ADMISSIONS
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General Requirements for Applicants
General
Categories for Admission
English Language Requirements

General
In general, applicants must have a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an institution that is accredited by a recognized regional or national accreditation body before they can be admitted to master's degree programs at Fuller Theological Seminary. Requirements for admission are described under each degree program. Admission is granted to a specific program and not to Fuller Seminary or one of its schools at large.

Fuller Seminary reserves the right to draw conclusions regarding the evangelical, Christian profession of all applicants. This determination will be made on the basis of the statements of Christian faith given in the application. Such statements are a significant factor in the admission decision.

The seminary also reserves the right to admit or deny admission to any non-Christian or non-evangelical individual or any individual from an organization having a theological stance which is not in accord with the seminary's Statement of Faith. While desiring to maintain flexibility in admission to its programs, the institution will not compromise the integrity of its purpose and Statement of Faith by admitting students whose orientation may be disruptive or may confound the academic freedom of fellow students or faculty.

Fuller Theological Seminary admits students of any race, gender, color, nationality or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the seminary. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, nationality or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, loan programs, and other seminary administered programs. Top

Categories of Admission
In addition to full admission to regular degree programs, a limited number of students may also be admitted under one of the following classifications:

Limited Enrollment Student: one who is qualified for regular admission but wants to take no more than six master's level courses (24 units).

Unclassified Student: one who is academically qualified for admission, wants to take an unlimited number of master's level courses, but does not want to pursue a degree program.

Probation: one who does not meet the academic requirements for regular admission, but holds an accredited Bachelor's degree.

Special Student: one who does not meet the academic requirements for regular admission, unclassified or limited enrollment student status at the master's level, but has had at least twelve years of work experience subsequent to the completion of a high school diploma, including at least three years of full-time vocational ministry or five years of significant (i.e. 20+ hours per week) part-time ministry.

Visiting Student: one who is currently en rolled as a graduate student in good standing at another graduate institution, but wants to have transcript evidence of course work done at Fuller for transfer to the school of primary enrollment. Top

English Language Requirements
If English is your second language, you are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Format as part of your application to Fuller Theological Seminary. Most applicants can obtain a TOEFL Bulletin by visiting the TOEFL website (www.toefl.org), by writing to TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, PO Box 6151, Princeton, NJ, 08541-6151, USA, or by calling (609) 771-7100. IELTS is offered in over 100 countries. Information about the IELTS can be obtained by going to the IELTS website (www.ielts.org). The following scores are required for non-native English speakers applying to Fuller:

• English as a Second Language Program (ESL)
  (MDiv and MA degrees in the School of Theology; MACCS and MAICS degrees in the School of Intercultural Studies only)

• School of Theology and School of Intercultural Studies

School of Theology applicants to the Th.M. or Ph.D. programs who fall below the minimum acceptable scores in the verbal or analytical writing sections of the GRE test may elect to submit a TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper), 250 (computer), or 100 (internet) or an IELTS Academic Format score of at least 7.0 in addition to the GRE.

Applicants to the MA in Family Studies, MS in Marital and Family Therapy, Doctor of Psychology, and PhD in Clinical Psychology for whom English was not their principal language or their primary language of instruction in their college or university are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS Academic Format in addition to the GRE.

Applicants to the Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies and Doctor of Missiology programs in the School of Intercultural Studies may fill out and submit a TOEFL/IELTS Waiver Addendum if English is not their native language and they have completed an English-based master's program. Applicants who have not completed an English-based master's program will be required to submit an official score from either the TOEFL with minimum scores of 600 (paper), 250 (computer), or 100 (internet) or the IELTS Academic Format with a minimum score of 7.0.

Please note the following:

1. All TOEFL and IELTS scores must be less than two years old.
 
2. The TOEFL is administered in three formats: paper, computer, and internet. In most countries it is administered as a computer-based test, while in others it is available only as a paper test. Since paper tests are given on a limited basis each year, and preregistration is required, the student should allow sufficient time for the results to be included in the admission process. In addition, the TOEFL Internet-based test (iBT) has recently been introduced (please click here for more information about the TOEFL iBT).

3. The IELTS  is offered in two test formats: Academic and General Training. Fuller will only accept the IELTS Academic Format for admission.

4. Special editions of the bulletin are required for India and the People's Republic of China. Contact IPEM for bulletins or to register to test in India. Contact NEEA if you are testing in the People's Republic of China.

5. If an applicant recently earned a baccalaureate degree from a recognized institution where English was the language of instruction, he or she may submit a written request to the Admissions Committee explaining why he or she should be excused from taking the TOEFL or IELTS tests. The Admissions Committee will make the final decision on whether or not the applicant is excused from taking a language exam.

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