Master of Theology

Admissions

Admissions Prerequisites

To be considered for admission in our Th.M. program, the following is required:

• A Master of Divinity or equivalent (72 credit hours minimum in specific disciplines) for all degrees with the exception of Practical Theology, which requires a Master of Arts degree (60 hours minimum in specific disciplines).
  • Any 60-hour M.A. from Southern Seminary would meet the prerequisite requirements for the Th.M. in Practical Theology.
• Students who do not have a M.Div. but have other masters-level divinity credit, may submit a doctoral equivalency evaluation to the admissions office to find out if they qualify for Southern Seminary ThM programs.
• A minimum master’s level cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.
• International transcripts will require an official evaluation from a NACES approved organziation (World Evaluation Services is preferred).

*For more information about our equivalency standards, leveling options, or to request an equivalency review based on your master’s level work, please email admissions@sbts.edu.

Application Requirements

• All applicants must receive a reference from the local church where they are a member. Family members may not complete this reference. If you are the pastor of your church, please select another church leader (associate pastor, elder, deacon, etc) to complete the church recommendation. Recommendation forms are automatically emailed to references via our online application.
• Two additional academic recommendations. We suggest that a professor or a business acquaintance who can speak to academic performance complete the 2 additional recommendations required for doctoral students.
• Transcription from the educational institution or institutions that conferred any required degrees should be submitted to the Admissions Office. Contact the registrar or academic records office of your previous institution(s). They may e-mail the transcripts (directly or via 3rd party such as Parchment) to admissions@sbts.edu or mail copies to our physical address. Transcripts must come directly from schools either electronically or in sealed/unopened envelopes.
• A graduate level research paper in the same field to which the applicant is applying must be submitted along with the application. You may upload this research paper directly onto the application.
• $40 application fee – paid after application submission.

Application Deadlines

All application materials must be received by:

July 1 – Fall matriculation

November 1 – Winter/Spring matriculation

May 1 – Summer matriculation

Program Cost

$1,000 down payment, and remaining balance due equally over 18 months.*

*Program tuition shown is for the 2024-2025 academic year. Additional fees are subject to the current fee schedule.

Financial Aid

Southern Seminary does not offer fully-funded scholarships or grants for the ThM program.