Admissions Policies

Academic Requirements

Applicants to the Associate program must have graduated from high school or received a GED (Graduate Equivalence Diploma). Applicants to the Bachelor program must have graduated from high school or received a GED (Graduate Equivalence Diploma). Applicants to the Master program must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a bachelor degree or equivalent. The applicant’s grade point average for all college-level work must be at least a “C” (2.0 on a 4.0 scale). To view academic requirements for prospective doctoral candidates, please view the Admissions Requirements for the Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Philosophy programs found in the Academics section of this web site. In addition to academic regulations, Mid-America has some specific prerequisites concerning Christian conduct. These requirements are summarized below. A further explanation is available by contacting the Admissions Office, or by reading the Catalog.

Christian Experience and Conduct

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary is a Christian institution whose primary purpose is to provide graduate theological training for effective service in church-related and missions vocations. Applicants to the Seminary must have professed Christ as Savior for at least one year before registration. Maturity of character, personal integrity, and commitment to Christian service are necessary for acceptable study in the Seminary.

Regulation Regarding Divorce

The Seminary holds the position that marriage is intended to be a lifelong covenant between one woman and one man. The primary biblical passages that support this understanding are: Matthew 5:32, 19:3–9, Mark 10:9, Luke 16:18 and Malachi 2:16. Therefore, the Seminary seeks to honor God’s original intention of marriage and views divorce as a serious matter. While the Seminary understands that marital situations are unique and divorce is a reality, the Seminary will allow anyone who is divorced to apply for the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies. Certain courses within the BACS will, however, be relegated to those who are called and meet the qualifications of a pastor or overseer in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9 (men only, not divorced, spouse not divorced). The Seminary will allow anyone who is divorced to apply for the following degrees at Mid-America College: Associate of Christian Ministries, Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Counseling, Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Pre-Law and Public Policy, Master of Arts in Apologetics, Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling, Master of Arts in Christian Ministries, Master of Arts in Missiology and Intercultural Studies, or Master of Arts in Theology.

Regulations Regarding Female Students

The Seminary admits women as students to study for the Master of Arts in Apologetics, Biblical Counseling, Christian Ministries, Missiology, and Theology, or the Master of Divinity (or Accelerated Master of Divinity) in Apologetics, Biblical Counseling, Christian Ministries, Missiology and Cultural Studies, and Urban Church Planting, or the Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling, Christian Ministries, Church Revitalization, and Missions, or the Doctor of Philosophy in Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Missions, Education, Theology, and Biblical Counseling. These programs are designed to prepare students for ministries in Christian Education, counseling, or cross-cultural missions. Degree programs designed to prepare students to serve as ordained pastors (Associate of Divinity, Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministries, Doctorate of Ministry in Expository Preaching, or Doctor of Philosophy in Practical Theology) are available only to male students. This policy accords with the Seminary’s conviction that the ordained pastor of a church must be male. We believe that God has signally blessed women and has given them a position of honor and opportunities for service. We believe, however, that Scripture prohibits a woman from serving as pastor of a church. The following Scriptures specifically support this understanding: 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:5–9, 1 Timothy 2:9–15, and 1 Corinthians 11:3ff.

ACT/SAT Requirement and Transcripts

For any applicant without an ACT/SAT score, who is at least 24 years of age, and has been out of high school three years or more, the Masters and Undergraduate Committee will consider admission based on past transcripts and grade point average. Applicants who have completed at least an Associates degree DO NOT need a High School Transcript. Applicants who have not completed any college degree of any sort will need to submit a completed High School Transcript. If an applicant has completed less than 24 hours of college level credit, he/she must submit an ACT score as well.