transcript with course names and grades. Graduate Admissions will reserve the right to request additional transcripts as may be needed to meet departmental requirements or demonstrate proof of program-specific prerequisites.
- E-transcripts preferred. Must be addressed to nancy.crane@wheaton.edu.
- Mail hard copies to Graduate Admissions, Attn: Nancy Crane, 501 College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187.
- An International Transcript Verification Report is needed for degrees completed outside of the United States.
- Application Form.
- Three essays.
- Affirmations of the Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.
- Three Recommendations, which are online forms. Letters are accepted as supplements to the forms.
- Academic. A professor from whom you have taken a class preferred. Alternatives: a college-level instructor from whom you have not taken a class or an acquaintance with a doctorate or master's.
- Pastoral. Can be a Christian leader who is not a pastor.
- Professional. A person with whom you have had a supervisor-employee relationship, which can be in a volunteer role.
- Recommendations from relatives not accepted.
- Resumé. Chronological.
- Application Fee. USD $30, non-refundable.
Additional Requirements for International Students
International students, and permanent residents of the US whose native language is not English, are required to take either the TOEFL iBT Test, IELTS Academic Test or Duolingo English test with the minimal scores indicated below:
TOEFL iBT Test: 80 with at least 18 in each category
IELTS Academic Test: 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each category
Duolingo English Test: 105
Applicants who wish to waive their English proficiency test, please refer to the English proficiency page for details.
An International Transcript Verification Report is needed for students who completed degrees outside of the United States.
Please review the International Student Graduate Admissions Process for full application requirements.
Learn more about the program and Biblical and Theological Studies at the Litfin Divinity School.
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