Application Procedure for Master's & Doctoral Programs

Application Deadlines

Master’s Level

Trinity uses a rolling admissions process; thus, master’s program applicants may begin their studies during fall, spring, or summer terms unless noted otherwise. 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 preferred deadlines:

U.S. Citizens

International Applicants

Applications received after these deadlines may not be considered in the term for which originally applied, and no master’s program applications will be considered for a given semester after the add/drop period of that semester.

Doctoral Level

Our doctoral programs are on a seasonal review process and therefore adhere to the deadlines outlined below.

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Studies) (PhD/EDS) and Doctor of Philosophy (Intercultural Studies) (PhD/IDS)

(EDS/ICS: Late application deadline of April 1 with permission of Program Director)

All elements of the PhD/EDS and PhD/ICS application package (application, personal statements, papers, test scores, recommendations, and transcripts) must be received by the deadline date. Only complete application packages will be sent to the Admissions Committee. Incomplete packages will be held for completion up to two years. Applicants missing the review deadline must contact admissions in order to have their file reviewed for a subsequent term. The Admissions Committee will usually notify applicants of its decision eight weeks from the review date. Students may apply to any semester (fall or spring) to begin the PhD/EDS and PhD/ICS programs.

Doctor of Philosophy (Theological Studies) (PhD/THS)

All elements of the PhD/THS application package (application, personal statements, papers, test scores, recommendations, and transcripts) must be received by the deadline date. Only complete application packages will be sent to the admissions committee. Incomplete packages will be held for completion up to two years. Applicants missing the review deadline must contact admissions in order to have their file reviewed for a subsequent term. The review dates of January 15 and September 15 represent the beginning of the application review process, which normally takes eight weeks. Students are encouraged to apply for the fall session to begin the PhD/THS program.

Once completed applications have been received by the admissions committee, faculty in academic departments will contact finalists to schedule an interview. The results of the interview will become part of the prospective student's application package for review.

At the conclusion of the review process, applicants will be notified of the results as soon as possible. The number of applicants chosen for admission to the PhD/THS program depends on many factors, including availability of faculty to serve as readers.

Personal Statements

Personal statements should be submitted with the online application, responding to the questions asked on the application.

Official Transcripts

Submit official transcripts from your baccalaureate degree plus any additional transcripts required for the program you are applying to at TEDS.  Please contact an enrollment counselor to determine which additional transcripts might be required. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to Admissions Operations (Attention: Admissions Operations) in sealed envelopes from each school or electronically from the institution’s Registrar or Records Office.

Please send all required admissions pieces to:
Trinity International University
Admissions Operations
2065 Half Day Road
Bannockburn, IL 60015

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:

• World Education Services
• Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
• International Education Research Foundation

Recommendation Forms

All Applicants

Please complete the recommendation requests within the online application that are required for your program:

We will send electronic Recommendation Forms to those individuals requested by the applicant. Please do not request recommendations from persons in your immediate or extended family. Your recommenders should be people who know you well enough to provide specific examples to substantiate their recommendation. Application recommendations may also be used when awarding scholarships.

Master’s, Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies, and Special Student Applicants

The Certificate programs and MA in Theological Studies only require one recommendation.  Please contact your enrollment counselor to verify how many recommendations you must submit:

• Pastoral - Pastor or church official
• Academic - A faculty member or administrator familiar with your academic work (undergraduate or graduate)
• General - An employer, professional acquaintance, or lay leader in your church

Master of Theology (ThM) Applicants

Please have recommendations submitted from the following three people:

• Pastoral - A pastor or church leader
• Academic - A teacher or professor who has instructed you in the concentration (OT, PT, ME, etc) to which you are applying
• General - A ministry supervisor, professional acquaintance, or lay leader in your church