Certificate Applicants
North Park Theological Seminary offers six specialized graduate certificates that are each eight to 15 semester hours of graduate coursework in a particular area of ministry. Certificates are flexible; students are encouraged to work with an adviser to tailor course requirements. A certificate may stand alone for non-degree seeking students or can serve as a concentration within a degree program.
Prerequisite:
The prerequisite for entrance to a master’s degree or graduate certificate program at North Park Theological Seminary is a bachelor’s degree (or its academic equivalent) from an accredited college or university.
To Apply:
- Complete a certificate online application.
- Spiritual direction application; final deadline is March 31
- Urban ministry application; final deadline is April 30
- Transformative Justice application; priority deadline is March 31 for fall start or October 15 for a spring start.
- Application for Christian studies, congregational vitality, faith and health, foundational courses, intercultural studies, and youth ministry certificates; the priority deadline apply for the fall semester or to take courses in the summer is March 31; the priority deadline to begin studies in the spring semester is October 15
- Recommendations sent to North Park through your application portal. The reference forms and instructions will be emailed directly to the listed reference person.
- The spiritual direction and urban ministry certificate applications require two recommendations from non-family members who you trust to know your gifts, work, and potential in your particular field of ministry.
- Other certificate applications require one pastoral reference.
- Complete and submit the required essays.
- The spiritual direction and urban ministry certificate applications require two essays, as well as a bibliography of the readings you have done related to your area of ministry.
- Other certificate applications require one essay.
- Request official academic transcripts from each undergraduate, graduate, and professional institution you have attended. Schools should send sealed transcripts directly to North Park by mail or electronically to dataentry@northpark.edu :
North Park Theological Seminary Admissions
3225 W. Foster Ave., Box 19
Chicago, IL 60625If you have attended another seminary in the past five years without completing a degree, you will also need a letter of good standing from the dean of that institution.
Important: International students and students whose first language is not English have special requirements and may have an earlier application due date. Learn more.