The Seminary strives to facilitate a student’s transition from another seminary into the curriculum and program at Mid-America. Transcripts of previous seminary work and a catalog containing course descriptions from the previous institution must be presented to the Registrar prior to registration so that they may be evaluated individually. The Registrar may ask to examine course syllabi or other materials that demonstrate content and requirements of work for which transfer credit is requested.
Credit transfers and program placement are discussed with the student in an attempt to honor the work of other schools and be as flexible as possible. Master’s level course work that does not require the use of biblical languages will not be granted transfer credit toward any of Mid-America’s courses in the departments that require use of Hebrew and Greek.
Students seeking transfer credit from an unaccredited institution must supply a copy of the course syllabus and a sample of coursework for each course for which transfer credit is requested. Acceptance of transfer credit for one course from an unaccredited institution does not imply the acceptance of other courses from that institution.
Only courses with a grade of B or above will be considered for transfer credit. No transfer credit is granted for course work completed at the bachelor’s level. Competency exams may be offered occasionally (at reduced tuition rate). Sustaining such exams frees more hours for the student to pursue elective courses.
For students receiving educational benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Seminary will initiate a review of transcripts of any master’s level work in order to determine which and how many credits partially fulfill Mid-America’s requirements. All transferable coursework will be accepted into the student’s Mid-America program. The Registrar determines course equivalence on the basis of course descriptions, syllabi, prerequisites and requirements, and in consultation with the relevant instructors.
At least 36 semester units of courses, taken over a period of two years at Mid-America, are required of all candidates for the Master of Divinity degree. Although no transfer credit will be given for work which was previously used as a basis for a master’s degree from another institution, students holding a Master of Arts degree in biblical or theological studies or a Master of Arts in Religion degree from an accredited theological seminary may be granted advanced standing toward the Master of Divinity degree. Students who receive advanced standing must take at least 36 credits at Mid-America over a period of at least two academic years. If Hebrew or Greek courses are needed, those will be in addition to the 36 credits needed for the M.Div degree.
Masters of Theological Studies students may transfer in up to 16 semester units.