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:

1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 60625

   If 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.

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