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How to Apply

Application Steps

  1. If you intend to be rostered in the ELCA (required for becoming a pastor or deacon in the ELCA), contact the candidacy committee in your home synod as soon as you start considering seminary.
  2. Review the Application Requirements listed below.
  3. Review the Standards for Admission on the page for your intended degree program.
  4. Submit a completed application and all supporting information.

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Contact Us

If you have questions at any time, please contact the Admissions Office at (510) 559-2730 or admissions@plts.edu

 

Requirements

For PLTS Master's and Certificate Programs:

A completed degree program or non-degree program application form is required for all PLTS applications. To have a paper copy mailed to you, please contact our Admissions Office at (510) 559-2730 or admissions@plts.edu.

MDiv and MA in Spirituality and Social Change

  1. A completed degree program application form.
  2. Official transcripts sent to PLTS for all undergraduate and graduate study.
  3. Identify three people who will provide a recommendation for you :  1)  Pastor from your congregation or college setting, whoever knows you best.  2)  Professor with whom you did work in your major discipline.  3) Current or former employer. 
  4. A brief personal statement. Please discuss in 3 to 5 double-spaced pages the events and factors that have formed your Christian faith. Include an account of the significant factors in your childhood and family life, a brief statement of your personal faith and theological convictions, and a short description of your vocational goals and principle reasons for pursuing this degree. In the body of your essay or in a separate paragraph articulate how you resonate with the PLTS orienting perspectives: nurturing a life-giving relationship with God; intellectual engagement with Scripture, faith traditions, and the world; faithful social transformation; and learning through a socio-ecological lens.
  5. Pay the application fee of $30.00 online through your application portal. The payment option will become available once you have completed and submitted the application.

Note: If you are applying as a transfer student, please scroll to the MDiv Transfer Students section below to find information on the transfer student application process. 

Submit these materials, together or as they are available.

By mail:
Admissions Office
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
2000 Center Street, Suite 200
Berkeley, CA 94704

By email: admissions@plts.edu

We will notify you when your application file is complete and then again when the Admissions Committee has taken action on your file. If you have questions at any step of the process, please don’t hesitate to contact Admissions Office at (510) 559-2730 or admissions@plts.edu

Certificate of Advanced Theological Studies - "Lutheran Year"

For candidates who intend to complete their ELCA year of residency at PLTS, whether taking courses in-person or online. The following application requirements apply to those who have already completed an MDiv, or similar degree, at a non-ELCA seminary. Contact the Admissions Office for more information on how to affiliate with PLTS while you are studying at a non-ELCA seminary.  

  1. A completed degree program application form.
  2. An official transcript from your current school.
  3. Identify one professor at your seminary or divinity school who will provide a recommendation for you. List only a professor on the reference portion of the application form. The admissions office will contact your reference and supply that person with the appropriate form.
  4. A brief personal statement describing your study plans and vocational goals while at PLTS.
  5. Pay the application fee of $30.00 online through your application portal. The payment option will become available once you have completed and submitted the application.

MDiv Transfer Students

For those transferring to PLTS from another seminary. Up to 9 credits may be transferred. 

  1. A completed degree program application form.
  2. Official transcripts sent to PLTS for all undergraduate and graduate study.
  3. Identify one professor at your seminary or divinity school who will provide a recommendation for you. List only a professor on the reference portion of the application form. The admissions office will contact your reference and supply that person with the appropriate form.
  4. A letter of honorable dismissal from the dean or registrar at your current seminary.
  5. Pay the application fee of $30.00 online through your application portal. The payment option will become available once you have completed and submitted the application.
  6. A brief personal statement describing your study plans and vocational goals while at PLTS.

Auditor or Non-Degree Students

For those who are interested in taking PLTS classes without being enrolled in a degree or certificate program. This application process may apply to you if you are exploring what program is right for you, if you are interested in only taking a class or two, if you are preparing for another degree program, or if you want to augment your current discipline with a bit of theology. 

  1. A completed Auditor or Non-Degree Application.
  2. Additional materials may be requested from the applicant prior to an admissions decision being made.
  3. In general, applicants are expected to have a baccalaureate or graduate degree.
Admission Standards

Admission standards vary for each of our degree programs, but include common elements such as the completion of a bachelor’s degree, academic ability, and appropriate background in pre-theological study. Before applying you should check if there are requirements specific to your degree or certificate program:

General Candidacy Requirements

For students who are candidates for ordination in the ELCA, PLTS follows the procedures for candidacy prepared by the ELCA.

View the General Candidacy Requirements

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