Application Information
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Men and women come from across the street and around the world to join the learning community at Ashland. With an open enrollment policy and no application deadlines, the door is always open for new students to start in August, January, or May.
An undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher is required for standard admission. Students with a GPA lower than a 2.75 may be admitted on academic probation at the discretion of the review committee. If your undergraduate degree was earned from an unaccredited institution, admission can only be offered on academic probation.
CHECKLIST
- A completed online application
- A non-refundable application fee of $50 (waived if you attend an Experience Ashland Event)
- Two recommendations (pastoral & professional)
- An official transcript from all post-secondary schools attended prior to application. Students may not register for classes until their undergraduate degree has been conferred, and students who are admitted with an unofficial transcript may not register for a second term with ATS until the final, official transcript has been received
- Responses to several essay questions as identified in the online application
- A personal interview may be required at the request of the Director of Enrollment Management
- A personal interview is required of all Counseling applicants as well as a personality inventory for MACMHC candidates.
All applicants should review the student handbook and agree to abide by the policies therein before applying to Ashland.
GUEST STUDENTS
If you would like to take a class without enrolling in a degree program, you can do so as a guest student. Guest Students come to Ashland for many reasons:
- You want to take a class for personal growth or interest
- You would like to complete a certificate program
- You need a class to transfer to another institution
- You want to test the academic waters at Ashland
Guest Students are welcome to submit your application and supporting documents today.
Guest Student ApplicationREACTIVATION
God’s timing is always perfect. If you’ve studied previously at the Seminary and would like to pick up your studies once again, you will need to reactivate your file before enrolling in classes.
In order to reactivate, you must complete the following requirements, depending on how long it has been since you were last active
LESS THAN TWO YEARS
- Application to Reactivate
TWO TO FIVE YEARS
- Application to Reactivate
- Responses to 2-5 year reactivation essay
- Pastor Reference
MORE THAN FIVE YEARS
- If you have been inactive for more than 5 years, we will ask you to submit a completed online application and file to be considered for reactivation.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Ashland values the diversity of our campuses. We have a rich heritage of students coming from around the world, training and living with us, then being sent out to impact their home nations.
Several factors are used in determining which applicants join us. Please review these items to determine if applying to Ashland is still a good fit for you:
- Are you currently involved in a church ministry in your home country?
- Have you taken advantage of the theological education available in your home country?
- Are you willing to commit to return to your home country after completing studies at Ashland?
- Do you meet the English requirements for enrollment?
- Do you possess adequate qualifications to pursue graduate level studies?
- Do you possess adequate financial resources to live and study in the United States?
If you are confident that you can meet the above criteria, we welcome your application.
You will be asked to sign an “International Student Statement of Agreement” before you begin your studies at Ashland. We take this agreement to be signed on your personal and Christian integrity. Failure to fulfill the commitments of this agreement could result in dismissal from the academic program and repayment of any scholarship dollars awarded. Please read the agreement.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT APPLICATION PROCEDURE
- A completed online application;
- A non-refundable application fee of fifty dollars ($50.00 USD) supplied either via the online application or by mailing a check to Office of Admissions, 910 Center Street, Ashland, OH 44805;
- Required references and essays dependent on academic program, supplied via the online application.
- Educational Credentials: Submit your foreign transcript to a professional foreign transcript evaluation service in the United States (NACES member), such as www.wes.org, to verify your educational credentials
- Copy of passport (also include this for any dependent that will be accompanying you).
- Proof of financial support. In order to be issued an I-20, you must provide a financial guarantee for the first year of study as well as documentation of how your educational expenses will be supported in all succeeding years at Ashland Theological Seminary. Please complete the Financial Documentation/Affidavit of Support document (provide web address?)
- TOEFL, IELTS or PTEA scores (requirements listed below), unless seeking admission through the ACCESS program. This requirement may be waived by the Office of Admissions if you are from an English-speaking country or attended an English-speaking bachelor’s/master’s institution, or if you are a permanent resident. Please note: Test results must not be more than two years old.
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
- Paper-Based Test (PBT): minimum score of 550 overall and 50 for subset scores
- Internet-Based Test (IBT): minimum score of 79 overall and 19 for subset scores
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System:
- Minimum score of 6.5 for overall
- Minimum of 6.0 for subset scores
- Minimum of 7.0 Writing Band
- PTE (Pearson Language Tests) Academic: Minimum score of 55 overall
Students eligible for admission but who have not attained the minimum scores will first need to be admitted to The Ashland University Center for English Studies (ACCESS). ACCESS provides an intensive English program for international students and prepares them for admission to academic studies. Upon successful completion of the ACCESS program, students will be evaluated for readiness for full-time graduate program coursework. The web address for ACCESS is: https://www.ashland.edu/administration/student-accounts/tuition-fees/international-students
COUNSELING ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Admission to the Seminary
- Undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale)
- Be available for a personal interview with the director of the counseling track desired
- Complete psychological testing required of the individual counseling track
ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | 910 CENTER ST, ASHLAND, OH 44805
PH 866-ATS-OHIO | FX 419-289-5969 | ATS-OHIO@ASHLAND.EDU