Admissions

Simply click here to get started. You will need to create a username and password for your online account. That will enable you to work on your application over a period of time.

If you are having technical issues with our online application system, the best place to start is to contact the Welcome Center by phone at 626.584.5400 or 1.800.2.FULLER, or via email at [email protected].

You can also contact the help desk for the online system we use by emailing  [email protected]

Applicants to most master's level programs in the School of Mission and Theology may begin in any quarter. The deadline is normally approximately two months prior to the start of the quarter, but we admit students on a rolling basis, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive an admissions decision.

The Master of Arts in Chaplaincy and the Master of Arts in Justice & Advocacy programs only admit students to the Fall Quarter each year.

Note: International students may begin online courses in any quarter, but they are allowed to begin on-campus classes only in the Fall Quarter. The only programs for which an international student can obtain a long-term residential visa are the Pasadena MDiv Cohort, the MS in Marriage and Family Therapy (MSMFT) PhD in Clinical Psychology, the PsyD Clinical Psychology, the PhD in Theology, PhD in Intercultural Studies, ThM in Theology, ThM in Intercultural Studies. Short term visas may be obtainable for intensive campus visits for the Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Global Leadership programs. The application deadline for international students who want to apply to the Pasadena MDiv Cohort is May 1.

The MS in Marriage and Family Therapy, PhD in Clinical Psychology, PsyD Clinical Psychology, PhD in Theology, PhD in Intercultural Studies, ThM in Theology, and ThM in Intercultural Studies programs all have their own application deadlines.

To see the application deadlines for all of our programs, please click here.

Since admission to our master's level and non-degree programs is on a rolling basis, once your application file is complete and all application materials have been submitted to the admissions office (including references, and transcripts, etc), the Admissions Committee will make a decision within three to five weeks. At that point, you will receive notice via email and/or letter from Fuller's Admissions Office informing you of the decision.

For our doctoral programs in our two schools, as well as the MS in Marriage and Family Therapy, admission decisions are based on application deadlines and cohort schedules. For complete details on deadlines, please click here.

If electronic transcripts are not available, official paper transcripts should be mailed to:

Fuller Theological Seminary
Office of Admissions
135 North Oakland Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91182
USA

Paper transcripts must arrive in an envelope sealed by your school.

Paper transcripts are only considered official by Fuller Seminary if they arrive at Fuller's Admissions Office in an envelope sealed by the issuing academic institution. Once sealed by the issuing institution, the envelope containing the transcript should not be opened by anyone (including the applicant) except a member of Fuller's staff.

Electronic transcripts must come directly from the issuing school’s registrar’s office via email as email attachments or through an official third-party transcript vendor service and must be sent to [email protected].

If you graduated from an institution, the official transcript must include the degree awarded and conferral date (for institutions outside of the U.S., a diploma certificate showing the degree awarded and conferral date may need to be requested in addition to the official transcript). It is at the discretion of the Office of Admissions to determine U.S. degree equivalency. You may be required to have your transcript officially evaluated by an external agency; please contact the Admissions Office for details.

Transcripts that have been opened by the applicant or transcript copies in any format that are not sent directly from the issuing school’s registrar’s office will not be accepted as official.

Electronic transcripts must come directly from the issuing school’s registrar’s office via email as email attachments or through an official third-party transcript vendor service and must be sent to [email protected].

Yes. Applicants to degree programs are required to provide transcripts showing all undergraduate and graduate academic work from each college or university attended, regardless of how many courses you took there.

Applicants to a certificate program generally are required to submit only a bachelor's degree transcript. However, the Admissions Committee may request additional transcripts if a large amount of coursework was transferred in from another school.

Your application is complete once you have fully submitted your application, and we have received all materials such as transcripts, references, etc.

You will be able to tell that you are ready to submit your online application when you have all green check marks next to your application sections on the online application form. You do not need to have your references fully submitted or your transcripts sent in to be able to submit your online application (listed under "Application Requirements"). Once you have finished the required sections of your application, a new section will appear titled Verification. Once you finish the verification section, the Submit Application button will highlight and you can then submit your application in full.

Once you have fully submitted your online application, your application will display "Your application has been submitted." Once you see that confirmation, your application is complete. You may continue to log back into your online account and check the status of your admission requirements such as your references, transcripts, GRE scores, etc.

If you have any questions about your submitted materials, please contact the general admissions office directly: 626.584.5400 or 1.800.2.FULLER or [email protected].

