Admissions

International Students

Admission of Students from Other Countries

Applicants from countries other than the United States or Canada can be considered only for admission to advanced degree programs in which the B.A. and the M.Div. (or their equivalents, amounting to six or seven years of post-secondary academic study) are pre requisites for admission.

The Seminary's financial aid funds do not often reach the level of scholarship assistance that most applicants from abroad require for a program involving more than a year of study. Educational loan programs guaranteed by state or federal government agencies are legally restricted to U.S. citizens. Moreover, the Seminary is obligated by law to have written verification of a student's ability to meet fully the expenses of his or her stay in this country for the entire duration of the degree program.

The International Applicant’s Financial Statement (PDF) must be in the hands of the Academic Office before the Seminary can assist an international student in obtaining a visa to study in the United States. Church bodies generally prefer that their candidates for ministry study in seminaries in their own country or region. International applicants who desire to pursue the M.Div. at Union must submit letters from officials of their home church endorsing the applicant's desire to undertake the three - year Union program and making a commitment for both moral and financial support. Having finished their degrees, students from abroad are, of course, expected to return to their homeland to carry out their vocations and ministries. This is in keeping with the Seminary's purposes in enrolling students from other countries.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language
International applicants whose native language is not English must submit recent scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as a part of their application to any of the degree programs at Union Seminary. Because the academic program at Union is intensive and solely in English, applicants must be highly proficient in the language. Union requires a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based TOEFL test (250 on the computerized exam). For an applicant who scores below the minimum required level, we suggest additional study in English prior to making application.

The TOEFL will be waived only for students who have completed a previous degree where the language of instruction was English. Information about registering for the TOEFL exam can be found on the Educational Testing Services website.