Apply Now
We’re honored to walk with you as you explore where God is calling you to serve. At Union Presbyterian Seminary, theological education is formation for faithful, creative, and compassionate leadership in today’s world. Whether you’re discerning a call to ministry, deepening your faith, or preparing to lead in new contexts, hybrid learning options through our Richmond and Charlotte campuses make this journey both accessible, affordable, and transformative. To learn more about our degree programs and the application process, please fill out the Inquiry Form. You can also reach our Admissions team anytime at admissions@upsem.edu—we look forward to beginning the conversation.
International Applicants
International students are invited to apply to any of our full-time, residential degree programs on the Richmond campus (M.Div, M.A.C.E., M.Div./M.A.C.E. Dual Degrees program, or Th.M.).
The M.A.P.T. and D.Min. degrees are not open to international students. Programs on our Charlotte campus are not open to international students. We are not currently offering online or hybrid program options for international students.
English Language Proficiency: International applicants are required to submit scores from the TOEFL iBT or IELTS or to receive an English proficiency exam waiver from the director of admissions. Applicants must achieve a minimum of 20 on each section of the TOEFL iBT in order to be considered for admission. Scores from the paper-based TOEFL iBT test will no longer be accepted. Alternatively, applicants must achieve a minimum of score of 8.0 in each section of the IELTS. Test information is available from Educational Testing Services at www.ets.org. Our institution code is 5805. To contact the director of admissions about a TOEFL waiver, please email admissions@upsem.edu. Common reasons to request a TOEFL waiver include the following: English is the applicant’s primary language, the applicant has completed all of their education in English, the applicant completed a post-baccalaureate degree in English, or the applicant hails from a country where English is the official language.
Other details
For questions about the application process, email Admissions Assistant Bonnie Hoffman or call 804-278-4221.
UPSem recommends international students not bring family members with them for the first year of study.
International applications are accepted for Richmond campus only.
International students cannot apply as a Limited Enrollment applicant.
Click here for more information on tuition, housing and living expenses.
Transfer Applicants
Transfer Credit Policies
A limited number of transfer credits for M.A.C.E. and M.Div. students may be accepted for work completed within the past eight years at institutions accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, or at institutions offering graduate-level work accredited by one of the nationally recognized regional accrediting agencies in the United States.
Union Presbyterian Seminary reserves the right to deny transfer credit for courses taken at institutions that do not meet its accreditation standards. Transfer students are encouraged to contact the Registrar’s Office for further details.
In assessing the transferability of credit hours earned at other institutions, the Registrar’s Office, in consultation with the academic dean, will only examine official transcripts. As needed, the Registrar’s Office will consult faculty members in departments related to the areas in which courses have earned these credit hours.
If approval is given to the transfer of credit hours, the Registrar’s Office will notify the student (or applicant, if a person requests this information in considering whether to apply for admission to our seminary).
At the student’s request, and with written information, the Registrar’s Office will release this information to other entities such as denominational credentialing bodies and Veterans Affairs. The Registrar’s Office will maintain these records as part of the seminary’s institutional records.
Students who receive transfer credit for all required courses in any competency area are ordinarily required to take at least one elective course in that area (biblical studies, theology, ethics, history, education and practical theology). Transfer students must earn at least half of the credits required for their degree at UPSem, including at least six credit hours in supervised ministry for M.Div. students.
Students transferring into the M.Div./M.A.C.E. or M.Div./M.A.P.T. dual degrees program must spend a minimum of three years enrolled in the program in order to receive both degrees.
Credits to be earned through study at another school (other than an RTC school), after a student has enrolled at UPSem, require prior approval before they are begun. Students should contact the academic dean for approval.
Union Presbyterian Seminary considers for transfer credit only those distance-learning courses for which it can be established, in the judgment of the appropriate academic dean in consultation with the appropriate departments, that peer and student-faculty interaction met or exceeded standards maintained in UPSem courses. Credits that have already been applied toward an earned degree cannot ordinarily be transferred.
Transfer Credits Procedure
By the end of their first term following matriculation at Union Presbyterian Seminary, transfer students must by written notice to the registrar initiate requests to transfer course credits earned prior to attending Union Presbyterian Seminary.The student is responsible to provide the registrar with documentation of the content of each course proposed for transfer.
