Admission Requirements and Application

All applications will be reviewed by the International Ph.D. Committee (IPC), which includes representation from the University of Exeter and Hartford Seminary. Once approved by the IPC, the application will be forwarded to the University of Exeter for their approval.

Materials to be submitted by April 1:

1. Application and Fee ($100).
2. Personal Statement outlining the student’s reasons for applying to this program.
3. Research Proposal providing information on the potential topic of the dissertation (including area of study, objectives and hypotheses, methodology, sources). Please refer to the University of Exeter website for more detailed information regarding the details of the proposal. (http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/theology/postgraduate/researchprogrammes/...)
4. Official transcripts of all prior academic work.
5. A copy of the M.A. thesis or a major piece of academic writing.
6. Three academic recommendations.
7. Interviews with the proposed lead advisor at Hartford Seminary, the Program Director or Hartford Seminary’s Academic Dean.

Additionally, International Students must submit:

1. Documentation showing full financial support for the entire cost of the program.
2. Evidence of sufficient ability to work at this level in English (Generally, a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 600 (written version), 250 (computer version) or 100 (internet version) would satisfy this requirement.)

Please note that only the paper-based format is available for Ph.D. application. Application instructions and forms are available for download on our website at http://www.hartsem.edu/academic/PHD/admission.htm, or by contacting the Admissions Office at 860-509-9512.

All applicants will typically have a Master of Arts degree from Hartford Seminary, although those with Master of Arts degrees in Religious Studies programs from other schools will be considered. The work done at the Master’s level must have provided the applicant with significant experience in the proposed research area. Students without the necessary basis for advanced study will be required to complete a Graduate Certificate or Master of Arts degree at Hartford Seminary before being reviewed for admission into the Ph.D. program.

Initially, all students will be admitted to the Master of Philosophy program of the University of Exeter. After successful completion of the first year of the program and the required exams, as outlined below, students will be upgraded to the Doctor of Philosophy program. Part-time students will take exams and be eligible for upgrade to the Ph.D. program after two years.

Application Instructions

The application to the International Ph.D. program is based on the University of Exeter's regular graduate studies application. Since some of the terms are not standard to applications for U.S. schools we thought some explanation would be helpful.\

1. Most students will be required to do the transition year. Therefore although you are applying this year, your "Proposed Start Date" will be September 2013. (Box #1)
2. Please note that date of birth should be written in Day, Month, Year. (Box #2)
3. Under Academic Qualifications "Type of Qualification" would be your degree type for example: B.A., M.A., M.S.W., etc. (Box #4)
4. Professional Qualifications refers to certifications or professional exams and in most cases would not be applicable to the International Ph.D. program. Feel free to leave this section blank. (Box #5)
5. Work Experience only needs to be listed if it is directly related to the field of study you wish to pursue. (Box #6)
6. English Language: Unless previous advanced degrees have been done in English, international students should have a TOEFL score of at least 600 written or 250 computer. Documentation of this level of achievement should be included with the application. (Box #7)
7. References: Please list the name and address of each reference (referee). It is your responsibility to follow up with your references to make sure they have submitted a letter. (Box #11)
8. Feel free not to answer the question on which other institutions you have applied to. (Box #12)

There is a $100 non-refundable application fee that must be submitted with your application.

download the application in: Word .pdf*

Please make a copy of the completed application and all documents submitted for your records. Return your completed application to:

Hartford Seminary, Admission Office
77 Sherman Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06105
United States

*If you do not have Adobe Acrobat to download this document, you can obtain the free software at their web site.