Yes. At any point during the online application process, you can save your application and return to it later. Please note, however, that the online application you have started will no longer be accessible after the application deadline for the program has passed.

Fuller does not offer paper or PDF versions of admissions applications. Participation in Fuller coursework and degree programs requires the use of online systems and computer technology.

All of Fuller's master's degree and certificate programs require that applicants hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

Applicants whose gifts and calling have been verified by the church but who have not earned an accredited bachelor's or master's degree may be considered for admission to a Fuller degree or certificate program as a Special Student.

To read the Special Student admission requirements, please click here.

If at any point in the last year (or 4 quarters) you have taken, and completed with a passing grade, a class at Fuller, you are allowed to continue your degree by simply speaking with your advisor. You have a 4-quarter limit from the last time you took, and passed, a course at Fuller to start again without having to reapply for reinstatement.

If you have taken, and passed, classes at Fuller but it is after the 1 year (4 quarter) limit and before your 10-year limit, you can apply for a reinstatement. To find out how to apply as a reinstatement student, please click here.

The option to apply for reinstatement through the online application is only available for the following programs: Doctor of Ministry, Master of Divinity, MA in Theological Studies, MA in Theology and Ministry, MA in Global Missional Leadership , Certificate of Christian Studies, and the Certificate in Church Planting,. To inquire about reinstatement opportunities for other programs, please contact the Welcome Center directly at [email protected].

There are set time limits for completing your degree. For MA and MDiv degrees in the School of Mission and Theology, this limit is set at ten years. The time limit for the Th.M. degree is five years; for the D.Min. degree, seven years; and for the Ph.D. degree, eight years. The time limit for Certificate programs is three years. The limit for the MS in Marriage and Family Therapy in the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy is seven years, and for all doctoral programs in that school, the limit is ten years.

Some Fuller programs permit a student to defer admission to a future quarter, but the rules vary depending upon the program.

Master of Arts in Justice and Advocacy, Master of Arts in Chaplaincy, and some cohorts (Pasadena MDiv Cohort) permit admitted students to defer the start of the program for one year (to the following Fall Quarter).

If you were accepted into the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Global Missional Leadership, or a Certificate program program at Fuller, you may have up to four quarters after the original quarter to which you applied to begin your studies (4 total quarters). For example, if you applied and were accepted to begin studies at Fuller during the Fall quarter of 2023, you have until the Summer quarter of 20244 to begin your studies.

If you are still within the 4 total quarter window, simply call the Admissions office and we will activate your account for the quarter in which you would like to start:

626.584.5400 or 1.800.2.FULLER or [email protected]

If you are past the 4 quarters after you were accepted, but would like to start again, you will need to fully re-apply into the program you desire. This means you will need to submit a completely new application including new essays, new references, and the application fee. Depending on the timeline, we may still have your transcripts that you submitted. To be certain, please call our main Admissions Office.

You may change your starting term, degree program, or campus in the application portal at any time prior to submitting your application. If you want to make a change after you submit your application, you will need to contact your admissions counselor. You can also reach the Office of Admissions by phone at 626.584.5400 or 1.800.2.FULLER or via email at [email protected].

Most schools will be listed if you start typing out the name of your institution. If your school is not listed, simply type “unknown” and wait for the "Unknown School" option to appear. Click on "Unknown School" to submit it as your choice. Then, when we receive your transcripts in the mail, we will put your school information into your application for review.

Only certain programs are available on campus. The MS in Marriage and Family Therapy (MSMFT), PhD in Clinical Psychology, the PsyD Clinical Psychology, the PhD in Theology, PhD in Intercultural Studies, ThM in Theology, ThM in Intercultural Studies are all offered residentially on campus. The MDiv program is available on campus in the Pasadena MDiv Cohort which begins each Fall Quarter. Certain programs, such as the MA in Chaplaincy, Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy, and Doctor of Global Leadership, are available in hybrid modalities (blending on-campus and online requirements). For other programs, please contact your admissions counselor.

To send a reminder to a recommender who has not yet received or finished their reference form, simply click on the link above the checklist that says "Recommendations." This will allow you to "Nudge" your different recommenders.

Nudging your recommender will send an email reminder to them with the link included. Once you click "nudge", a small yellow box will appear that confirms that an email has been sent. Sometimes these emails will wind up in the Junk or Spam folders of your recommenders. Please follow-up with your recommenders to ensure they have received the email. To change your recommender's information, or change to a completely new recommender, see questions 20-22 below.

