Rockbridge Seminary is a degree-granting institution of higher learning offering graduate-level study. Applicants to either the Master of Ministry Leadership degree program or the Master of Divinity degree program must be actively serving in a local church ministry role (either as a lay ministry volunteer or as a paid staff member). You need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and a church endorsement for admission.
A limited number of applicants are approved for the Diploma in Ministry Studies program. Applicants must be at least 22 years of age and must be actively serving in a local church ministry role (either as a lay ministry volunteer or as a paid staff member). You need a high school diploma or its equivalent and a church endorsement for admission.
The Application Process
- Complete the online application
- Request that your college and/or university transcripts be sent directly to Rockbridge Seminary (diploma applicants may mail or fax a copy of your high school diploma)
- Request that your church leadership complete and submit the Church Endorsement Form
- If approved, Rockbridge Seminary will send a Learner Enrollment Agreement to you for signature (the Learner Enrollment Agreement is required by the Missouri Department of Higher Education to disclose all the rights of a new student and is gladly provided by Rockbridge Seminary)
- When Rockbridge Seminary receives the signed Learner Enrollment Agreement, you are considered a Rockbridge Seminary student and may register for the Touchstone Course, “Developing the Focused Life.”
Download a pdf of the application process
Click to show the Master’s Degree Programs’ Admission Requirements
Each master’s degree program applicant must meet the following requirements prior to admission into RS:
- A bachelor’s degree earned from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 out of 4.0.
- Official transcripts sent directly from colleges and universities where transcript credit hours were earned
- English language proficiency Application for Admission (available online only) and a nonrefundable $25 credit card application fee
- Church Endorsement Form (available online only) showing the applicant is actively serving in a local church ministry role (either as a layperson or as a staff member)
Download a pdf of the Master’s Degree Program Admission Requirements
Click to show the Diploma Program’s Admission Requirements
Each diploma program applicant must meet the following requirements prior to admission into Rockbridge Seminary (only a limited number of diploma applicants are accepted):
- High school diploma or its equivalent (Graduate Equivalency Diploma) and transcripts from any college or university where enrolled for partial degree study
- English language proficiency Application for Admission (available online only) and a nonrefundable $25 credit card application fee
- Church Endorsement Form (available online only) showing the applicant is actively serving in a local church ministry role (either as a layperson or as a staff member)
Download a pdf of the Master’s Degree Program Admission Requirements.
Click to show the Computer Requirements
Your computer system must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Mac OS X
- Internet Explorer 7.x or newer, FireFox 2.x or newer (with cookies enabled), and the latest version of Safari
- PC with 1.0 gigahertz (GHz) or higher processor clock speed; Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended.
- 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM minimum, 1024 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended
- Super VGA (1024×768) resolution video adapter and monitor
- Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device
- 56 Kbps or higher-speed modem minimum, broadband network connection recommended
- CD-ROM drive
- Any additional devices required for personal accessibility and disability accommodation
Click to show the Software Requirements
- A Word Processor, Spreadsheet Application, and Presentation tool are all provided for students through GoogleApps for Education. Students may choose to use Microsoft Office or other office suites. All documents must be submitted in .doc, .rtf, or .xls file formats and in English.
- Students are given a seminary provided e-mail address through GoogleApps for Education. All seminary e-mail is sent through this e-mail account once applicants are accepted and enrolled in an academic program.
Click to show Non-U.S. Application Requirements
RS welcomes international learners. For your application to be considered, you must complete two steps in addition to the normal application procedures. First, you must submit your academic transcript for evaluation to the World Education Services (WES) for review. The evaluation of your transcript by WES will help Rockbridge Seminary place you in the best academic program to match your educational experience. Second, because Rockbridge Seminary offers English-only courses, you must take the Test for English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if your first language is not English.
If you apply for either the Master of Ministry Leadership degree program or the Master of Divinity degree program, you must submit to WES for review a transcript from the college/university from which you hold a bachelor’s degree. If you apply for the Diploma in Ministry Studies, you must submit your secondary school (high school) transcript to WES for evaluation. The approximate cost of this service provided by WES is $100 per application.
Since WES will send your evaluated transcripts, you DO NOT need to request that additional transcripts be sent from your educational institution to RS.
English proficiency
Since Rockbridge Seminary offers English-only classes; international learners whose primary language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by scoring a minimum of 550 on the Test for English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Rockbridge Seminary reserves the right to require a TOEFL test for any applicant, international or not.
- TOEFL ServicesP.O. Box 6151Princeton, NJ 08541-6151Phone: 609.771.7100 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 609.771.7100 end_of_the_skype_highlightingFax: 609.771.7500Email: toefl@ets.orgWeb site: http://www.ets.org/toefl
It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange to take the test and have the results sent to Rockbridge Seminary. Rockbridge Seminary’s TOEFL code number is 0082. Use this code for any testing you perform and TOEFL will send the results to us via email automatically. The exam is available at the American Embassy in the native country of the applicant. For information about test dates, fees, testing centers, and other registration information, contact TOEFL.
WES Instructions (international transcripts only):
To submit your transcript of a degree or diploma earned internationally for review, go to the WES home page (http://www.wes.org). Click “instructions” and “Required Documents” (left column) for further information. You may choose to complete the application online or download the application and submit it by fax or mail.
If you wish to submit your application online, click “Application” (left column) and “Go to US Online Application.” Follow the online application instructions.
During the application process, you will be asked under the tab “Your Evaluation” the primary purpose of your evaluation – answer “Education.” When asked the type of evaluation, choose “Document by document $100.” You must click “Add Recipient” to send the required report copy to Rockbridge Seminary, Attention: Linda LaRussa (3111 E Battlefield Rd., Springfield, MO 65804).
Download a pdf of the non-U.S. Application Requirements
Click to see the Ethical Conduct Code
RS is a Christian institution whose primary purpose is to equip persons for ministry leadership in church-related service.
RS requires applicants to give evidence of a desire to be equipped for ministry and expects approved applicants to live in a manner worthy of that calling and behave appropriately as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
RS reserves the right to take disciplinary action if a learner violates this standard of personal and ethical conduct. Violations of this standard shall include, but are not limited to:
- Academic misconduct including, but not limited to plagiarism or cheating
- Use or possession of illegal drugs
- Heterosexual misconduct or homosexual behavior
- Giving false statements to the seminary orally or in writing including, but not limited to, application for admission, registration, or altering records
- Financial irresponsibility
- Fighting or abusive/vulgar language
- Violation of academic regulations and policies
Learners involved in a civil infraction are accountable to civil authorities but may also be subject to discipline by RS.
In keeping with Galatians 6:1-2, it is RS’s intent to approach ethical conduct violations in a redemptive manner. The character of learners, the witness of churches, and the integrity of RS as they all relate to God’s Kingdom purposes are the primary concerns.
RS expects the learning community (learners, faculty, and administration) to accept the responsibility for reporting any actions that are detrimental to the building of a Christian learning community and the churches it serves.
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The Seminary is committed to basing judgments concerning the employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities, and affirmatively seeks to attract to its staff qualified persons of diverse backgrounds. Within the context of its theological convictions and mission, Rockbridge Seminary does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, disability, age or national or ethnic origin, in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
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