Admissions

Application Guidelines

The first step in the admissions process is to submit an application. This involves completing and submitting all required materials to the Graduate School by the application deadline.

I. Application Deadline

Applicants for the 2014-2015 academic year must submit an application and all additional required materials by December 15, 2013. It is imperative that all application materials are submitted by the application deadline.

II. Mailing Address

The application can be completed and submitted online (see below). Please send all additional required materials to the following address:

Graduate School Admissions Office
Baylor University
One Bear Place #97264
Waco, TX 76798-7264

III. Admissions Prerequisites

Please note that applicants who meet the following prerequisites are not guaranteed admission. Prerequisites include but are not limited to the following list.

Admission to the Ph.D. program in Religion requires an M.A. or its equivalent (30 semester hours of accredited graduate work in Religion at the degree level of M.A., B.D., M.Div., etc.).

Applicants in Old Testament or New Testament studies must have completed a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours of one biblical language (Greek or Hebrew) and six (6) semester hours in the other, with a grade of B or above in the last semester of each language. Applicants who intend to concentrate in the Old Testament area will benefit from having completed a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours of Hebrew and six (6) semester hours of Greek. Those whose area of concentration will be New Testament will benefit from having completed twelve (12) semester hours of Greek and six (6) semester hours of Hebrew. For information on modern foreign language requirements, click here.

IV. Application Checklist

The following checklist includes items required for a complete application:

1. Graduate School Admissions Application. The application can be completed and submitted online. Click here to complete an admissions application.

2. Official GRE Score. An official GRE score is one that is submitted to the Graduate School by the testing institution. Testing institutions can submit GRE scores to the Graduate School at the applicant's request (Baylor's GRE code is 6032). GRE scores submitted by the applicant are not official and therefore do not satisfy the requirement.

3. TOEFL. The TOEFL is required for all international applicants. This requirement does not apply to non-international applicants. For additional information, consult the current Graduate Catalog or contact the Graduate School.

4. Official Transcript(s). Official transcripts must be submitted by each academic institution attended by the applicant. In order for transcripts to be official, they must come directly from the institution. Transcripts obtained and submitted by the applicant do not qualify.

5. Recommendation Letters. Three letters of recommendation are required from professors who have had you in their class.

6. Autobiographical Essay. The autobiographical essay (600-1000 words) may be submitted online as part of the online application process. The essay is a personal statement that must clearly and specifically provide the following information:

• A description of your academic pilgrimage
•A delineation of your career goals
•A statement concerning your area of specialization: Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, or Theology
• A statement describing your reasoning for pursuing graduate studies in religion at Baylor University

7. Recent Research Paper. The research paper (suggested length of 15-20 pages) may be submitted online as part of the online application process.