January 15 – Priority Admissions Deadline

May 15 – Final Deadline for international applicants

July 15 – Final Deadline for domestic applicants

January 15 – Priority Admissions Deadline

May 15 – Final Deadline for international applicants

July 15 – Final Deadline for domestic applicants

January 1 – Final Deadline for all other application materials to be received, same deadline for both domestic and international applicants

July 15 – Final Deadline for domestic applicants

• In the online application, under the “Supporting Information” square, you will click on the “documents” section. Here you will be able to upload a digital copy of all of your transcripts using the “Any Additional Supporting Document” link.
• The online application system limits the size of your uploaded document. For this reason we recommend uploading each institution’s transcript separately as a PDF, if you attended more than one institution.
• Please see below this chart for Frequently Asked Questions about transcripts.
• Please note that all PhD applicants must have a previous theological master’s degree, such as the MDiv or its equivalent.

• One Pastoral Reference: Reference may be from a pastor, ecclesiastical superior, or denominational administrator. In the case of an applicant who is not connected with a faith community, a general character reference from a colleague, mentor, or professor may be substituted for the pastoral reference.
• Two Academic References: Two of your references should be from a previous college professor, academic advisor, or Dean/President. If you have been out of college for a number of years, you may substitute work supervisors, colleagues, or other appropriate persons for academic references.

MTS, STM, MARPL, and PhD Applicants:

Your three academic references may be from a previous college or seminary professor, academic advisor, or Dean/President. You may choose to have one professional reference in exchange for an academic reference if that person can speak to your abilities as a scholar, researcher, or teacher.

DMin Applicants:

• One Pastoral Reference – Reference may be from a pastoral colleague, ecclesiastical superior, or denominational administrator (In the case of an applicant who is not connected with a church, a general character reference from a colleague, mentor, professor, or church member may be substituted for the pastoral reference.)
• One Reference from a parishioner or someone who has experienced your ministry – The goal of this reference is to have a sense of your ministerial work from someone you have cared for, worked alongside, and/or served in some way.
• One Academic Reference – Reference may be from a previous college or seminary professor, academic advisor, or Dean/President. If you have been out of school for a number of years you may substitute work supervisors, colleagues, or other appropriate persons for this academic reference.

In a statement of 500 words, describe and reflect on your life journey and the vocational directions toward which you are pointed.

All doctoral program applicants answer the following question:

In a statement of 1,500 words, please describe your goals in undertaking doctoral study in your given field, including an indication, even if only general at this point, of your proposed focus and research. Also, how have your experience and study to this point helped prepare you for this doctoral program and your proposed research focus?

Applicants seeking to transfer from another institution must include in their personal statement the reasons they are seeking a transfer, and must upload a recently-issued letter of good standing from their previous institution to the online application. Please see the “Transfer Students” section below.

In a 500-word essay, describe and interpret a favorite book or movie with commentary on why it is meaningful to you.

• • All standardized tests must be received directly from the testing organization (ex. Educational Testing Service)
  • Applicants should request that the testing organization forward a copy of their scores to Boston University’s code: 3087.
  • International Applicants for whom English is not a native language must submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score taken within the past two years. The required minimum scores are:
  • IBT (internet-based test): 89, with at least 22 in each of the four areas
  • CBT (computer-based test): 230
  • PBT (paper-based test): 570
  • The IELTS can be substituted for the TOEFL. The minimum necessary score is a 6.5.

NOTE: If you have completed a previous degree in English, you can have your institution’s Registrar Office send a letter to the Enrollment Office (sthadmis@bu.edu) confirming that the medium of instruction was English. This will allow you to have the English proficiency requirement waived.

As of the Fall 2021 application cycle, the School of Theology does not require and will not accept the GRE for any of its master’s or doctoral programs. 

DMin applicants’ writing samples should not exceed 10 pages in length, and should be scholarly in nature, rather than a sermon-style piece. It should include a bibliography and reflect the applicant’s ability to do solid independent research in their field of interest. Feel free to excerpt from a larger work or thesis, including an abstract of the entire piece and an indication that the sample is an excerpt from the whole.

• International Student Data Form – This form includes basic information about you and your family, your country of origin and visa history, your previous academic institutions, and your financial declaration.
• Copies of Previous Visa Documents – You will need to provide scanned copies of your passport and previous immigration documents for you and any family members accompanying you to the U.S. on your student visa.
• Financial Sponsorship Documents – As an international student you must show the U.S. government that you have adequate funding for your tuition, fees, and living expenses to attend Boston University. Boston University’s International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) has a helpful Estimate of Expenses for BU’s Charles River Campus, showing the total amount one must have in sponsorship to obtain a US visa for study. Financial sponsorship can come from one’s own personal funds or from an external sponsor. Again, please see ISSO’s website to complete the required financial documentation.