Admission Process
In order to be considered for acceptance,
a student applying for enrollment
in the seminary must supply the following:
A. Completed application form
Applications for admission must be in the seminary office one month prior to the start of a semester. Applicants need to complete the application form in Korean, if possible. This will not only provide important information about each applicant as a prospective student but will also demonstrate the applicant’s writing ability. The applicant’s photo must be included in the application form. All applicants must send his/her electronic photo by email separately.
B. Official transcripts
Official transcripts from all post-secondary academic work must be sent directly to the GRS office from the school. The official transcript is due in the seminary office within 30 days of application for admission.
Copies or student-issued transcripts may be used during the enrollment process for preliminary evaluation; however, they are not considered official.
To be considered official, transcripts must be sent to GRS via one of the following methods:
-
The educational institution must send the official transcript directly to GRS via postal service, or
-
The educational institution may send the official transcript to the student in a sealed envelope, and the student must send the sealed envelope to GRS. (If the seal is broken before arriving at GRS, the transcript will not be considered official).
Students who fail to ensure that all official transcripts have been submitted to GRS
-
may not be admitted to a particular GRS degree program or be allowed to continue in the program,
-
will not be permitted to graduate until they have ensured that GRS has received all of the required official transcripts.
C. International Transcripts
If international transcripts are not in English, an English translation is also required. Whenever possible, GRS will evaluate international credentials in-house. For any international credentials GRS determines must be evaluated by an approved outside evaluation agency, GRS will notify the applicant/student accordingly. The applicant/student will be responsible for contacting the outside evaluation agency, as well as for any costs incurred.
D. References
GRS requires references from your pastor, a former professor, and a friend. Applicants must be sure to fill out and sign the top portion on the front page of each reference form before giving them out. Applicants need to give each designated reference form directly to those from whom they are requesting a reference.
E. Application Fee (one-time, non-refundable fee)
The application fee of $100.00 is required upon submission of application, and is non-refundable. Payment of the application fee does not guarantee admission to the seminary. A letter of acceptance will be mailed upon the approval of the application for admission.
F. Completed statement of approval from church session or elder board. (D.Min. only)
The form for session approval, which is included in the application package, should be completed including the denomination name, church name, and signature.
G. Other Requirements
GRS will examine the credentials submitted to determine each applicant’s suitability for admission. Admission may be granted on the basis of these credentials alone, or GRS may also require one or more of the following:
a) A personal interview.
b) An entrance examination in any subject GRS deems basic to seminary study.
c) A sample research paper (Doctoral Students only).
Audit Students
A limited number of students may be admitted to courses as audit students. Permission of the Academic Dean and professor are required for auditing courses.
Study Regulation
Individuals who apply and are accepted to GRS, but who do not take any courses in a two year period, must re-apply. Applications will be kept on file for one year only.
Students sometimes find the need to take a break in completing courses due to personal or professional matters. If a student returns to complete a degree with GRS, and has not taken courses in a two year period, the student may return to the seminary but must reapply with the exception of providing new references. In addition, the student must comply with the degree requirements under the current catalog at the time of returning to seminary and also, provide updated personal information.
Non-Degree Seeking Students
An individual in the process of completing a degree at another approved institution may apply as a non-degree seeking student at GRS, pending completion of the degree from the other institution. Those not pursuing a degree at the time of enrollment are admitted as non-degree seeking students and must show GRS that they have the background and course prerequisites necessary for the courses in which they are interested. This category of enrollment does not constitute admission to the school as a degree seeking student in any GRS program.
Transfer Students
Students who wish to transfer from other graduate institutions should apply for admission in the usual way, submitting with their application and required admission documents a completed transcript of their prior work. A request for transfer credit should be accompanied by a catalog containing the course descriptions from the previous institution. The credits must be of a comparable graduate level and the courses must apply to the GRS curriculum Credit for work completed in other institutions may be granted after evaluation by GRS. No credit will be given for work receiving less than a “C” or its equivalent for Master’s degree. Also no credit will be given for work receiving less than a “B” or its equivalent for Ph.D., Th.D. and D. Min. degrees. Grade point averages will only be determined by work completed at GRS.
Transfer credit may be given the grade of “T”. Students are required to pay a posting fee of $200 per transfer credit hour. Bachelor/undergraduate courses cannot be transferred as graduate courses. Some Th.M. courses may be considered by evaluation of Academic Dean at GRS. Course work completed to earn an awarded bachelor’s or master’s degree cannot be used toward earning another degree. Core courses in the various degree programs at GRS (equivalent courses at other institutions will be considered on a case by case basis) need not be repeated to pursue another degree. Only professional components of the additional degree must be completed. Some additional work may be required.
Transfer students must complete at least one-half of the hours required for any degree program at Global Reformed Seminary. Transfer students may be required to take more than the minimum requirements for graduation because courses taken elsewhere may not be equivalent to those in the GRS curriculum and all courses are transferred at the rate of three (3) credit hours per course. At least one-half of all course work required for a degree program through GRS must be completed at the Georgia campus in accordance with Georgia regulations.
Acceptance to Seminary
A student is considered fully accepted when all required documentation is received and approved. A student may be accepted to GRS provisionally when there is outstanding documentation such as an official transcript, where provisional acceptance is based upon transcripts issued by another school to the student rather than directly to GRS. Upon acceptance to the seminary, a letter of acceptance is issued to the student. Students who fail to ensure that all official transcripts have been submitted to GRS:
(1) may not be admitted to a particular GRS degree program or be allowed to continue in the program.
(2) will not be permitted to graduate until they have ensured that GRS has received all of the required official transcripts.