The registrar will assemble a packet of proposed transfer materials for the student and submit it to those determining acceptance of the credits.
Limited Enrollment Applicants
Non-Degree Limited Enrollment
We accept a limited number of non-degree-seeking, Limited Enrollment (LE) students each year. Limited Enrollment students may choose this path as:
1. Continuing education for a pastor or Christian educator
2. Personal growth through a limited number of seminary courses
3. Students from other seminaries seeking a course offered through Union such as Presbyterian polity
4. An opportunity to experience Union Presbyterian Seminary while discerning their own call to ministry
Limited Enrollment Requirements
Applicants must have graduated from a college or university accredited by one of the nationally recognized regional accrediting agencies.
Limited enrollment students may take a maximum of four courses across any platform. Exceptions must be approved by the associate dean for academic programs in Richmond or the academic dean in Charlotte.
Limited enrollment students are not eligible for financial aid.
Limited enrollment students may subsequently apply to a degree program, and if admitted, request transfer credit for a maximum of four courses through the appropriate dean. A limited enrollment student must have paid all seminary bills before being admitted to a degree program.
Application Process
Complete an application in SONIS. We recommend that applicants complete an online application.
Basic instructions for the online SONIS application can be found here. To start your online application, please use these instructions.
REFERENCES Please provide the names of two persons such as a pastor or church educator and/or a professor, or someone who can comment on your academic ability. In considering your request, we may find it helpful to contact other sources of information.
TRANSCRIPTS Applicants must have original transcripts, showing courses and grades, sent directly from each accredited college or university they have attended. A final transcript showing a bachelor’s degree and the date conferred must be on file before a student may enroll. Submit all transcripts. Official (signed and sealed) transcripts from ALL previously attended academic institutions are required. Institutions can email eScripts to admissions@upsem.edu or mail paper transcripts to:
Union Presbyterian Seminary
Office of Admissions
3401 Brook Road
Richmond VA 23227Do not send transcripts to the Charlotte campus.
ESSAY Limited Enrollment applicants must submit an essay of less than 800 words that speaks about their educational and ecclesiastical background, the courses they wish to take, and their reasons for taking them.
BACKGROUND CHECK A background check is required of all applicants who are US Citizens, Resident Aliens, and International Applicants who have lived in the US for more than two years. To order your background check, go to the CastleBranch website, enter “ua37” into the Package Code field and click go. Review and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Use, then click continue to proceed to payment and confirmation.
Complete your Personal Disclosure Form.
SUBMIT Mail or email all supporting documents to Union Presbyterian Seminary, Office of Admissions, 3401 Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23227.
The cost per course is $500.
Auditor Applicants
Audit Policies
Auditing provides an opportunity to receive instruction in a particular course without receiving a grade or course credit. Auditors are expected to attend class sessions and may listen in class; the instructor is not required to review any written work auditors may choose to do. Audit is by permission of instructor, and the instructor shall also set all terms of the audit.
Graduates of Union Presbyterian Seminary and other RTC institutions, degree-seeking students, spouses of current Union students, and staff members employed by Union and RTC schools, as well as their spouses, may audit one course per term at no charge, as long as the course is otherwise available to auditors and as long as procedures for signing up for audit have been followed. To audit additional courses in one term, and for all other auditors, there is a non-refundable fee of $200.
Application Process
1. Obtain permission of the course instructor.
2. Complete an application in SONIS. We recommend that applicants complete an online application.
3. Complete a background check. A background check is required of all applicants who are US Citizens, Resident Aliens, and International Applicants who have lived in the US for more than two years. To order your background check, go to the CastleBranch website, enter “ua37” into the Package Code field and click go. Review and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Use, then click continue to proceed to payment and confirmation.
4. Instructions to pay the $200 course fee will be provided after audit course approval.
For help or information, email Admissions Assistant Bonnie Hoffman or call 804-278-4221.
This link will take you to a report containing important information about campus security. A paper copy of this report is available from the seminary business office upon request. Student Right to Know Report
Union Presbyterian Seminary does not discriminate among applicants to, or participants in, its degree programs on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, national origin, or physical disability.
