Eligibility

In order to be considered for enrollment to the Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling program at The Master’s University (TMU), the following eligibility requirements must be met by the applicant. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee the applicant will be accepted into the program. The administration and faculty of the University also reserve the right to withdraw the privilege of enrollment or to place a student on probation if, after enrollment, the student proves to be lacking in these qualifications.

Admission Requirements

An individual must meet the following requirements to be admitted to TMU’s D.Min. degree program:

• Spiritual Requirements

1. A clear profession of faith in Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior

2. Demonstration of submission to the will of God and obedience to the Word of God

3. Agreement with the TMU doctrinal statement and student standards of conduct, along with specific statements on homosexuality, gender identity, and the role of sign gifts (i.e. speaking in tongues, prophecy today, etc.)

4. Deacon/deaconess qualified according to 1 Timothy 3:8-12 (the student is not required to be a deacon or deaconess at his or her local church, but meet the character qualities described in the passage)

5. Possession of the personal and spiritual gifts necessary for counseling and discipleship

6. Recommendation by church leaders and ministry peers reflecting evidence of giftedness in counseling

• Academic Requirements

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or higher.

2. At least 72 credit hours of master’s degree level work in theological studies—the equivalent of the government standard for a fully accredited Master of Divinity (M.Div.), with at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or higher

3. Preferred certification with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC)

• Ministry Requirements

1. At least three years of practical biblical counseling experience

2. Current involvement in a weekly biblical counseling ministry

Application Requirements

The following documents must be submitted in order to apply to The Master’s University:

1. Application for Graduate Admission

2. $50 application fee

3. Additional form indicating position on key theological issues (sent from application)

4. Graduate level writing sample, at least 15-20 pages in length (submitted in the application)

5. *Official transcripts from all schools from which degrees were conferred, indicating the completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and master level work in theological studies, complete or incomplete

6. Three recommendations: Pastoral, ministry peer, and personal (contained within the application)

7. A score of at least 100 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam if student’s first language is not English (this requirement can be waived by the admissions office if sufficient evidence of English competency can be proven otherwise)

*Official transcripts refer to transcripts that are sent using a safe method of transference, such as a secure online portal or a sealed envelope through the mail. Most institutions can send transcripts using one of these two methods. If your transcripts are from institutions outside of the United States, you can check with our office to see if your institution has already received official approval of evaluation by our institution. If not, you will need to have them evaluated to make sure your institution complies with our regional accreditation. At this moment, we do not have anyone on staff at The Master’s University who is trained to evaluate international transcripts. You will need to have your transcripts evaluated through a third-party agency, such as ECE. You must use the General with Grade Average service. Such a service unfortunately costs $130, but it is the cheapest evaluation service we have found that fulfills all the requirements to evaluate your transcripts for our purposes.

International Students

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The Master’s University is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. Students from abroad are welcome, provided they meet the admission requirements of the University. For applicants for whom English is a second language, a minimum score of 100 is required on the TOEFL exam in order to be considered for admission. While all classroom instruction is conducted in English, the administration, faculty and staff attempt to be sensitive to the needs of our international students. As foreign students’ legal needs are different from those of U.S. citizens, there are additional requirements. Foreign students are encouraged to contact the Office of International Student Advancement to obtain the appropriate information.