TGS Admissions

Contact Information

Trinity Graduate School seeks applicants who desire graduate education within an evangelical Christian worldview. Admission to the graduate school is open to qualified persons of all denominations and fellowships, of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin, without regard to sex or handicap. For more information on admissions policies or procedures, please contact us.

Admissions policies and procedures are subjected to change without notice.

Online Application

To apply please visit our application home page and complete our free and easy online application. Our Admissions Enrollment Counselors will walk with you each step of the way.

GENERAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should be aware that in the admissions review all components of the application are examined with no one component serving solely as a basis for admission or rejection of an application. Also note that individual programs may have additional admission requirements described in the program prospectus in the catalog. Applicants to Trinity Graduate School must meet the following requirements:

1. Possess an earned bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.¹
2. Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). If the undergraduate GPA falls below a 3.0 GPA, submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal and analytical sections or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Test scores must be less than five years old.
3. Provide an official transcript from each degree granting undergraduate school, seminary or graduate school attended. In order to be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to Admissions Operations in sealed envelopes from each school or electronically from the institution’s Registrar or Records Office.²
4. Submit the online application. Please send all required admissions pieces to:
   • Trinity International University
     Attn: Admissions Operations
     2065 Half Day Road
     Bannockburn, IL 60015
   • Electronic pieces may be sent to: aot@tiu.edu
   • NOTE: In most cases we can help you obtain transcripts from your prior schools. Please complete your application and ask your enrollment counselor about our transcript release form.
5. Solicit and ensure submission of recommendation forms as follows:
   • Pastoral - a pastor or church leader who knows the applicant,
   • Academic - a faculty member in a school where the applicant recently pursued academic studies (undergraduate or graduate), and
   • Professional - an employer or other relevant individual.
6. Provide personal statements that include the following:
   1. A statement of the applicant’s past and present spiritual life. This may include one’s Christian conversion and/or other significant spiritual events and formative influences in one’s life (one or two pages).
   2. A statement outlining the applicant’s motivation to study at Trinity Graduate School, an evangelical Christian school, and one’s future goals (one or two pages).
7. Demonstrate English competency if English is not the student's native language or primary language of instruction from the degree-granting institution. Competency is normally measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum score required is 92 (internet-based test), 237 (computer test), or 580 (paper-based test). Scores submitted must be less than two years old. Waivers from TOEFL are not normally granted. Failure to submit required TOEFL scores may result in denial of admission or postponement of the application decision to a subsequent semester.

1

Qualified Trinity undergraduates may begin TGS coursework as part of the university's dual degree programs. For these students, the bachelor's degree must be earned prior to completion of the MA.

2

Note: For university coursework done outside the U.S.A., students may need to submit transcripts through a foreign credit evaluation service. The Admissions Office must receive a "course-by-course evaluation" or a "detail report." There are several such services that are acceptable, including the following: Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. World Education Services Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. International Education Research Foundation Refer to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES.org) for additional acceptable agencies.

Program Prerequisites

Each program will have required relevant prerequisites defined in at least one of the following categories:

1. Undergraduate coursework
2. Program-oriented extensive or intensive experience
3. Other (writing, etc.)

Prospective students should note specific program prerequisites in the individual program prospectus and in the catalog.

Application Procedure

The application process is detailed on the Trinity Florida Application Webpage.  Trinity follows a rolling admissions process; thus, master’s program applicants may begin their studies during fall, spring, or summer terms. We strongly encourage application six to twelve months prior to the expected enrollment date. Applications for admission and all accompanying materials should be submitted by the following deadlines:

U.S. Citizens

Grad-Application Process

Deadline	Semester
August 1	For fall semester admission
December 1	For spring semester admission
April 1	For summer session admission

International Applicants

Grad-Application Process

Deadline	Semester
April 1	Fall semester pre-application information form and certificate of finance deadline (including summer session)
June 1	Fall semester application deadline
July 1	Fall semester acceptance of admission offer deadline
August 1	Spring semester pre-application information form and certificate of finance deadline
October 1	Spring semester application deadline
November 1	Spring semester acceptance of admission offer deadline

Applications received after these deadlines may not be considered in the term for which originally applied, and no applications will be considered for a given semester after the second week of that semester.

Upon being offered admission to Trinity, students must accept their admission offer to reserve their place in TGS.

Denied applicants may appeal in writing to the Admissions Committee no later than ninety days following the date of the admissions decision.

GUIDELINES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES PREPARATION

Students who are still pursuing an undergraduate degree are encouraged to incorporate coursework into their studies that will fulfill the following guidelines:

• Students coming into Trinity Graduate School should typically have had at least 60 semester hours of liberal arts coursework, including a broad undergraduate background in the humanities and the natural and social sciences.
• Pre-graduate studies should give evidence that the applicant has developed the ability to think independently and to communicate effectively. Application materials will be carefully evaluated for writing skills. If a weakness is discovered, the student may be required to take extra study in English composition.
• The applicant should carefully note the prerequisites for each program and take as many of those courses as possible at the undergraduate level. In most cases, if a student is qualified for admission but lacks the necessary prerequisite coursework, the deficiency can be removed through additional coursework at Trinity International University.
• Applicants are encouraged to become familiar with the content of the Bible, either through formal coursework or personal study. If an applicant’s undergraduate program includes courses that parallel required courses in the Trinity curriculum, the applicant will be granted considerable flexibility in selecting advanced-level courses as substitutes for the required classes. Faculty advisors are able to assist in this process.

Advanced Substitutes

Students who have taken undergraduate courses that are clearly parallel to required courses in their program at Trinity Graduate School may modify their program by way of advanced substitutes. This policy allows students to build on, rather than duplicate, studies that they have already completed. Advanced substitute courses are to be approved in advance by the student's program director.

