ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The PhD program uses as a base the training that the students have obtained in the previous postgraduate program. This should provide a foundation for advanced research in biblical studies and a renewed commitment to sound biblical values ​​as taught by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

  1. It is preferable that the student has an academic master’s degree in biblical areas with a minimum GPA of 3.50 (in the 4.00 system) from an accredited seminary or institution that is recognized by IATS. The student must have obtained at least sixteen credits in the area of ​​specialization in which he/she is interested. The case of students with master’s degrees outside the field of biblical studies with a minimum GPA of 3.50 (in a 4.00 system) from an accredited Seminary or institution recognized by IATS, will be studied according to the affinity of their previous preparation together with program admission requirements.
  2. Applicants for admission must be actively involved in teaching and research, with a minimum of three years’ experience. Those who have not worked full-time in the teaching discipline must demonstrate their ability to teach, and during the program they will be involved in teaching.
  3. The student must present three satisfactory recommendations from specific persons: Dean of the Faculty of Theology where he/she last graduated; an administrator or the ministerial secretary of the Union, and an ordained pastor who is familiar with the experience and abilities of the applicant.  
  4. Submit your master’s thesis in the area for which you are applying (or a research thesis equivalent of approximately 70-100 pages), to show the ability to do research and write skillfully in order to meet academic standards.
  5. Write a five hundred word essay expressing your commitment to the Christian faith and to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its doctrines. This essay should express the student’s philosophical perspective on pursuing doctoral studies, the purpose of enrolling in the program, and an expression of the applicant’s values ​​and future plans as an academic.
  6. Request from the student’s previous institution of study, the transcripts of all degrees obtained. Transcripts should be sent directly to the IATS Admissions and Registration Address (in Miami, FL). Copies of transcripts or documents submitted by the student will not be accepted.
  7. You must be able to read in the modern languages ​​required by the program: Spanish, English and French (reading comprehension tests of biblical-theological material will be administered).
  8. Pass the exam “Linguistic Ability in Biblical Languages” (intermediate level) with no less than A- (90% on a scale of 100).
  9. You must have taken one of the following exams in the last six years: EXADEP or PAEP or GRE.
  10. Submit a Curriculum Vitae and supporting documents that certify the level of studies obtained since primary school, as well as information on any professional experience.
  11. Make payments for the administrative processing of the application for admission and for an identification card.
  12. To register, the student must be able to obtain an I-20 student visa to the United States (In-person classes will be offered in Puerto Rico, a US territory).