Accreditation & Reconization

Student Information

The standards of the ministry are high and require serious consideration and planning to assure the development of ministerial ability. No student shall be allowed to graduate who does not meet these entrance requirements.

Faculty Advisors:
Faculty advisors will interpret course requirements and help students plan a well-balanced program. To help students with Thesis/Dissertation Development on the graduate level is a primary responsibility of the advisor.

Personal Counseling
The Seminary offers limited personal counseling and spiritual counseling services to its students. Matters in which students may receive counseling are spiritual and ministry standards, interpersonal relationships, premarital and marital concerns and other non-and/or pre-therapeutic counseling needs. Student Affairs Deans or various faculty members and staff may perform counseling services. The Student Affairs Division maintains a current referral network of Christian counseling professionals and services available to our students.

APPLICANTS FOR ADMISSION SHOULD FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES OUTLINED:

1. Submit a formal application completely filled out, together with a small photograph (as recent as possible).

2. Send in (or have school to do so) a certified copy of High School transcript, and a transcript of any other Seminary or school work completed since high school where credits may be accepted toward graduation requirements at St. Paul's Seminary.

3. Allow the school ten days to two weeks to process your application and contact your references. You will then be advised as soon as your application has been accepted. An application fee of $20 should be sent in with the Student's application. This fee will be returned if the student is not accepted into the Seminary.

4. When acceptance letter is received applicant should immediately send in a tuition fee of $50.00 per semester. No refund will be made to those not reporting for registration. This fee is charged to offset the cost of operation.

THE SEMINARY CREDIT:

All Seminary credit courses are $30.00 per semester hour, whether it is an internal or external program.

REGISTRATION FEE $50.00
APPLICATION FEE 20.00
GRADUATION FEE 100.00
BOOK/PROGRAM FEES AS Required

(Note: The Seminary does not try to profit from Computer programs or books, required in the classroom. The Student will pay the actual cost and may obtain the program or books for themselves or order it through the Seminary)

FEE SCHEDULE:

CLASSES
$30.00 per Semester Hour
$50 Registration Fee
$20 Application and Administration Fees

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

An accredited high school diploma or GED is the standard educational requirement for admission to St. Paul's Seminary. Special students may not comply with these standards, upon admission, but must have a High School Diploma before receiving any Degree from the Seminary.

Mature students who wish to avail themselves of the training offered by the school who do not wish to fulfill the requirements for graduation may be admitted as special students but non-high school graduates may not comprise more than fifty percent of the total student body. Such students will receive transcripts showing the work they have done but will not be granted diplomas unless they meet all the standard requirements of the school.

STANDARD OF CONDUCT:

St. Paul's Seminary realizes that academic attainment is but a part of the students' preparation for Christian service, and that information obtained through study has its benefit fully realized only as a corresponding spiritual life is developed. For this reason, every possible effort is made to maintain a genuine deep spirituality in the school.

Since this institution is founded upon Christian principles, it will be necessary to require all students to live up to high standards of life and conduct, while attending the institution.

A student may be dismissed from the Seminary for the following reasons:

Unsatisfactory grades, unsatisfactory progress, or misconduct. Students terminated for misconduct will be excluded for one semester and may be readmitted upon the recommendation of the Admissions Committee.

It is not our policy to accept any students from another school who has been

Dismissed because of misconduct, low grades, etc.

ACADEMIC INFORMATION:

SEMESTER PLAN

The Institute operates on the semester plan, with two semesters per year and a four-week or six-week summer session. A one-semester hour course is also offered between semesters. All Institute courses taken for credit with passing grades will count toward graduation.

SEMESTER HOURS:
The unit regularly used for the measurement of credit toward graduation is the semester Hour, which amounts to 22 classroom or instructional hours.

A student must be enrolled for a minimum of thirty semester hours of work per semester to be classified as a full-time student. Thirty semester hours times four years of study equals 120 semester hours which is the requirement for graduation for a Bachelor's Degree.

GRADING SYSTEM:
The faculty in determining the student's final grade employs the following numerical and letter grading system.

GRADE POINTS PER SEMESTER GRADE

QUALITY HOUR

A (95-100) Excellent 4.0
B (85-94) Good 3.0
C (75-84) Satisfactory 2.0
D (65-74) Poor, but passing 1.0
F (Below 65) Failure
WP Withdrawal passing 0.0
WF Withdrawal failing 0.0
DR Course dropped within the drop period 0.0

INCOMPLETE GRADES
Students must meet all course requirements by the time of the semester examination. No incomplete grades are given except to students who are providentially prevented from taking semester examinations. The student must apply to the faculty in writing through the dean's office, explaining the reason why he missed the examination. In all such cases he must pay the special examination fee.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE
The grade point average of a student is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points by the number of classes taken for that year. To qualify for graduation a student must have a 2.0 (C) average.

