To apply, please submit an application online. Here are the most important requirements:
• Completed, accredited, four-year bachelor’s degree
• Official transcripts submitted by postal mail or emailed to admissions@dts.edu, sent directly from your school. Copies sent by the applicant to DTS will be considered as unofficial.
• Four references
• $75 application fee
• TOEFL or IELTS scores
The demonstration of English proficiency is required of all applicants (1) for whom English is not their native or birth language or (2) who were not born in the United States of America. This applies even if you are a United States citizen, you have attended an American or English-speaking school, and/or you are a long-time resident of an English-speaking country.
NOTE: Test scores are only valid for two years. Please visit our English Proficiency page for more detailed information about the TOEFL and IELTS, including the minimum required scores for admission.
To be considered official, international transcripts must be sent by postal mail directly from your institution(s) or emailed directly from your school to admissions@dts.edu. Additionally, your transcripts must be in English and include all individual grades that you have received. The Admissions Committee requires an official transcript from every school at which you earned 12 credit hours or more.
If your school(s) is mailing a physical copy of your transcripts to DTS, please ask them to mail transcripts to:
DTS Admissions Office
3909 Swiss Ave
Dallas, TX 75204
You may choose one of the following options:
a) Pay with a credit card that issues in U.S. dollars. You can provide your credit card information online when you submit your application or from your student status page once you have completed the application. You can also call and provide your credit card information over the phone.
b) Send a cashier’s check or money order in U.S. dollars (these can be arranged at many supermarkets or any bank). NOTE: We do not accept bank drafts, and we cannot provide a routing number for our institution.
c) Someone you know can pay the application fee on your behalf using a check, cash, or credit card that issues in U.S. dollars. They can provide payment either over the phone by calling 214-887-5040 or online. To arrange online payment with a credit card, visit your student status page and click “Submit Payment for 75.00 USD” at the top of the page. You can then copy and paste the URL and send it to the person submitting payment for you.
The only way to receive an application fee waiver is to visit one of our campuses (in Dallas, Houston, or Washington, D.C.) or attend a Seminary Preview Day. To schedule a visit or attend an upcoming event, please submit a request on our Visit page.
If you complete a Virtual Campus Visit with one of our admissions counselors over Zoom, you’ll receive a waiver code from them once your visit is complete.
NOTE: DTS is unable to provide tourist visas or travel funds for a campus visit.
In rare cases, if you hold a 3-year accredited bachelor’s degree or you did not complete an accredited bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible to apply for a DTS Ministry Master’s Degree. To qualify, you must be at least 30 years old, demonstrate significant ministry experience, and submit satisfactory scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Please visit our Assessment Test website for more information about this requirement.
NOTE: Some 3-year bachelor’s degrees are considered equivalent to a 4-year degree from the United States. Please email our office at internationaladmissions@dts.edu to confirm your eligibility before you schedule an assessment test.
If you completed a four-year bachelor’s degree and your academic record is below a 2.5 cumulative GPA, you will need to submit satisfactory scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) in addition to the regular application requirements. You can find more information about these tests on our Assessment Test website.
Financial aid is only available for international students studying full-time on the Dallas campus. To apply for a scholarship, you must submit your application for admission and all supporting documents by January 15. Additionally, your application must be approved by the Admissions Committee by January 30. This will allow you to apply for a scholarship by the January 31 financial aid deadline. Financial aid is awarded to new international students only in the fall. You may begin classes in the spring, but you would not be eligible for financial aid until the next fall semester.
Students receiving an international student scholarship are required to return to their home country upon completion of their studies. Scholarships cover the cost of tuition, books, and fees. Additional scholarship money may be provided to cover some of a student’s living expenses for the first year only. Living expenses for family members are not covered by scholarships. Please be aware that you will be responsible for any living expenses not covered by scholarships.
