Crystal H. Weston
  Recruitment & Marketing Director

How to Apply

Welcome!  We are excited about your interest in our master's degree programs. Congratulations on getting to this place in your discernment process. See Applying to Starr King Degree Programs below for application procedures.

We recognize that you may still be deciding whether, when and where to attend seminary.  We know it takes time to work out the details in your heart and mind.  No worries. We welcome your inquiries throughout your discernment process.

As your first point of contact, I am happy to assess the fit between your interests and our offerings. I’ll schedule your tour and class visit, or initiate a meeting between you and a student faculty member, or grad. In answering your questions, I will also seek out information that will help you make informed decisions and aid in your initial steps toward the application.

For the fastest response, email me at cweston@sksm.edu to get the conversation started.  If you would prefer to speak by phone, I am reachable at (510) 549-4708.

Stay Connected!

Before you make contact or after we’ve begun to engage, there are several ways to stay abreast of our vast offerings.  We recommend that you leverage them all:

1. The Starr King Snapshot and Message from the President monthly newsletters, click here to sign up and conveniently receive them in your inbox;
2. If you are on Facebook, join our Starr King Facebook Fan Page for real-time updates and opportunities;
3. The next time you are watching your favorite video, subscribe to our YouTube Channel for direct access to our latest viewable media;
4. Right here at sksm.edu, listen to our audio podcasts and visit our News & Events page for exciting developments in a variety of formats.
5. Student Blog. Created by, for, and about Starr King's students: http://studio.sksm.edu/category/student-life-blog/

As always, feel free to email me as frequently as necessary with your questions.

Sincerely,

Crystal H. Weston
Recruitment, Marketing, and Communications Director

Applying to Starr King Degree Programs:

Master of Divinity (MDiv)
&
Master of Arts in Religious Leadership
for Social Change (MASC)

See Application Deadlines below.

STEP 1

To apply to our Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in Social Change program email the Admissions Coordinator at sksmadmissions@sksm.edu requesting an application. State your chosen degree program; include your postal mail and other contact information. The Admissions Coordinator will send you an application.

STEP 2

 Your application contains the following elements:

• meet an application deadline: December 1 for Spring or Fall admissions; March 1 or May 1 for Fall admissions
• application form
• autobiographical statement
• essay questions
• academic transcripts
• five letters of reference: one from your minister or religious leader, one from an employer, one from a teacher and two of your choosing
• a conversation between you and a member of the admissions committee
• a non-refundable $65 application fee

Starr King is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.

Admittance to the M.Div. and M.A.S.C. programs may be for the Fall or Spring semesters. You must attend orientation before you begin. 

The application deadlines for Fall 2012 admission:

• March 1, 2012
• May 1, 2012

Master of Arts:
Graduate Theological Union (GTU)

This degree program is conferred by the Graduate Theological Union.  It is also known as the Common M.A. because it is offered in cooperation with the nine member schools of the GTU.  You are required to affiliate with a member school, such as Starr King, or a participating academic center or institute. The primary academic base for your M.A. is your chosen school of affiliation.

The Common M.A. provides 

• an opportunity to explore and enrich assumptions about theological and ethical issues inherent in life and work
• an academic structure for personal, sustained inquiry into theological questions
• a high level of competence in a specific area of study preparing you for doctoral studies

Application requirements include

• meet an application deadline: Feb. 15 for Fall enrollment or Sept. 30 for Spring enrollment
• a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• an academic statement of purpose
• three academic letters of recommendation
• academic transcripts
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores taken no more than five years before applying
• non-refundable $40 application fee.

Admission to the M.A. program is by joint approval of the GTU admissions committee and the Starr King M.A. Admissions Committee.
To apply to the GTU Common Master of Arts program, contact Kathleen Kook, Graduate Theological Associate Dean for Admissions. Starr King admits Common M.A. students for the Fall and Spring semesters.  M.A. students are expected to participate in the next available Starr King orientation. 

Click for SKSM transfer policies.

Click to view the Starr King catalog in PDF format. (Note: Seminary for the Laity certificate program is no longer offered.)