FAQs

• Mdiv: Most of our students work, have partners, families, and lead full lives. Most students average 4 years.
• MASC: 2 years
• MA: 2 years

No, for the MDiv and MASC degrees.  Yes, for the Common MA.

You can pursue your degree mostly online through our flexible low-residency option: 22.5 of the 90 credits for the MDiv and 12 of the 48 credits for the MASC degree must be completed in-residence. Courses for any given academic year are scheduled one year ahead, for your planning ease.

You will be prepared to assume a professional role in institutions and organizations that work for progressive social change. The employment field includes non-profit organizations, social service agencies, political action organizations, administrative and leadership positions in denominational bodies and religious associations, church staffs, educational programs, health organizations, community centers, interfaith organizations and research institutes. Learn how recent MASC grads are applying their degrees.

Yes, email recruitment@sksm.edu to make the request. In the interim, listen to an audio podcast of two Starr King students discussing what excites them about the Master of Arts in Social Change degree program; what drew them to the academic community; and what they learned in the required course, Educating to Counter Oppressions to Create Just and Sustainable Communities.

Yes.  The option to study online before matriculating gives you a chance to experience our courses and our institution, as we support your discernment of both path and call.  Should you be accepted into Starr King’s degree programs, financial credit for up to six online courses taken within seven years prior, as a Starr King Special Student, will transfer towards the completion of your MDiv and the MASC degrees.  In-residence academic credit earned at any GTU school, regardless of when earned, will apply towards your degree.

 Hugo Cordova Quero, Director of Online Education, hquero@sksm.edu.

1. Regular access to a computer with broadband internet capabilities;
2. Internet Explorer or Firefox browser (Firefox strongly recommended. Safari is presently incompatible with Moodle.); and
3. Latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader;
4. An audio/video player (some courses incorporate audio or video and most computers come with players.  They also can be downloaded for free from Windows, Apple, and elsewhere. See SKSM Online Education Technical Support for more information.

Most online class discussions happen in discussion boards where class participants engage each other through chat correspondence. These are asynchronous and you discuss readings and course content according to your own schedule. Live time, however, is encouraged. Skype is primarily used; Google Hangouts and freeconference.com are also utilized. Individual instructors decide and most poll the students for best times.

Yes, you can, through low residency student cohort groups and the all-school symposium.

Student Cohort Groups: recent graduates provide leadership and guidance to ensure group check-ins, reflection, and community accountability in geographic locations where low-residency students reside.  Cohort group members communicate regularly through various mediums and meet at the fall symposium.

Symposium: a gathering of the whole learning community, meaning interns return, faculty and staff who work in low residency modes would return, and, of course, low residency students return.  The first symposium is scheduled to take place in the late August (see Academic Calendar for dates).

This short video best explains the varied ways we teach, you learn, and how we form community:

Distance learning includes online courses and fieldwork, in the form of internships, chaplaincy residences, and other community-based placements.  At least 1/3 of our courses during any academic period are offered online.

About 20 graduate level full-semester online courses over a 36 month period, depending on the number of credits offered for each course.

Yes, via ramp.  Learn more about our accessibility expansion plans.

High residence courses can be semester-long during the Fall and Spring, week-long intensives during January, week-long intensives during August, day-long Saturday intensives, as well as domestic and international immersion learning opportunities that range from four days to two weeks.

Take contiguous courses in a concentrated period by moving to the Bay Area for one year. Or, spread them out during your tenure, a little at a time, and come to town for specific learning periods. Courses for any given academic year are scheduled one year ahead, for planning ease. If you live close enough, you take one 3 credit class per learning period: semester, intersession, or summer. Symposium, the annual three day all-school gathering, the Boston Immersion, and the General Assembly (UUA) Intensive offer 1.5 credits.

In-depth learning that takes place in the physical context of a congregational or community internship, a chaplaincy/clinical pastoral education program (CPE), or travel to a geographical social/culture/religious location.