For the 2022-2023 school year, tuition is $638 per credit hour for a full-time student. International students must be enrolled in at least 9 credit hours per semester, which means the cost per semester for tuition is at minimum approximately $6,000. Additionally, you will be responsible for nearly $300 in fees each semester that you are taking courses, and books may cost $200 or more each semester.
If your application is approved, the International Student Office will inform you of the financial documentation required to obtain a student visa. The following chart shows the estimated cost for 12 months of study at DTS. These costs reflect first-year initial expenses and vary by size of household, type of visa, and level of program.
2018-2019 Estimate of Annual Cost of Living for Typical Master’s Level F-1 Students
Status | Children | Living Expenses | Tuition/Books/Fees | Total |
Single | N/A | $18,986 | $14,894 | $33,880 |
Married | None | $31,096 | $14,894 | $45,990 |
Married | 1 | $37,182 | $14,894 | $52,076 |
Married | 2 | $42,377 | $14,894 | $57,271 |
Married | 3 | $50,065 | $14,894 | $64,959 |
Married | 4 | $56,289 | $14,894 | $71,183 |
Married | 5 | $62,319 | $14,894 | $77,213 |
NOTE: In order to receive a student visa from the government, you must prove finances for one year of study.
DTS offers many degrees that are designed to prepare students for a variety of ministry opportunities. You can see a full listing of your options on our Degrees page.
NOTE: F-1 visas cannot be issued for the Certificate of Graduate Studies or Master of Biblical & Theological Studies programs.
Many seminaries offer a 3-year MDiv degree, after which students can earn a Master of Theology (ThM) by studying for an additional year. DTS offers a unique 4-year Master of Theology (ThM) degree that includes essential courses in systematic and historical theology, Bible exposition, preaching, Hebrew and Old Testament exegesis, and Greek and New Testament exegesis. Students who have earned a 3-year MDiv at another institution may still attend DTS for an additional year of study, but at DTS this degree is called a Master of Sacred Theology (STM).
DTS offers many fully online programs! All of our programs can be completed fully from a distance except for the Master of Theology (ThM) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
NOTE: These online degrees are not designed to prepare students for full-time ministry positions. Additionally, F-1 visas cannot be issued for the Certificate of Graduate Studies or Master of Biblical & Theological Studies programs.
No, unfortunately DTS does not offer remedial English courses.
Housing rates in Dallas generally range from $900-$1,400 a month. DTS offers student housing for single and married students. Please see the DTS Housing page for current on-campus rates. Prospective students can apply for housing only after they have received final approval of their application.
After arriving at DTS, students on an F-1 visa are eligible to apply for a Social Security card only after being hired for on-campus employment. F-1 students are only authorized to work on-campus, and employment can begin up to 30 days prior to the start of classes. Please do not apply for employment until you have arrived on campus, and all inquiries regarding on-campus employment should be directed to the Human Resources Office. On-campus employment is often available at the Dallas campus, but openings are limited. Unfortunately, on-campus employment cannot be counted as support when documenting your finances to attend seminary. For more information, please review the International Student Office Employment page.
F-1 students are required to have DTS-approved health insurance, so please consider this when you are estimating your expenses. Please submit documentary proof of your insurance, its explanations, program information, and proof of the U.S. office address to the Benefits Officer in the Human Resources Office at DTS. Alternatively, DTS offers an affordable insurance option that most students choose. Please remember that travel insurance normally has a restricted period of use.
NOTE: Only non-married students are eligible to use health insurance that is based outside the United States.
Please view the information about relocating to the US with children compiled by the International Student Office. For information about school districts and options for Christian schools, please visit our Housing and Relocation website.
The warmest months are June through September. Here are those average temperatures:
June: 33°C (92°F)
July: 35°C (96°F)
August: 36°C (97°F)
September: 32°C (90°F)
The coldest months are November through February. Here are those average temperatures:
December: 15°C (60°F)
January: 15°C (59°F)
February: 17°C (63°F)
If you have a question that we have not answered here, or if there is anything additional that we can help you with, please contact us at internationaladmissions@dts.edu.
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