Berkeley School of Theology

What is the accreditation of Berkeley School of Theology?

Berkeley School of Theology is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools, the specialized accreditor for graduate theological schools in the United States and Canada. Applicants should check the commission's current institutional listing for the school's status and approved degrees before enrolling.

Accreditation evaluates an institution against an accreditor's standards; it does not mean that every course will transfer to another school or that a degree automatically satisfies a denomination's ordination rules. Those decisions belong to the receiving institution or relevant religious body. Federal financial-aid eligibility also depends on the specific institution and program, as well as the student's circumstances; accreditation alone does not establish eligibility.

What are the admission requirements at Berkeley School of Theology?

Admission requirements at Berkeley School of Theology depend on whether an applicant seeks undergraduate study or a graduate theological degree. In the school's reported first-time undergraduate admissions criteria, recommendations are required, while SAT and ACT scores are neither required nor recommended.

Those undergraduate criteria list high school GPA, school records and English-language testing among factors that may be considered but are not required. They should not be applied automatically to graduate applicants. A prospective graduate student should use the instructions for the intended degree to confirm the required application, prior-degree documentation, transcripts, references and any written statements or program-specific materials.

The reported first-time undergraduate applicant group was small: 16 of 18 applicants were admitted, an acceptance rate of about 89%. With so few applicants, that percentage can shift substantially from year to year and says little about admission to a particular graduate program.

What are the application fees and waivers at Berkeley School of Theology?

Applicants should check the fee displayed for their specific Berkeley School of Theology application before submitting it. A fee for one degree or applicant category should not be assumed to apply to another.

Anyone for whom an application charge presents a barrier should ask admissions about a waiver before paying or submitting the application: waiver procedures may require advance approval and may not permit a refund afterward. An application fee is separate from tuition, required academic fees and any deposit requested after admission.

What types of ROTC programs are available at Berkeley School of Theology?

Berkeley School of Theology should not be treated as an ROTC host campus. Students interested in Army, Air Force or Navy ROTC should establish whether a nearby host unit permits enrollment by students at this school before making plans around that option.

Cross-enrollment, when offered, is not the same as an ROTC unit operated by the student's own institution. The host unit would need to confirm participation rules, course scheduling, scholarship eligibility and any resulting military service obligation; the theology school would need to confirm how ROTC courses fit the student's degree.

What are the requirements for transfer students at Berkeley School of Theology?

Transfer applicants should seek a program-specific evaluation from Berkeley School of Theology before assuming that previous coursework will count toward a degree. Admission to the school and acceptance of particular credits are separate decisions.

Applicants should be prepared to submit official records of prior college study and, where relevant, course descriptions or syllabi for credit review. The school reports accepting dual credit, but reports that it does not award credit for Advanced Placement exams or life experience. Those undergraduate credit policies do not establish how graduate theology courses will transfer. An official evaluation should identify accepted courses, how they apply to degree requirements and how much study must be completed through Berkeley School of Theology.

What types of study abroad programs are available at Berkeley School of Theology?

Students should not assume that a semester abroad is built into a Berkeley School of Theology degree. The useful question is whether a proposed international course, placement or partner program can satisfy a specific requirement in the student's curriculum.

Before committing to travel or paying a third-party provider, a student should obtain academic approval for the courses or field experience and ask how credits, supervision and financial aid would work. International ministry experience and study abroad are not interchangeable: an experience may be valuable without carrying degree credit.