GRADE REPORTS
A grade report, showing the hours earned and grades received in all subjects, will be issued to the students at the end of each semester or summer session.

ABSENCE FROM CLASSES
Class attendance and absences are covered by the following regulations:

1. No excuses are granted by any Institute official or teacher.

2. In all classes attendance is counted from the first meeting of the class.

3. Final grade averages are reduced one-half point for each absence. This is not a penalty, but rather it is a conservative evaluation of loss in the total learning process caused by the absence.

4. Three tardies equal one absence. The professor checks absences. The student is responsible to report tardiness to the professor at the end of the class period.

5. A student may not drop a course after eight weeks; if he does so, his grade report is marked "F" in that course.

6. A student may not receive credit in any course in which his absences equal or exceed one-fourth the total number of meetings of the class, final examinations counting as two class meetings.

INTERRUPTION FOR ABSENCES
A student who is absent for as many as one-quarter of class meetings in any subject during a semester is dropped from the subject (except when the absence is on an Institute directed learning experience).

ABSENCES FROM SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS AND SECTIONAL TESTS
Absence from semester examinations can be made up only upon written application to the faculty. Written applications for the make-up, stating the reason for missing the examination, are submitted to the faculty through the dean. Only emergencies are acceptable excuses for missing such examinations.

CHANGING OR DROPPING COURSES
Students may change courses during the first two weeks of a semester, or drop courses during the first eight weeks with the permission of the dean. Dropping courses after eight weeks results in an automatic failing grade.

OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL
The withdrawal process follows a prescribed plan beginning at the dean's office. To leave the Institute, before completing a semester or summer session, and still be clear of all obligations to the school, the student must withdraw officially. Otherwise, he fails all courses and is charged full tuition. There is no charge for an official withdrawal.

TUITION:
All tuition will be refunded to students who withdraw from the Graduate School before classes begin. Students who withdraw from the Graduate School after classes begin or who reduce their course load in such a way as to affect total tuition charges for the semester will receive refunds according to the following table:

First week (before registration ends)100%
Second week 80%
Third week 60%
Fourth week 40%
Fifth week 20%

No other refunds are made.

Students enrolled on an hourly basis, whether for part-time or overload, who withdraw totally or partially receive (for the portion of their withdrawal) the stated percentage above, based on the date of their official withdrawal.

No tuition refund shall be made beyond the academic year in which the courses were taken.

Registration fee, course fees, student activity fee and certain other fees are non-refundable.

HONOR PROGRAM:
Academic excellence is recognized in published reports at the end of each semester for those students making the grade averages as follows:

Chancellor's List 3.75 - 4.00
Dean-s List  3.50 - 3.74

A student must be enrolled for at least twelve semester hours to be eligible for this recognition.

SCHOLASTIC HONORS
Graduation honors are given to those students who have completed the last two years, including the last forty-eight semester hours at St. Paul's Seminary. These honors are awarded on the basis of the following:

Cum laude "Graduation with Honor"
A cumulative grade point average from 3.00 - 3.49.

Magna cum laude "Graduation with Great Honor"
A cumulative grade point average from 3.50 - 3.74.

Summa cum laude "Graduation with Highest Honor"
A cumulative grade point average from 3.75 - 4.00.

Graduation Honors are recorded on the permanent record and are announced at the time of graduation.

TRANSFER OF CREDITS
Credits are given for work done in other accredited Bible Seminaries and secular Seminaries in such subjects as Bible, Bible Doctrine, and Bible related subjects where the course may be equated to a similar course at St. Paul's Seminary or St. Paul's Seminary, and where the transfer student has obtained a grade of at least "C". A transcript of previous work must be presented before credit can be given.

Transfer credit may apply to a student's program at The Seminary in one of the following ways:

1. Courses that are parallel to required courses in the Seminary core curriculum of the student's program of studies may be received as meeting the requirement.

2. Courses that do not parallel any required course may be received as elective credit up to the limit of electives for the particular program in which the student enrolls.

To obtain an estimate of transfer credit, applicants must submit official transcripts for all post-secondary study to the admissions office along with their application for admission and a request for an estimate of transfer credit. In some cases, applicants may be asked to send a catalog or prospectus from Seminaries or other post-secondary institutions attended. The admissions office will give an evaluation of such work, but a final evaluation will not necessarily be completed until the end of the student's first semester of study at The Seminary. A copy of the transfer policy is available upon request from the Seminary Admissions Office. Please contact the transcript facilitator in the Admissions Office for further assistance.