Other GTU schools offer distance learning for individual courses, but Starr King is the only GTU school offering a low residence Master of Divinity Program. The Association of Theological Schools has approved fewer than 50% of its accredited schools for distance learning and Starr King is among them; 90 credits are required for the MDiv and 22.5 of them must be completed in high residence. They can be taken at Starr King or any entity within the GTU.  As a degree candidate, you may also cross register for courses at UC Berkeley, Holy Names University, and Mills College.

This is the official student status for community members who take courses at a GTU school, including Starr King, but who are not matriculating as a degree candidate at a GTU school, including Starr King.

No, please register during the registration period.

$1,989, as of the Summer of 2011.

Yes.  The option to study before matriculating as a degree candidate gives you a chance to experience a course and our institution. You may register as a Special Student, the official GTU designation for non-matriculating students. Special Students may take high residency courses or low residency courses. View course descriptions to select courses by type (online, residential, immersion or intensive).

Get more registration information.

In-residence academic credit earned at any GTU school within the past 7 years will apply towards your degree, but not financial credit.  Academic and financial credit for up to six Starr King online courses, taken from January 1, 2008 on, are transferable towards the completion of your degree program.

We do not allow auditors because we value the full contribution and participation of all course attendees.

Our certificates are used for the following purposes:

1. to supplement the education of UUs studying at non-UU seminaries who wish to be fellowshipped by the UUA;
2. to try out the seminary experience, while considering degree programs;
3. to provide continuing education to those who already have MDivs from non-UU seminaries;
4. to bolster the professional experience of lay leadership already working in religious environments;
5. and to enhance the job-readiness of those with second-career and other vocational aspirations.

There are no required courses that make up the UU certificate program. You can select courses with a specifically UU theme.  Program Director Rev. Dr. Meg Richardson is also willing to make suggestions.

Contact us at recruitment@sksm.edu to arrange a tour or class visit.

Any day that works with your schedule and that holds a class you would like to visit is best, but Tuesdays stand out as a great day to visit.  Student conceived, designed, produced, and led chapels/ritual arts services are held every Tuesday at 1pm.  Also, the director of the Master of Arts in Social Change program holds office hours on Tuesdays.

Monetary assistance offered to help meet your educational expenses. There are two broad categories:

1. gift aid, which includes grants, scholarships and stipends that do not have to be paid back and
2. self-help aid, loans, such as Stafford, which must be paid back. Work study is money earned from employment on campus or in non-profit organizations.

Starr King is a member of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) and the GTU Financial Aid Office apply through the GTU for government loans and work study.

U.S. citizen or permanent resident students can apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and your school’s supplemental application.

Each year the GTU Financial Aid Office, the administrative body that processes the financial aid application process for all GTU member school students, creates your student budget. The budget takes into account tuition, fees, books, living costs, your income, assets, and family size to determine your contribution. Financial need is determined by subtracting your contribution from the standard student budget. The difference between these two figures is your student need: STANDARD STUDENT BUDGET – YOUR CONTRIBUTION = YOUR NEED. The application deadline is April 1.  Get a head start by filling out a FAFSA form online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Government Aid: the GTU financial aid application process http://www.gtu.edu/admissions/financial-aid/financial-aid-how-to-apply

Starr King: Upon admission, you may apply to Starr King for need-based grants that generally range from $1,000 to $5,000. Contact sksmadmissions@sksm.edu
Unitarian Universalist Association: If you are considering ordination in the Unitarian Universalist denomination, visit https://www.uua.org/careers/ministers/becoming/scholarships for scholarship information.

www.gtu.edu: the GTU scholarship database https://scholarships.gtu.edu/

Your Denomination:  The denomination of your faith-based-organization may be a funding source.  Inquire directly.

New application forms are posted to the GTU Financial Aid website in mid-December each year http://www.gtu.edu/admissions/financial-aid/financial-aid-priority-deadlines. Visit the financial aid page on Starr King’s website directly for guidance related to need-based institutional grants.

Yes, this may affect your aid. Both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and the Starr King’s supplemental form must be filed before or postmarked by their respective deadlines.  Students who apply on time receive priority consideration in the award process.

Technically, yes.  However, it is not too late to apply.  The GTU processes Starr King’s student aid packages upon receipt. However, students who apply on time receive priority consideration in the award process.

