How To Apply

If you need additional time to submit your application due to COVID-19, please contact admissions@sksm.edu to arrange a submission date based on your circumstances.

Apply To Starr King

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, MASC, and MA degree programs or The Chaplaincy Institute (Chi) Joint Programs for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Direction using the appropriate steps provided below.

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. Your application fee is waived when you apply before the priority deadline. If applying for a scholarship, your application has priority consideration based on the earliest application received (Scholarship Applications are built into the Admissions Application).

Application Steps: Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) & Masters of Arts in Social Change (MASC)

Application Deadlines Fall 2021 Regular: March 15, 2021 Final: May 15, 2021

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
     PMB #9937
     5000 MacArthur Blvd.
     Oakland, CA 94613
3. Applicant Interview Once your application is complete the Admissions Office will schedule an Applicant Interview with you. The meeting is typically an hour. If you are local we recommend an in-person meeting on campus. If you are not local, 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 Deposit and Intent to Start Submit $200 non-refundable deposit and intent to start
   • Please complete the intent to start via SurveyMonkey link that will be provided to you.
   • Please send check or money order to:
     Starr King School for the Ministry
     Attn: Admissions
     PMB #9937
     5000 MacArthur Blvd.
     Oakland, CA 94613

If you have questions or need technical support completing the application please contact us at admissions@sksm.edu or call us at 510-430-3335.

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 M.A.S.C. programs may be for the Fall or Spring semesters. You must attend New Student Orientation in Berkeley before you begin your degree program. Please see the Academic Calendar for Orientation dates.

Chaplaincy and Spiritual Direction Joint Program Application Steps

Starr King & The Chaplaincy Institute

1. Complete Application: Complete all of the Application Steps for the MDIV or MASC degree programs.
2. Send a written request to admissions@sksm.edu requesting that Starr King application materials be forwarded to The Chaplaincy Institute.
3. Supplemental Essay Questions: Complete the appropriate 3 Supplemental Essay Questions at the bottom of the Essay Questions. Applicants who would like to apply to both The Chaplaincy and Spiritual Direction programs must complete all 6 Supplemental Essay Questions.  Please send to admissions@chaplaincyinstitute.org.
4. Make payment of ChI application fee of $65 online at:  chaplaincyinstitute.org/pay-online (note that payment is for joint program application).
5. Interview with The Chaplaincy Institute: Once ChI receives materials and fee, an interview will be scheduled.

Application Steps (MA)

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: See above for dates
• Non-refundable $65 application fee.
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• An autobiographical statement
• Three academic letters of recommendation
• Academic transcripts
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores taken no more than five years before applying

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 gtuadm@gtu.edu. 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.

See SKSM transfer policies.

Stay Connected!

Before you make contact or after we’ve begun to engage, there are several ways that we recommend to stay in touch with Starr King:

1. The Starr King Snapshot and Message from the President monthly newsletters, sign up and conveniently receive them in your inbox;
2. If you are on Facebook, join our Starr King Facebook 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.

As always, feel free to email admissions@sksm.edu as frequently as necessary with your questions.