Orientation and Welcome Events
You are invited to attend orientation at the campus closest to you. Dallas, Houston, and Washington, DC each host a live orientation each fall and spring. If you study at an extension site or online, you are encouraged to attend the closest live event or watch the orientation videos, including a live-streaming welcome session.
If you have questions about anything on this page, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Admissions Counselor.
Dallas | Houston | Washington, DC | Online & Extension |
| Friday, January 10, 2020 8:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Saturday, January 11, 2020 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Saturday, January 11, 2020 8:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Anytime |
First Steps as a Student
As a new DTS student, do the following to prepare for your studies.
As a DTS student, you will use OneLogin (dts.onelogin.com) to access all of our websites. 1-2 days after you are accepted, you will receive a link to create your OneLogin password. If you have any trouble, you can click the “Reset Password” link.
- www.dts.edu – use the person icon in the upper right to access all the DTS websites
- students.dts.edu – use this web page to register for classes, pay your bill, apply for scholarships, know important dates and more
- library.dts.edu – use this web page to search books at DTS libraries or online and to download templates for DTS papers
- online.dts.edu – find all of your course materials (videos, submit assignments) on this web page
- DTS Technology – find information about wifi, requesting a @dallasseminary.edu address, and online requirements here
IMPORTANT: Your invitation to OneLogin expires after eight hours. Please log in as soon as possible. If it expires, please contact Admissions and we will resend it to you.
We’re excited for you to take your first classes! Most master’s students will need to register for introductory courses like BE101, ST101, and PM105 in their first semester. Beginning in Fall 2020, these course numbers change to BE5101, ST5101, and PM5101.
Reach out to your Admissions Counselor for input on your first semester classes. After your first semester, your Academic Advisor will walk you through the remainder of your degree program.
Below are some tools to help you plan your first semester:
- DTS Course Schedule – shows all available classes and lets you filter by your local campus
- Degree Plan Examples – examples of how to complete your degree part-time or full-time
- Transfer and Advanced Standing – information on how to test out of courses before you begin
- Time Management Calculator – a tool to help you plan out your time in a typical semester
- Important Dates – find out important dates like registration dates and payment deadlines
Registration Deadlines for New Masters Students
- April 1 – Summer Courses
- July 1 – Fall Courses
- November 1 – Spring and Winter Courses
If you are accepted after these dates, you have a two week window to register for courses without incurring a late fee or other delays.
Academic Advising Introduction
The mission of Spiritual Formation at Dallas Theological Seminary is to help servant-leaders pursue Christlikeness. This two-year small group program is required for the following degrees:
- Master of Theology (ThM)
- MA in (NT, OT, or TS major)
- MA in Bible Exegesis and Linguistics (MABEL)
- MA in Cross-Cultural Ministries (MACM)
- MA in Christian Leadership (MACL)
- MA in Christian Education (MACE)
- MA in Media Arts and Worship (MAMW)
- Master of Arts in Christian Studies (MACS) degree programs
Spiritual Formation begins each fall and continues for four consecutive semesters (Fall-Spring, Fall-Spring) during your residential studies on either the Dallas, Houston, or Washington DC, campus. Students studying at Dallas, Houston, or Washington DC, should begin Spiritual Formation their first fall semester.
MABEL students – Spiritual Formation is completed through SF245 on the Dallas campus only. SF245 begins each fall semester (see course schedule). Please contact the Spiritual Formation office for more information (https://students.dts.edu/studentlife/spiritual-formation/).
Extension students – Students who do not plan to move to Dallas, Houston, or Washington DC to complete their residential studies can request to complete Spiritual Formation through the SF110 Mentored Spiritual Formation format. SF110 is approved on a case-by-case basis, upon review of an application, and as space permits. See detailed information about SF110 Mentored Spiritual Formation at https://students.dts.edu/studentlife/spiritual-formation/sf110-mentored-spiritual-formation/.
MBTS students – Currently, Spiritual Formation is not a requirement for the MBTS degree, but any student who later reclassifies to a degree which requires Spiritual Formation will have to fulfill this requirement (even if it delays graduation).
MABC students – Currently, Spiritual Formation is not a requirement for the MABC degree, but any student who later reclassifies to a degree which requires Spiritual Formation will have to fulfill this requirement (even if it delays graduation).
Spiritual Formation is a required course, so failure to satisfactorily complete this requirement will delay your graduation date.
Every entering student must fill out and submit the SF Intention form (https://students.dts.edu/studentlife/spiritual-formation/spiritual-formation-intention-form-2/) regardless of their degree program requirements. After reviewing your degree program, please affirm that you understand and are willing to abide by the Spiritual Formation requirements as mandated by the Seminary and stated in the catalog. For more information on the Spiritual Formation program, please visit https://students.dts.edu/studentlife/spiritual-formation/.
