Requirements
Admission Requirements
Nonrefundable application fee. Online applications cost $30 and paper applications cost $40. Applications submitted after the deadline will be charged an additional $70 late application fee.
Statement of Purpose. Write a 500-word essay explaining your objectives in seeking a graduate degree at Andrews University. Include a description of your personal, professional, and academic goals; your philosophical perspective; and what you hope to accomplish professionally in ten years following the completion of your degree.
Professional History. Provide employment information—name of the organization, your title/office, location, and begin and end dates. Space is also provided for information about research or professional special projects. You may instead email your resume to graduate@andrews.edu.
Recommendations. Provide the names and email addresses of two (three for doctoral, EdS, and seminary programs) professionals—such as advisors, major professors, and employers—excluding relatives. They will receive an email with a direct link to the recommendation form.
Entrance Exams. Indicate the completed or scheduled date for taking the GRE or GMAT, as required by your program. Exams must be taken within five years prior to admission.
Official Transcripts. Applicants must request official transcripts from institutions where all post-secondary coursework was taken. Download Transcript Request (PDF)
Completed Masters Degree. Hold either an MDiv degree (or its equivalent), or an MA in Religion (or its equivalent) from an approved seminary or university.
Show high promise of future usefulness to church and society.
Personal Statement. Submit a 600-word personal statement including their philosophical perspective, the relationship of their religious concerns and ethical values to their responsibilities as a teacher-scholar and leader in the church; an indication of what they hope to accomplish professionally in the future, and a topic for the dissertation if one has already been selected.
Research Paper. Submit a significant research paper (term paper or thesis), normally written during MA or MDiv studies. This paper should show the applicant's ability to carry out research and to present the results and conclusions of such work with correct English and acceptable style. The topic of this paper should coincide with the area of concentration.
English Requirements. Demonstrate the ability to handle doctoral-level work in English. (Standardized proficiency examinations are required of all PhD Religion program applicants whose native language is other than English).
16PF Personality Test. Complete and return the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire.
16 prerequisite credits in area of emphasis. Have 16 prerequisite credits in the chosen area of concentration.
Depending upon the applicant's academic background, the PhD-ThD Committee may also require proficiency examination(s) before granting admission to the doctoral program.
Completed GSEM620 Research Methods.
Language Requirements. Read proficiently in ancient and/or modern languages as noted in the Language Requirements. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in specified foreign languages either by passing language proficiency examinations or by taking specified graduate level language courses at Andrews University and earning a grade of B or above. Languages listed as Prerequisite must be passed by examination or course work before the student is accepted into Regular Status. Languages listed as Required are taken as part of the area of concentration. The language requirements in the different areas of study are listed below:
Adventist Studies and Mission and Ministry Studies
• Prerequisite: Intermediate OT Hebrew, Intermediate NT Greek, and a relevant modern language other than English (approved by the student’s advisor and by the director of the PhD program).
Church History
• Prerequisite: Intermediate NT Greek, French, and German.
• Required: CHIS614 Readings in Ecclesiastical Latin.
• Other languages as needed for research and/or dissertation, such as: Biblical Hebrew, Advanced Greek, Syriac, Coptic, etc.
• Up to six hours of language (Ecclesiastical Latin, 3+3=6), or: (Ecclesiastical Latin, 3) + (3 hours of another language) may be included within the program hours.
New Testament Studies
• Prerequisite: Advanced Greek (NTST608 or NTST696), or a passing score on the NT PhD Greek Entrance Exam,
• Intermediate Hebrew, French and German.
• Required: Advanced Greek (NTST608 or NTST696)
Old Testament Studies
• Prerequisite: OTST625 Biblical Hebrew III (may be repeated and applied toward the area of concentration), or a passing score in the OT PhD Hebrew Entrance Exam, Intermediate NT Greek, and two of the following languages: German, French and Modern Hebrew
• Required: OTST654 Biblical Aramaic and OTST660 Reading in Septuagint, for all specialties other than Archaeology.
Theological Studies
• Prerequisite: Intermediate OT Hebrew, Intermediate NT Greek, German and French.
• In addition to these prerequisite language requirements, students in any of the five areas may be asked to study other languages. When warranted by the student's program, a language substitution may be made with the approval of the student's advisor and the director of the PhD Program.
All language prerequisites should be completed before entrance. If that is not possible, a student may be required to take a reduced load in order to meet these prerequisites. Language prerequisites should be met by the end of the third consecutive semester (including summer). Students who fail to meet this schedule take no further regular course work until all the language prerequisites are met. Because of the amount of study and the length of time usually required in developing prerequisite-level skill in languages, the PhD-ThD Committee may require applicants to clear all the language prerequisites prior to admission.
International Students (additional documents)