Application for Readmission/Reactivation

There are certain situations in which students may need to submit a supplementary application.

• If they are accepted to Trinity Graduate School but do not enroll
• If they withdraw temporarily

However, if more than two years lapse after original acceptance, withdrawal, or completion of their first program, students will be required to submit new application materials, including recommendations and personal statements. Students who are readmitted are subject to the requirements of the catalog that is current at the time they re-enroll in coursework.

Change of Enrollment Date

Students may find it necessary to change their anticipated enrollment date. If the new semester in which  students intend to enroll is within two years of the semester for which they were originally admitted, the change can be made administratively. If the new semester is more than two years from original admittance, a student will be required to submit new application materials.

Students who must change the date of enrollment should notify the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office will notify them of any special instructions at the time of the change. These students will also need to contact the Office of Student Financial Services because the change may affect the availability of financial aid. A student’s program of studies will be governed by the catalog that is current in the semester he or she enrolls.

Active and Inactive Student Status

Students who desire not to register for classes for a period of one to three semesters (twelve months) should request a Leave of Absence (LOA) from the Office of the Dean (see Leave of Absence Policy in this Catalog). This apprises Trinity of student program plans and enables appropriate services to be provided. If a student desires to leave TGS, a Withdrawal must be completed through the Trinity Florida Records Office (see Withdrawing from TIU-FL in this Catalog).

If a LOA or Withdrawal has not been completed and students do not register and successfully complete coursework each consecutive semester (fall, spring; summer is exempt), their status is rendered inactive (e.g., active students must register for at least one course each semester). Inactive students must reapply to TGS with no guarantee of readmission.

Change of Program (COP)

If after initial enrollment the student wishes to be admitted to a different program, the following apply:

• All possible options should be considered in consultation with a faculty member, Enrollment Counselor, Program Director, and/or Records Office representative in light of coursework already completed.
• Admission to one TGS/TEDS program does not guarantee admission to another program. All admission requirements for the new program must be met.
• At least one semester of TGS/TEDS coursework must be completed before a COP application will be considered, together with the review of that semester’s grades. No more than one change of program will be permitted within a single semester.
• The Change of Program application should be submitted by the following dates: January 15 for the spring semester and September 1 for the fall semester. Changes requested after those dates may be recognized in the next academic term.
• The catalog current at the time of admission to the degree program, not the catalog in effect at the time of original enrollment, will govern the student’s new program.
• If COP is denied, applicants may submit a written appeal within thirty days to the Director of Admissions.

Interschool Transfers

Contact the Admissions Office for detailed information about transferring from one school to another within Trinity International University (e.g., transferring from the Graduate School to the Divinity School).

Student Classifications

Visiting Students

If students wish to take courses for credit on a part-time basis but do not want to enroll in a degree program, they may submit a Visiting Student application. In addition to the application form, they must submit an official transcript indicating that they hold a completed bachelor’s degree or higher with a minimum GPA of 2.0 sent directly to our Admissions Office. (Visiting students receive “conditional acceptance” until this transcript is received). Visiting students may enroll in a maximum of 9 hours each semester, and it is recommended that they enroll in no more than 12 hours before applying to a degree program. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.

Auditors

If students want the opportunity to take one or more courses per semester but have no interest in earning graduate credit or a degree, they are invited to audit classes of their choice. An auditor may usually participate in all class functions but will not be held accountable for tests or assignments, nor receive a grade or credit. No application is required, and the person need not have completed a bachelor’s degree. The graduate school, however, reserves the right to limit the number of auditors in any class, and some classes may be closed to auditors. Students in the Master of Arts program in Teaching should note that, in some cases, auditors will be required to participate in classes and prepare all assignments and tests. This difference is due both to the cohort nature of the program and the need to satisfy teaching licensure requirements.

Transfer Credit

Students may receive credit for studies taken at fully accredited graduate-level institutions when such work parallels courses listed in our catalog and after successful completion of a full semester of academic work at Trinity Graduate School. Official transcripts of previous work showing satisfactory grades in the courses must be submitted for consideration.

Transfer credit is not given for undergraduate studies and is usually not granted for coursework taken at non-accredited graduate schools. Also, graduate-level coursework that has been applied toward an undergraduate degree cannot be allowed as transfer credit toward a Trinity Graduate School degree. To be considered for transfer credit, the course grade must normally be a “B-” or better from an accredited graduate-level program.

If a master’s degree has been completed at another institution, possible transfer credit will be limited to a maximum of 50 percent of the total credits required for the shorter degree.

If a student wishes to receive transfer credit for work done at another accredited graduate school, an official transcript from that graduate institution must be filed for evaluation, along with the Transfer Credit Request form to the Trinity Florida Records Office. (Note: the Transfer Credit Request form is available directly from the Trinity Florida Records Office or the corresponding Program Director.)

The Records Office will evaluate transfer coursework under the direction of the corresponding Program Director. Transfer of credit is not automatic; it is considered only when requested.

Regardless of the amount of coursework that a student may have taken elsewhere, all students must fulfill the minimum residency requirement for their programs at Trinity Graduate School.

Master of Arts in Leadership

24 hours must be taken through TIU coursework. A maximum of 6 hours may be considered for transfer credit.

Master of Arts program in Counseling Psychology (Florida campus)

A maximum of 24 hours may be considered for transfer credit, of which only 12 hours of the concentration may be transferred.

NOTE: Prior to matriculation, transfer credits will be evaluated at no cost to the student.  However, students already enrolled at TIU will be charged a fee of $50 per course taken and considered for transfer.