TRANSCRIPTS
The Seminary keeps complete records of all its students, including entrance credits and course grades are kept in the Registrar's Office. The students may receive one copy without charge. Additional copies may be acquired for $5.00 each. No transcript will be given to any student until he has met all financial obligations

TESTING OUT:
If approved by the Academic and Evaluating Committee, thirty hours may be tested out from the pre-baccalaureate degree. This is done to abort duplication of the same subject. It is to show the real value of the bachelor's level of study. This is done to encourage students to continue their studies at The Seminary. This may be applied to only the Master of Divinity, and Master of Sacred Theology. If a student pursues the Master of Arts degree, then thirty hours will be split between the Master of Arts and the Master of Divinity and/or Theology. If approved by the Academic Committee, consideration may be given to life experience and independent study prescribed by the advisory instructor. The transfer of hours will be considered in the assignment of credits.

GED CLASSES AND TESTING
GED preparatory classes are available at the campuses as well as at most Seminary centers.

Seminary literacy managers may schedule assessment testing to determine the student's potential for passing the GED test. GED examiners are located on the campuses as well as on the Distance Learning Centers.

DISTANCE LEARNING
Credit and non-credit courses may be delivered via electronic means, which may include television broadcast, compressed video or Internet access. The courses will carry the same credit as the on-campus equivalent course. Seminary admission requirements apply to credit distance-learning courses. Although the tuition will be the same for distance learning courses as for on-campus equivalent courses, additional fees may be charged for distance learning. Distance learning courses will meet graduation requirements in the same manner as on-campus equivalent courses.

STUDENT COUNCILS
Students have the opportunity to take an active part in the student council on campus.

Made up of elected representatives from each class of the Seminary, these democratic bodies, through executive and advisory functions, are the voices of the students in helping to determine the success of the Seminary.

Faculty members on each campus serve on an advisory committee to these councils. The student council plans wholesome recreational and social activities for the students, encourages student discussion of campus concerns, presents helpful recommendations to the faculty and administration and generally acts in an advisory capacity to the students.

The student council on each campus also exercises general supervision over other campus organizations and must approve the formation of any new group on campus.

THE SEMINARY STUDENT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

Purpose: The Seminary Student Council Association represents, by the democratic process, the student bodies of The Seminary with its campuses. In addition, the Seminary student council coordinates the Seminary student activities; adds unity to the student body; and serves as a mainspring for student activities that will add to the wholesome and total development of each participant and the Seminary organization.

Membership: The membership of the Seminary Student Council Association is composed of seven representatives. Each member is guaranteed all rights of membership and shall be subject to all procedures in accordance with the constitution. The campus council president has the power to appoint representatives, if one of these officers cannot attend meetings.

THE SEMINARY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Purpose: This organization serves as a link between the Seminary and its alumni, faculty and friends. It proposes to relate the Seminary program to the community and to make the Seminary aware of the needs of the people in the area served by St. Paul's Seminary.

Membership and Organization: Any person who is or was a student at St. Paul's Seminary shall be a member of the Alumni Association Faculty, staff and friends are eligible for membership in the Association. Annual dues are $15.00 per person.

ADMISSIONS:

Admission Policy:
St. Paul's Seminary is an institution of higher learning aimed at reaching any person who wishes to learn. We do not discriminate against race, color, creed, national origin, age or sex.

Who Should Apply? Applicants should evidence strong Christian character and commitment, potential for effectiveness in Christian ministry, and the scholastic achievement, communication skills and intellectual ability needed for graduate assignments.

Many of our new students are career, married persons, and transfer students. The student body includes people of diverse ages, geographical and cultural backgrounds, personal and family backgrounds, and denominational affiliations. This diversity adds to the richness of the schools educational experience.

Prospective students are encouraged to discuss plans, goals and questions with our concerned and experienced admissions staff.

The basic criteria for selection of students include the following:

1. Evidence of Christian conversion and development in Christian character (normally at least one year previous to enrollment).

2. Evidence of approved Christian character, submission to the will of God, and willingness to accept the administration's authority and guidelines.

3. Evidence of good physical and emotional health; and the ability to carry out cross-cultural, church, market place, and/or ministry roles.

4. Evidence of ability to pursue successfully an academic program.

5. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited recognized institution, for postgraduate studies, and a high school diploma or equivalent for undergraduate studies.

6. Race, nationality or disability are not factors in our selection process.

7. Applicants who have been divorced will be considered for admissions on a case-by-case basis.

8. An applicant will not be admitted who denies any teaching expressed in the Scriptures

9. The Seminary reserves the right to deny or revoke the admission of any candidate whose behavior or lifestyle is inconsistent with biblical principles or with the ministry standards of the Seminary community.