Yes, you never know what you may qualify for, if you don’t apply. You may at least be considered eligible for the Stafford unsubsidized loan to help cover your educational expenses.

The unsubsidized Stafford Loan is a federal loan not awarded based on financial need. Unsubsidized means you are charged interest from loan disbursement until it is paid in full. You can pay this interest while matriculating and during grace and deferment periods, or you can allow it to accumulate.

Yes, if you are at least a part-time student. At Starr King, 6 to 8 credit hours taken in a given semester is considered a part-time status.

Up to $20,500 each academic year for the unsubsidized Stafford loan. Starting in the 2012-2013 academic year, subsidized federal loans will no longer be available to graduate students.

Of course it does and congratulations! Our students well-represent all decades of adulthood.  We have graduated octogenarians and currently have degree candidates in their 50s and 60s, as well as a healthy dose of those in their 20s and 30s. Check out our Experiencing Community page to see what you have in common with our students.

Read everything you can about the academic programs you are considering, talk to current students, and talk to practicing ministers, as well as MDiv graduates who choose to use their MDivs outside of a congregational setting.

Upon admittance, we work with you to secure your F-1 visa.  You are responsible for paying the I-901 fee, which is currently $200: http://gtu.edu/centersandaffiliates

Yes, from accredited Master of Divinity programs. Upon admittance, you may petition to have your credits assessed for transferability. Regardless of how many transfer credits are accepted, you must complete a minimum of two-years of study at Starr King.

Previous life experience and education are highly valued and taken into consideration during the admissions process.  On average, one-third to one-fourth of each entering class possesses at least one master’s degree and many more have significant public interest/public service experience; your scholastic and vocational achievements will enhance your experience here and make your presence a welcomed addition to the school. Academic credit for prior degrees earned, however, is not transferable toward an SKSM degree program. Academic credit for life experiences that take place during the course of your degree program matriculation at Starr King, in the form of independent study, special reading courses, and write-ups, is available.

With or without un undergraduate degree, we examine the totality of your academic, professional, and spiritual experiences, as demonstrated by your application. Additionally, you must demonstrate your ability to do graduate level work and be open to transformation.

There is one required course and eight thresholds.

ECO Core Intensive: Educating to “Create Just and Sustainable Communities that Counter Oppressions”. (As of this writing, the next course is offered during summer session in August 2013.) The earlier in the program you meet the ECO requirement, the better.  It is foundational for understanding our approach to theological education.

You must achieve competency in eight areas: pastor, prophet, preacher, scholar, counselor thea/ologian, teacher, artist.  You may use the entire menu of the GTU (9 seminaries and 11 academic centers of distinction, centers, programs, and affiliates to meet these thresholds.

Free cross-registration for one class each semester is available to degree candidates at the University of California, Berkeley, which is two blocks from Starr King. Master of Divinity students may take as many as six courses (one per semester) during a three-year MDiv program. MASC students may take as many as four courses (one per semester) during a two-year MASC program.

Our educational philosophy is multi-religious.  This pedagogy is inspired by Unitarian Universalist values. Student agency is a critical component of our educational philosophy. In collaboration with your advisor, you choose from the full menu of the GTU Course catalogue to determine what best meets the required academic thresholds, as well as your professional and spiritual needs.

Starr King graduates are eligible for a one credit discount on both high and low residency courses.

We do not extend the course discount courtesy to non-Starr King grads.

A clergyperson or lay person who provides pastoral services to a secular institution for the purpose of practicing within that institution.

Theological education occurring in clinical settings where ministry is being practiced, including hospitals, veterans’ facilities, hospices, psychiatric and community care facilities, workplaces, geriatric and rehabilitation centers, and congregational settings. The general activity performed by a chaplain includes crisis ministry, counseling, ritual, worship, education, help in ethical decision-making, staff support, clergy contact and community or religious institution coordination.

There are approximately 110 students enrolled in the school. On average, 20 degree candidates begin their program with us each Fall, with about 10-15 starting each Spring.  We are part of a community of 1,500 (students, faculty, administrators, staff) as a member school of the Graduate Theological Union.