Admission Standards

Admission to the Seminary is based on the following considerations:

1. Christian character, as evidenced by church membership and participation in the life of the church, the judgment of a pastor selected by the applicant, evaluation by acquaintances, and compatibility with the Seminary's statements on Christian lifestyle, published in the Student Handbook.
2. Call to Christian service, as evidenced by a statement made by the applicant and confirmed by the church community.
3. A Bachelors or equivalent degree from a recognized college, with a grade point average of 2.5 or better (on a four-point scale).
4. Satisfactory scores on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).* (This requirement is waived for applicants with an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.8 and for those who have successfully completed at least part of an accredited graduate degree program.)
5. Reports of physical/emotional health. (While psychological testing is included in the first semester program for new students, evidence of emotional stability is required for admission).
   Academic and Financial Aid Transcripts from all educational institutions attended.

Applications to the Seminary should be submitted by January 15th for the Spring semester and by August 1st for Fall. In case of late application, a student may be admitted as a Conditional Student. If admission to a degree program follows, full credit for work done during the period of conditional student status will be granted. No student will be permitted to attend classes prior to regular or conditional admission. An interview may be required by the Admissions Committee.

Proficiency in English
Since instruction at Palmer Theological Seminary is in English, a student needs to demonstrate proficiency in it. Therefore, students whose country of origin is not the United States and whose primary spoken language and language of instruction have not been English are required to take the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (TOEFL) and submit the test scores to the Seminary's Admissions Office. Applicants must achieve a minimum score of 213 (computer) or 550 (paper) on this test. Such tests are administered in many countries around the world, including the U.S.A.*

* Inquiries regarding the GRE and the TOEFL and arrangements for taking them should be directed to the Educational Testing Service (ETS), P.O. Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540, or 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704. Information is also available on the web at http://www.ets.org. The MAT, which is administered by most colleges and universities, can be taken almost any time. Its purpose is to test the student's ability to think analytically and deal critically with issues, concepts and ideas. The MAT program can be contacted at 800-622-3231, or at milleranalogies.com.

Statement of Ethical Standards
Palmer Theological Seminary conducts its life and ministry in keeping with the conviction that its students are committed to live in accordance with the ethical standards of moral conduct, derived from the teachings of Scripture.

Because the Seminary understands Christian obedience to be the free and joyful response to the grace of God, it avoids establishing rigid, legalistic codes of conduct. However, the Seminary has adopted a set of standards intended to communicate its expectations for responsible Christian behavior in the following areas.

• Believing that our bodies are gifts from God to be cared for and nurtured, the Seminary promotes personal health and wholeness and prohibits the use of illegal drugs and the abuse of alcohol.
• Believing that honesty and integrity are expected of all of God's children, the Seminary prohibits plagiarism, cheating and bearing false witness.
• Believing that all of God's people are created in the image of God and are equally valued in the sight of God, the Seminary promotes gender and race equality, celebrates diversity, and prohibits all forms of harassment and slander.
• Believing that sexuality is a gift from God and that our sexuality is to be lived out either in the marital union of male and female or through celibacy, the Seminary affirms both the single, celibate lifestyle and healthy, heterosexual marriages, while seeking to minister to those struggling with their sexuality. As a result, the Seminary holds that premarital, extramarital and homosexual forms of sexual intimacy are contrary to God's intended purpose and are therefore not acceptable forms of sexual conduct among God's people.

A more detailed description of the Seminary's statements on ethical standards for the Christian life may be found in the Student Handbook.

Health Insurance
All students are required by law to have health insurance coverage. Thus, Palmer students must provide proof of such coverage, preferably at registration but no later than two weeks after the beginning of each semester. Those who do not provide such proof are automatically enrolled in the Seminary’s health care plan and their account is billed. The cost to enroll in this plan is approximately $1,880 annually.

Those who need to purchase health care coverage are encouraged to do some comparison shopping in order to determine which plan is best suited for them and, if applicable, their families. The Seminary’s business office would be happy to provide health care coverage options in addition to the Seminary plan. You may contact the business office by phone: 800-220-3287 or via email at afernand@eastern.edu.