Admission Requirements

Applications for admission should be addressed to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Howard University, Washington, D.C. 20059.

Prospective students should state clearly the studies they have completed and the program of study they desire to take. Before final action can be taken on an application, the following information must be received:

1) A biographical statement, not exceeding 750 words, including;

a description of the applicant’s educational experience and an estimate of its contribution to the vocational decision which the application symbolizes; a statement of religious experience and a discussion of the factors or persons influencing the decision to enter the ministry [Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min. applicants)];

a statement of the applicant’s vocational goals and a description of the shape of his/her future ministry and service (M.Div. and D.Min. applicants); a listing of the factors which, or identification of persons who, influenced the decision to come to the Howard University School of Divinity;

a sharing of the applicant’s expectations of the Howard University School of Divinity insofar as this relates to preparation for the chosen vocation;

2) A letter from a church official or other personally knowledgeable individual recommending the applicant for admission.

3) A letter of recommendation from a college professor, administrator, or other qualified person who the applicant believes is best able to attest to his/her ability to benefit from matriculation in the School of Divinity.

4) A third letter from one capable of attesting to the applicant’s professional commitment.

5) An official transcript of all formal studies to date.

6) An indication of all nonacademic continuing education experiences (for D.Min. applicants, the Doctoral Committee will determine at this point the feasibility of the applicant’s expectations, given available resources in the School of Divinity and other schools in the University). At the discretion of the appropriate committee, an interview with the applicant may be required.

Pre-Seminary Requirements

It is the judgment of the School of Divinity that a normative pattern of pre-seminary education will include many of the following subjects:

English language and literature;

history, including non-Western cultures as well as European and American;

philosophy, particularly its history and its methods;

natural sciences, both the physical and the life sciences;

social sciences, where psychology, sociology, and anthropology are particularly appropriate;

the fine arts and music, especially for their creative and symbolic values;

biblical and modern languages;

religion, both in the Judaeo-Christian and in the Near and Far Eastern traditions, as well as in the African and Latin American traditions.

It is the understanding gained in these fields rather than the total of credits or semester-hours which is significant.