Graduate School Admissions
Entrance Requirements for Master of Arts
- Applicants for the Master of Arts programs with Trinity Bible College should demonstrate faith in Christ characterized by sound moral character and biblical convictions.
- Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a GPA of 2.7 or above.
Applicants whose GPA is below 2.7 will be interviewed by a member of the admissions committee. If in the opinion of the committee the applicant needs to show further evidence of suitability for the program, additional submissions will be required. These could include submission of samples of academic writing such as a discussion paper, policy document, training manual, or a Bible study guide. Alternatively the applicant may be required to complete designated bridging work such as topical papers or book reviews requiring critical analysis.
Don’t have a Bachelor’s Degree? Trinity now offers an Alternative Pathway to attain a graduate degree. Trinity considers applicants who are mature in ministry but who may not have a B.A. degree. Read more in the Alternative Pathway section.
- Applicants meeting Trinity Bible College’s admissions requirements are considered without regard to race, gender, or disability.
- If an applicant’s undergraduate studies do not include at least fourteen credits of Bible or Theology, he or she will compile a portfolio for evaluation by the admissions committee.
The portfolio requirements will be issued by the Administrator of the Graduate School and will include the following:
- Annotated bibliography of recent reading pertinent to Bible and theology.
- Record of participation in non-accredited Bible and theology courses with supporting evidence; e.g. certificates, course notes, letters of participation.
- Record of teaching the Bible; e.g. sermons, Bible studies, Sunday school lessons.
- Two-page paper in MLA format from a list of Biblical and theological topics.
The admissions committee will evaluate the portfolio and make one of the following recommendations:
- Waive all or part of the twelve-credit requirement.
- Require the student to take undergraduate credits for non-degree purposes.
- Require approved graduate credits as free electives.
Entrance Requirements for Doctoral Programs (D.C.L. or Ph.D.)
- Applicants for the Doctor of Contextual Leadership (DCL) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program with Trinity Bible College and Graduate School should demonstrate faith in Christ characterized by sound moral character and biblical convictions.
- Applicants should have an appropriate Masters Level Degree with GPA no less than 2.5.
- Students must have completed a non-terminal Masters level degree of 48 credits or more in Bible and/or Theology.
- Students who have completed a non-terminal Masters level degree of 48 credits or more without Bible and/or Theology will complete a three-credit Bible/Theology bridging course.
- Students who have completed a non-terminal Masters level degree of 48 credits with appropriate ministry experience will be individually assessed for Bible/Theology experience.
- Applicants meeting Trinity’s admissions requirements are considered without regard to race, gender, or disability.
DUAL ENROLLMENT
Applicants with a minimum of 60 college credits and extensive experience may apply for dual enrollment in which they complete a BA degree while starting the MA program. Students may begin taking graduate courses concurrently within the final 30 credits of the BA degree.
A personal study plan will be compiled by the Administrator of the Graduate School and Enrollment Counselor in line with the existing enrollment procedures at Trinity Bible College.
- A minimum of 30 credits must be completed with Trinity, either on campus or by Distance Education.
- Up to 95 credits may be transferred towards a BA at Trinity.
- A maximum of 30 credits can be earned as credit for prior learning.
TRANSFER CREDITS
Transfer of credit is based on the analysis of Official Transcripts from other accredited graduate programs. Courses graded “C or higher” are evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of TBC Graduate School.
RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING
Consideration for prior learning/life experience is based on an evaluation of the student’s knowledge or experience in a particular field and its academic equivalent in TBCGS’s graduate programs. Please fill out the Graduate Credit for Prior Learning Evaluation to begin the process.
Assessment of this evaluation is free of charge, but there is a fee if prior learning credit is approved to replace one or more courses in an MA program. No more than 12 credits can be awarded for prior learning and life experience.
ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY
Trinity now offers an Alternative Pathway to attain a graduate degree. Trinity will consider applicants who are mature in ministry but may not have a B.A. degree. Each applicant will be evaluated based on ministry experience, life experience, as well as prior formal and informal education.
A minimum of five years of ministry experience is required to be considered for the Alternative Pathway program. The Admissions Committee may use any of the following to evaluate eligibility for the Alternative Pathway program:
- Level of Ministerial Credentials
- Portfolio of Ministry Experience
- Current Level of Ministry Involvement
- Recommendations by ministry leaders familiar with their work
- Interview with a member of the Admissions Committee or Graduate School faculty member
- Sample paper to demonstrate academic ability
Acceptance into the Alternative Pathway will indicate probationary status in the MA program. The probationary status may be removed upon completion of 9-12 credits with a satisfactory GPA of 2.5 or better. A student may not register for more than 12 credits until satisfactorily completing the probation period. If the semester GPA is below 2.5, the student will be placed on academic probation.
To facilitate the transition into graduate level studies, Alternative Pathway students must take a three-credit bridging course, Intro to Grad Studies. The course will introduce the student to a range of academic skills specifically geared towards successful participation in our graduate programs. It will be taught online during the month prior to the start of the regular coursework and the credits will count towards your 48-credit degree.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Please contact the enrollment office for more details at enrollment@trinitybiblecollege.edu