Admission Requirements
Geneva Reformed Seminary admits students of any race, color, national, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, loan programs, and other school administered programs.
In keeping with the New Testament’s emphasis on the personal character and testimony of qualified ministers and with the seminary’s purpose to prepare preachers, the character and testimony of students is a major concern. All students must give a credible testimony of personal faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. In addition they must give evidence of spiritual maturity that reveals an overall commitment to Christ and His word. We furthermore expect students to submit to the moral standards that the Free Presbyterian Church believes to be set forth in Scripture.
Prospective candidates for ministry in the Free Presbyterian Church will be required to have an endorsement from their local session after maintaining communicant membership in a Free Presbyterian church for a minimum of one year. In addition they will stand before the Commission of Presbytery to testify both to their call to the ministry generally and their call to the Free Presbyterian Church specifically. Students who meet this requirement will come under the care of presbytery.
Students who are not Free Presbyterians will be required to have personal recommendations from their home church or minister.
Students transferring to GRS from another seminary may receive credit for courses in which they received the grade of C or better. No more than 48 hours of credit may be transferred. GRS reserves the right to refuse transfer credits for Systematic Theology, which course must be taken at GRS unless the administration is satisfied that the course description sufficiently parallels that of GRS.
International students are subject both to the admission requirements of Geneva Reformed Seminary and to the regulations of the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the United States Department of Homeland Security. U.S. immigration laws do not allow foreign citizens with a student visa (F-1 status), their wives, or their children to have paid employment while they study in the United States. Spouses of F-1 status visitors and children under the age of 18 are granted residence in the United States (F-2 status). Non-minor children cannot legally reside in the United States under the F-1 visa of a parent and would need to establish their own legal visa, independently of their parents. The application process should begin three months prior to the expected enrollment. The procedure for international applications is as follows:
- Submit the basic application form to GRS. Academic transcripts submitted in a foreign language must include a certified translation into English. Similarly, letters of recommendation must be in English.
- International students whose first language is not English must take the “Test of English as a Foreign Language” (TOEFL). This test is administered by Education Testing Services (ETS). Information regarding the test may be found at www.ets.org/toefls.html. TOEFL scores (550 minimum on paper test; 173 minimum on computer test) must be submitted with the appli-cation from all candidates from non-English speaking countries.
- Submit a financial guarantee that expenses incurred while enrolled in GRS will be satisfied, including education and living expenses. This guarantee may be (1) proof that the student is sponsored by a responsible church, organization, or individual; (2) a letter from a bank or savings institution that the student has sufficient money on deposit to cover expenses.
- After submitting the application, transcripts, and financial statements, the prospective student will be issued the I-20 form necessary for procuring the student visa.
- International students must maintain a full academic load per academic term. Part-time employment is possible only when permitted by the policies of the United States government.
Geneva Reformed Seminary is approved for veterans benefits by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for training veterans and dependents under Title 38 of the US Code of Federal Regulations. Veterans who are eligible for this assistance should notify the administrative assistant at the time of their application to the seminary.
Certain classes will be open for those not enrolled in either the certificate or degree programs. These classes will be offered on either a credit or audit basis. Academic requirements will be waived for audits.
GRS offers some courses online, and the number of courses will increase as the online program develops. These courses can be taken for either credit or audit at the same per credit cost as those taken in residence. Those taking the courses for credit must submit the same application information as resident students, and the same academic requirements apply regarding the degree programs. Up to 40 credits toward a degree at GRS may be earned online; the rest of the program must be completed in residence with the exception of the Master of Religious Education which may be completed entirely online. For enrolling in online courses, follow the instructions on our website.