If you have not yet submitted your application, you can click on the "Recommendations" section and then edit your recommender's information by simply typing over the existing fields and clicking "Save changes."

If you have submitted your application, you will not be able to edit your recommender's information. Please contact our Admissions Office and we can edit the information for you: 626.584.5400 or 1.800.2.FULLER or [email protected].

If you have not yet submitted your application, you can go in and delete your previous recommender and then create a new submission. Please do not simply type over the name of the old recommender and put in a new name as the online form that is sent will not have the right information. Delete your first reference and create a new reference submission.

If you have already submitted your application you can go to the application portal and on the right you will see your checklist items. Click on “change recommender” to add a new name and email. If this option is not available, please contact your Admissions Counselor.

626.584.5400 or 1.800.2.FULLER or [email protected]

If your recommender is having trouble with the online reference form, or simply does not want to do the online version, we can send you a PDF version of the reference either via email or through the mail. The PDF version of the form may also be accessed through the online application system.. Please contact our office so we can determine which form your recommender needs.

Once you receive the PDF reference form, you will need to download and print the form. Please complete the section titled INSTRUCTIONS TO THE APPLICANT, then fax or mail this form to your recommender. Once your recommender completes the form, he/she can either e-mail it as a scanned attachment to [email protected], fax it back to the Office of Admissions at (626) 584-5449, or mail it to the following address:

Office of Admissions
Fuller Theological Seminary
135 N Oakland Ave
Pasadena, CA 91182

If you are a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident, you may submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (fafsa.ed.gov) as soon as you begin your application for admission to a Fuller program.

Once you have received admission to a Fuller program, you will be instructed to claim your FullerID and password. After doing so, you should be able to access and complete Fuller’s Universal Scholarship Application by clicking here. Please note, if you have applied for the upcoming Fall Quarter more than six months before the start of the quarter, the Universal Scholarship Application for the upcoming academic year may not yet be posted. In that case, you will receive an email notification from Fuller once the Universal Scholarship Application is available.

In order to be eligible for Federal aid (FAFSA) at Fuller, you need to be in at least 8 units per quarter (2 courses). 12 units per quarter (3 classes) is considered full-time. Eligibility for Fuller scholarships varies by program. Please go to https://www.fuller.edu/paying-for-grad-school/ and select your program on the left for details. For information on VA benefits, please visit https://www.fuller.edu/offices/sfs/va-benefits/

The SFS office will help you with scholarships and grants. We are also fully accredited and certified for full US Federal Direct loans. Unfortunately, Fuller is unable to help prospective students find sponsors to help cover tuition.

Eligibility for Housing Application

• Housing is only available at the Pasadena Campus.

• You must first be accepted as a student Fuller to be eligible for campus housing.

• You must be registered for at least 24 units of masters-level, or 16 units of doctoral-level coursework within an academic year.

• If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you must obtain clearance from the International Services Office.

How to Apply for Housing

• Fuller ID: Once admitted into a program at Fuller, you will receive a Fuller ID. Your Fuller ID is distinct from your G# and serves as an essential component for the housing application. It is essentially your email address, excluding the domain part (e.g., If your email is [yourname]@fuller.edu, your Fuller ID will be just [yourname]).

• Accessing the Housing Portal: Visit the Fuller Housing website and log into your housing portal using your Fuller ID. The portal is a comprehensive resource for housing-related activities including application submission, rent payments, transferring units, etc.

• Application Process: In the Portal, navigate to the Housing Application where you can begin the application.

• Application Fee: There is a non-refundable $30 fee to process your application.

Important Reminders:

When to Apply: As soon as you receive your Fuller ID, it’s important to apply for housing immediately. Doing this can help you secure your spot on the waitlist and get your housing assignment faster.

Housing Waitlist: Your spot on the waitlist is determined by 1) when you applied and 2) when you plan to move-in. The sooner you apply and the earlier your planned move-in date, the better chances of getting housing quickly. Please note: applying doesn’t guarantee immediate housing offers.

For more information, please visit the Fuller Housing website or email [email protected]

Fuller will consider accepting graduate-level theological coursework from schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools [ATS] or a regional accrediting body. You can get the details, and learn how to request a transfer credit evaluation, here.

For immediate help, please contact the Welcome Center in Pasadena. We are open virtually Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and in-person Monday-Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time:

• Phone: 626.584.5400 or 1.800.2.FULLER
• Email: [email protected]
• Click here to chat with an Admissions representative (during normal business hours)