Admissions

Policies and Procedures

Important Deadlines

Urshan Graduate School of Theology has rolling admissions. Applicants can be accepted as soon as their file is complete and they have fulfilled all the criteria necessary for admission. However, to have the greatest opportunity for scholarship assistance, scholarship requests should accompany applications prior to the following dates: For the fall semester, applications should be received by May 1st. For the spring semester, applications should be received by November 1st.

All material must be submitted to:
Urshan Graduate School of Theology
Admissions Office
155 Urshan Way
Wentzville, MO 63385

Any questions about the admissions procedure may be directed to the Admissions Office. Please call (314) 838-8858 or email [email protected].

Transfer Credits

Students transferring to Urshan Graduate School of Theology from other institutions must provide official transcripts of all previous academic work as part of the regular admission requirements. Due to the difficulty of evaluating a student’s work from another institution, final evaluation will be made based on the student’s first semester work at Urshan Graduate School of Theology. In general, only courses with grades of B- or better from an accredited graduate institution may be transferred to Urshan Graduate School of Theology.

The number of credits that can be transferred varies by degree program. The determination is made by the academic dean. In general, no more than a third of the credits will be considered for transfer due to the distinctive nature of the program at Urshan Graduate School of Theology.

Students may receive advanced standing from an accredited undergraduate religion or Bible degree. ATS requires a written and/or oral assessment to show “that students have the knowledge, competence, or skills that would normally be provided by the specific courses for which they have been admitted with advanced standing.” Advanced standing cannot be automatically granted based on ministerial experience or content of undergraduate work. A maximum of 1/6 of master’s degree credits may be granted as advanced credit.

A student normally will be excused from courses that parallel those from a previously attended accredited graduate institution with permission from the faculty member involved or the academic dean. Such waivers must be approved by the academic dean. Elective credit may be given for appropriate parallel study. In cases where course work done elsewhere is partially parallel, the instructor may allow partial class attendance and assign special research projects to fulfill the course requirements.

Housing

Urshan Graduate School of Theology does not provide housing for students.

English Language Skills

All prospective students for whom English is not their first language are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants also are required to take the test of Written English section. For general standards of graduate work in English, a total score of 550 or above on the paper test or 213 or above on the computer test is required for admission. For further information concerning times and places of TOEFL test administration, contact the Educational Testing Service, Box CN6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151. In special circumstances, students may be given conditional admission. Such students will be required to take additional courses in written and spoken English until their skills are judged to be adequate.

Students whose first language is not English may be permitted additional time equal to one third of the ordinary amount allotted for examinations and final exams. The student must begin the exam at the time stated (the privilege is not intended for students who arrive late). Students seeking additional time for in-class examinations must make arrangements with the instructor to take the examination outside of the regular class period.

Readmission of Students

Students who have been away from the Urshan Graduate School of Theology for more than one year must restart the application process. Former students desiring to return to Urshan Graduate School after attending another school must also reapply to the institution. In addition to the standard requirements listed on the application checklist, official transcripts of credits earned since leaving Urshan Graduate School of Theology are required as well. Please contact the Admissions office for further details.

Restricted Admissions

An applicant whose bachelor’s degree is from an unaccredited institution or whose undergraduate grade point average was below a 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, but otherwise is approved for admission, may be probationally admitted. A maximum of 10% of the student body may be accepted under this category. After demonstrating the capacity to do satisfactory work (at least 2.5 GPA) over two semesters of fulltime study, the probationary status will be revoked. The student will then be granted unconditional status in his/her degree program.

Students with Disabilities

Urshan Graduate School of Theology encourages students with disabilities to apply. Urshan Graduate School of Theology will do its best to provide designated parking spaces and open access to campus facilities for students with disabilities. Special seating arrangements may be made through the office. Students requesting special forms of testing due to learning disabilities must provide the registrar evidence of competent professional evaluation of the disability and specifications of assistance required. Generally, students with disabilities should work with the academic dean to ensure their needs are met. According to our capabilities, UGST will provide means to ensure your experience is rewarding and comfortable.

Technology Use

The use of technology on campus is intended to support the mission of UGST in providing an excellent Christian education in a distinctively Apostolic environment and requires responsible, ethical, and legal use of network resources by all students. This policy sets provision for any form of network use on the campus or equipment including wireless Internet access.

All users are expected to abide by the guidelines set forth in this policy. Using UGST’s
computers and network is a privilege and may be revoked at any time for unacceptable
conduct.
Acceptable Behavior includes, but may not be limited to, the following:
  • Using resources for UGST courses, research, functions, and correspondence.
  • Respecting copyright and other intellectual property rights.
  • Abiding by security restrictions on all systems and information to which you have access.

Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Using Urshan equipment for personal entertainment. This includes, but is not limited to: watching movies or playing video games on classroom or chapel projectors.
  • Cheating, plagiarism, or information theft through the use of logins or passwords of other individuals
  • Wasting finite computer resources
  • Accessing, examining, or attempting to examine file, mail, and/or data belonging to others
  • Sending unsolicited, annoying, harassing, or obscene messages, including cyber bullying
  • Distributing passwords or otherwise attempting to gain access to secure areas
  • Invading the privacy of other individuals
  • Damaging any UGST hardware or software
  • Deleting any UGST-provided software or deleting data belonging to another user
  • Using multiple terminals or computers simultaneously
  • Installing unauthorized software, attempting to circumvent filtering or security software, downloading illegal or copyrighted material
  • Knowingly introducing a computer virus; illegal file sharing, e.g. limewire; or bit torrent
  • Violating any rules or regulations posted
  • Accessing materials from the Internet (such as pornography and other questionable materials) which are not consistent with the UGST’s mission in maintaining a distinctly Christian environment
  • Illegally downloading or pirating digital content
Responsibilities
Violation will result in disciplinary and/or legal action and may result in a loss of access, fines, probation, and/or expulsion. Anyone who has questions about policy guidelines, or allegations of harassment or other irresponsible use of technology resources, should contact the Dean of Students. Federal law has established penalties for infringements upon copyrights, intellectual property rights, and privacy rights of individuals. The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri (569.093-569.099) have established penalties of tampering with intellectual property of computer users, or computer equipment. Penalties range from a one-year sentence and a fine of $1,000 to a five-year sentence with a $5,000 fine, depending on the damage caused. Additionally, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can potentially fine students up to $30,000 per offense.
Limits To Guidelines
The aforementioned guidelines apply at all times while students are enrolled in UGST and on campus, including weekends, holidays, and breaks. Students are expected at all times to maintain the spirit of these guidelines and in good conscience comply to the best of their ability for the sake of the entire student body.