How to Apply

A completed application to any of our master’s programs or our Doctor of Ministry degree, will include the following:

• A submitted online application form.
• Supplemental items:
  • Statement of Purpose (see prompts below)
  • Resume
  • Three letters of recommendation, including one church/religious reference and one academic reference. (MTS students must have two academic references).
  • Official transcripts from each college or university you have attended. A bachelor’s degree is required for all master’s programs at Garrett.
  • Please note: all supplemental items should be uploaded in .pdf form.
• International applicants will need to submit an official TOEFL score or Duolingo English Test score for evaluation by our review committee.
  • The TOEFL or Duolingo exam requirement may be waived if you have an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution in which English was the instructional language.
• Doctor of Ministry applicants must also submit a professional/academic writing sample of no more than 20 pages.

A completed Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) application will include:

• A submitted application form.
• Supplemental items:
  • Three letters of recommendation, including two faculty references. Pastoral Theology applicants must have a fourth reference from a CPE supervisor.
  • Official transcripts from each college or university you have attended. A previous theological master’s degree is required for admission to the PhD program.
  • Research Statement: One page single-spaced.
  • Resume/CV
  • Recent academic paper (no more than 20 pages) that represents your analytic skills related to your field of study.
  • International Ph.D. applicants must show English language proficiency through either the TOEFL exam or Duolingo’s online English exam. (Note: Duolingo allows for the exam to be taken remotely for applicants who do not have access to a TOEFL testing site. Please note the fee differences when comparing exams.)
    • The TOEFL or Duolingo exam requirement may be waived if you have an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution in which English was the instructional language.
  • Please note: All supplemental documents should be submitted in .pdf format.

Below are instructions and prompts that will inform the written components of your application. Please follow these instructions when working on your written responses.

Statement of Purpose (Master’s applicants)

• Who do you understand yourself to be – your unique strengths, passions, identities – and how would you describe your calling/vocation?
• What motivates and inspires you? What problems in the church and/or world trouble you?
• How do you hope theological education in general, and Garrett in particular, might equip you to fulfill your sense of vocation?
• If you are an MTS student, please include an additional page outlining your research interests and area of concentration to be pursued.
• Essays should be two to four pages, typed and double-spaced, in length. Essays should be personally reflective and original in nature (with citations in referencing work that is not your own). All essays will be evaluated based on content, style, grammar, and organization.

Statement of Purpose (Doctor of Ministry applicants)

• Why are you applying for this DMin track?
• How will it enhance your personal practice of ministry, and how will it enhance the practice of ministry within your ministry context?
• How will your ministry context help set an example for the overall mission and ministry of the church?
• What specific research interests do you have that you hope to pursue within this track?
• What learning objectives do you have, I.e., what specific lessons do you hope to learn, and specific skills do you hope to master?
• Why do you want to pursue this degree at Garrett?

Research Statement (Doctor of Philosophy applicants)

• What is one central research question you hope to explore in this program?
• How does your research question intersect with particular Garrett faculty members’ research as well as Garrett’s institutional resources and/or ethos? In your response, identify the academic field or fields and theoretical approaches through which you want to engage this project.
• How do you envision your research benefiting the academy and/or church or other institutions and service agencies?

Your research statement should be one page single-spaced.

Applications for certificates are accepted on a rolling basis, and must include the following:

• A completed bachelor’s degree
• A completed online application form
• Resume
• Transcripts from all previous undergraduate/graduate coursework

Applications for the Basic Graduate Theological Studies program are accepted on a rolling basis and must include the following:

• Transcripts from all other schools attended
• 3 References
• Personal Statement

If you are looking to take non-degree courses at Garrett, even if you are still discerning whether theological education is the right next step for you, filling out an Enrichment Application and the Bachelor’s Verification Form is your next step. As an Enrichment student, you can take up to five courses for your own personal exploration or professional enrichment.

• Enrichment Application Form
• Bachelor’s Verification Form

Auditing a Course as an Garrett-Evangelical Alum

As a service to our alums, we have a simplified process in place for graduates to return to audit courses for continuing education or personal enrichment. Alums should complete the online Alum Auditor Request Form and we will then confirm availability with the course instructor and set up the registration.

Auditing a Course as a Non-Garrett-Evangelical Alum

Auditors do not receive academic credit for the course, but can receive 1 CEU per credit hour. Non-Garrett-Evangelical alums who wish to audit a course will need to fill out the following forms:

• Audit Application Form
• Bachelor’s Verification Form