Meadville Theological School of Lombard College

What is the accreditation of Meadville Theological School of Lombard College?

Meadville Lombard Theological School is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools. This is accreditation of a theological school; it should not be confused with an applicant's eventual professional or denominational approval to serve as a minister.

Accreditation indicates that the school is evaluated against the accreditor's standards for theological education. It can matter when students seek financial aid or ask another institution to consider their coursework, but neither aid eligibility nor transfer of a particular course follows automatically from accreditation. Students pursuing ordination should also check the requirements of the religious body in which they hope to serve.

What are the admission requirements at Meadville Theological School of Lombard College?

Admission to Meadville Lombard is graduate admission, not first-year undergraduate admission. Applicants should follow the requirements for their intended degree rather than looking for freshman SAT, ACT, or high-school admissions criteria.

Graduate theological applications commonly require an application, records of prior college study, and materials explaining an applicant's preparation and goals. The exact required statements, references, academic prerequisites, English-language documentation, deadlines, and interview procedures must be checked against the school's current instructions for the chosen program. Applicants to the Master of Divinity should pay particular attention to whether their prior degree and intended ministry pathway meet both school and denominational expectations. The school does not operate as an open-admission undergraduate college.

What are the application fees and waivers at Meadville Theological School of Lombard College?

Applicants should check Meadville Lombard's current application instructions for any fee that applies to their specific graduate program. An application charge, if required, is separate from tuition, enrollment deposits, and later student fees.

Before submitting an application, a student for whom a fee would be a hardship should ask admissions whether a waiver is offered, who qualifies, and whether approval must be obtained before submission. Applicants should not assume that a fee or waiver policy advertised for another theological school applies here.

What types of ROTC programs are available at Meadville Theological School of Lombard College?

Meadville Lombard is a graduate theological school, and ROTC is not an established part of its academic offerings. Students should not assume that it operates an Army, Navy, or Air Force ROTC unit or has a cross-enrollment arrangement with another Chicago institution.

ROTC participation through a host university has its own enrollment, eligibility, scholarship, and service-commitment rules. Anyone considering that route alongside theological study would need confirmation from both the ROTC host and Meadville Lombard before making an academic or financial plan.

What are the requirements for transfer students at Meadville Theological School of Lombard College?

For Meadville Lombard applicants, "transfer" generally means asking whether prior graduate theological coursework can count toward a graduate degree. It is not the same process as transferring into a bachelor's program; reported undergraduate transfer-in enrollment was zero in 2024-25.

An applicant with previous seminary work should submit the records required for graduate admission and request a course-by-course evaluation against the intended program's requirements. Admission does not itself establish how many credits will transfer. The current catalog or registrar can clarify acceptable grades, course equivalencies, limits on transferred credit, and how much study must be completed through Meadville Lombard.

What types of study abroad programs are available at Meadville Theological School of Lombard College?

Students should distinguish Meadville Lombard's hybrid learning model from a formal study-abroad program. Studying remotely while living outside Chicago does not, by itself, mean that a course is an exchange, an international internship, or an approved overseas placement.

A student hoping to complete theological coursework or supervised practice abroad should obtain advance academic approval and clarify any placement supervision, travel, visa, insurance, and financial-aid implications. Those details are especially important when an international experience is meant to satisfy a professional degree requirement.