If you need additional time to submit your application, please contact admissions@sksm.edu to arrange a submission date based on your circumstances.
How to apply
Welcome! We are excited about your interest in our professional and scholastic degree programs. Congratulations on getting to this place in your spiritual discernment process. You may apply to the MDiv or MASC programs using the appropriate steps provided below. Learn more about our Certificates here.
We encourage early applications to allow time for admission committee review, financial aid, scholarship applications, and other planning. We use a rolling admissions process, with deadlines at the first of each month with a priority deadline and a final deadline. If applying for a scholarship, your application has priority consideration based on the earliest application received. Scholarship applications can be submitted after admissions application is completed.
Application Steps
Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) & Masters of Arts in Social Change (MASC)
Application Deadlines: Fall
Priority: *April 1
Final: June 1
*Applications received before April 1 will receive priority consideration for scholarships for the upcoming Academic Year.
Application Deadlines: Spring
Priority: *October 1
Final: December 1
*Applications received before October 1 will receive priority consideration for scholarships for the Spring semester they begin.
1. Apply
Please complete the online application. The application fee of $65.00 is required with your submission. The application includes three sections:
- Personal Information: Complete the personal Information section as completely as possible. Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
- References: Input complete contact information for three references, including a religious community leader, an educator/adviser, and a personal reference.
- Essay Uploads: Complete your Personal Essay Statements and an Autobiographical Statement and attach them to the space provided on your application. Please attach them in PDF format. We encourage you to review the questions asked in the Personal Essay.
2. Request Official Transcripts
From all institutions of higher education attended. We can admit a small percentage of students without a Bachelor’s Degree.
- Please send official electronic transcripts to the following email address: admissions@sksm.edu
- Please send official transcripts by regular mail to:
Starr King School for the Ministry
Attn: Admissions
414 13th St. Suite 700
Oakland, CA 94612
3. Applicant Interview
Once your application is complete the Admissions Office will schedule an Applicant Interview with you. The meeting is typically an hour. We can arrange a Zoom or Skype meeting with you. During the meeting, we will have the opportunity to get to know each other, discuss your motivations for applying to your program, and your commitment to Starr King’s Core Values.
4. Apply for Financial Aid
Financial Aid is awarded to those who qualify and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov. The SKSM federal school code is G04080. To find out more about financial aid, please click here.
5. Submit Intent to Start, Enrollment Agreement, and Deposit
- Please complete the intent to start via SurveyMonkey link that will be provided to you.
- Review and sign the Enrollment Agreement.
- Review and sign the current School Performance Fact Sheet included with Enrollment Agreement.
- Submit $200 deposit (refundable if the Enrollment Agreement is cancelled within seven days of signing or the first class session).
- Please send check or money order to:
Starr King School for the Ministry
Attn: Admissions
414 13th St. Suite 700
Oakland, CA 94612
As a prospective student, you are encouraged to review the SKSM Academic Catalog prior to signing an enrollment agreement. You are also encouraged to review the School Performance Fact Sheet, which must be provided to you prior to signing an enrollment agreement.
English Language Proficiency: Instruction at Starr King is conducted in English and the school does not provide English language tutoring or other services. Persons for whom English is a second language and who completed secondary education in a country where English is not the language of instruction must demonstrate proficiency by earning the required score on one of these exams prior to admission:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Minimum score of 6.5
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination: Minimum score of 80
- Duolingo English Test (DET): Minimum score of 115
If you have questions or need technical support completing the application please contact us at admissions@sksm.edu or call us at 510-902-3994.
You will receive an email within 3 business days confirming that your submission is complete. If you do not receive this confirmation, please contact us at admissions@sksm.edu.
Once the Admissions and Recruitment Office has all of these materials, your application will be considered complete, and it will be considered by the Admissions and Scholarship Committee. You will be notified by email when your application process is complete.
Starr King is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.
Admittance to the M.Div. and MASC programs may be for the Fall or Spring semesters. You must attend New Student Orientation online before you begin your degree program. Please see the Academic Calendar for Orientation dates.
Stay Connected!
There are several ways to stay in touch and engaged with Starr King:
- Join the Starr King email list! Click here or use the form in the teal box below.
- Like and follow us on Bluesky and/or LinkedIn for real-time updates and opportunities;
- The next time you are watching your favorite video, follow us on TikTok or subscribe to our YouTube Channel for direct access to our latest viewable media;
- Right here at sksm.edu, visit our News & Events page for exciting developments in a variety of formats.
Feel free to email admissions@sksm.edu with any questions.
Start your Application
If you have questions or need technical support completing the application,
please contact us at admissions@sksm.edu or call us at 510-902-3994.