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Apply for Admission

This page outlines application procedures for the M.Div., M.A.M., and M.A.T.S. programs. Alternatively, you may apply to the Ph.D. or Th.M. programs or apply to the D.Min. programs.

The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, forms visionary leaders to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ. Applicants for the master of divinity, master of arts in ministry, and master of arts in theological studies degrees are evaluated on their academic work, spiritual gifts, and a call to ministry that is congruent with the purpose and mission of the seminary and the church.

Requirements for Application

The Admissions Committee uses the following criteria for admission. Applicants must:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. The standard of academic performance is a "B" average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). The Admissions Committee considers other factors such as patterns of progress in the applicant's academic history, difficulty of the undergraduate program and standards of the school attended, letters of reference, success in other graduate programs, and performance in an applicant's career.
• Demonstrate social and relational maturity, emotional and spiritual health, and express a personal and social moral conscious. A pre-admission interview may be required to assist in determining this criterion.
• Indicate previous and current participation in the life of the church. Lutheranapplicants who are seeking a rostered position in the ELCA will be members in good standing of a Lutheran congregation for at least one year as required by the ELCA candidacy process.
• Express vocational clarity and a theological understanding of vocation, mainly in the required biographical essay but also in a pre-admission interview, if needed.

Application Checklist

• Fill out and submit application form.
• Write and submit autobiographical statement.
• Submit transcript of undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate program(s).
• Provide three letters of recommendation.
• Submit background check agreement with required fee (not required for those in the ELCA candidacy process, as a background check is done a part of that process).
• Submit application fee.

Application Deadline

LSTC does not have an application deadline for admission. We recommend that interested persons should apply nine to twelve months before the academic year in which they wish to begin study. The Admissions Committee meets once a month to consider completed applications. Admission is offered based on a majority vote within the committee. Applicants will be notified within two weeks of the committee's decision.