DTS donors make more than $4 million in scholarship dollars available every year which helps ensure that very few students need to take out student loans.
US Students
The requirements for need-based scholarships for US students are:
- maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or above
- being in the ThM, MABC, MABEL, MACE, MACM, MACL, or MAMW programs
- maintaining a job while in school
- Dallas and Online students need to take 9+ hours, Houston and Washington, DC students need to take 6+ hours
The deadlines for need-based scholarships for new US students are:
- May 1 for Fall courses
- November 1 for Spring courses
Apply for Need-based Scholarships
Additional Resources
International Students
If you are an international student studying on a visa, you will need to prove funding for your first year of studies in the United States as part of the visa process. Once you have started taking classes in the United States, you may then apply for scholarships for your second year of studies. More information will be communicated to you during the visa process.
Introduction from Financial Aid
Show your friends (and local movie theaters) that you’re part of the DTS family with your DTS student ID.
Just upload a good photo, and we’ll mail it to you a few weeks into the semester.
It’s time to start digging deep into God’s word.
About 7 weeks before your first semester, you’ll receive an email from Faithlife (the company that makes Logos Bible Software) telling you that your Logos license and additional books have been unlocked. For now, you can install the free version:
Also check out future training opportunities to use this new powerful study tool
Upcoming Logos Bible Software Training Opportunities
If you have questions about Logos Bible Software, feel free to reach out to Chris McMaster at chris.mcmaster@faithlife.com.
Student Handbook
Make sure you take a look at the DTS Student Handbook to know important policies of the seminary:
Student Portal
Then take some time to explore the Student Portal (students.dts.edu) for everything you need to know as a students. This website is really your one stop for things like student events, academic advising, financial aid, and so on.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, please email studentlife@dts.edu and we will be happy to help.
Dallas Campus students have a few additional things that may apply to them:
- Find your DTS Folder Number – for professors to return papers
- DTS Parking Sticker – if you plan to drive to campus
- Find Housing – live on campus or get help finding off-campus housing
Check out the DTS Job Board for ministry work and other jobs in the Dallas, Houston, or Washington DC area.
International Students make sure you know the work authorization requirements for your visa.
You can sign up for weather/emergency texts related to your campus, and you can also receive texts related to deadlines and other events on campus.
Before School Starts
Before your first semester begins, there are a few additional steps we’d like you to take to be prepared for your first semester. These are required of all incoming students.
Additional instructions will be provided in a separate New Student Assessment course you will be invited to in our online learning platform (online.dts.edu). Failure to complete these assessments be the due date in the New Student Assessment course (usually within the first month of classes in the Fall or Spring Semester) will result in a registration hold on your account the following semester.
We would encourage you to get a jump start on the assessments before you get deep into the semester.
The staff of the Division of Student Life want to help you succeed. An online psychological assessment is administered to each entering student for the purpose of assessing for personal struggles that could be detrimental to academic studies and future ministries. We encourage you to complete it as soon as possible. After the assessment, you may be contacted confidentially to review your results and discuss services that could be helpful to you.
The assessment should take about 15 minutes to complete. Please take the assessment alone in one sitting in a quiet place with minimal distractions. To begin, please use the link and session code below and then follow the directions on the screen.
Begin Assessment (code: VhlSOCasRH)
Note: The assessment will ask for the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do not have a Social Security number issued by the US Government, you can just use the last four digits of your DTS Student ID.
You will be added to a New Student Assessment course in our online learning platform (online,dts.edu) the week before classes start in the Fall or Spring Semester. In that course you will be asked if you have completed this assessment. You will indicate your completion of this assessment there in the New Student Assessment course. We will not be automatically notified if you have completed this assessment unless you tell us.
What is the TBTK?
The Test of Biblical and Theological Knowledge (TBTK), which you’ll take here at the beginning of your program and again when you graduate, helps DTS assess itself and see how well we are teaching key material.
That means the TBTK is not a test of how much you know now, but of how much your biblical and theological knowledge increases throughout your time at DTS. DTS does not look at your individual score, it only compares aggregate data on incoming and graduating classes.
When is the TBTK Offered?
- Spring or Fall Starting Students – If you are starting your seminary classes in the spring or fall semester, you will take the TBTK during your first month of classes. You will receive an invite to take this assessment through the DTS online learning platform (online.dts.edu).
- Summer Starting Students – If you are starting your seminary classes in the summer semester, you will take the TBTK during your first month of classes in the following fall semester. You will receive an invite to take this assessment the following fall semester through the DTS online learning platform (online.dts.edu).
What is the Test Like?
This test is a closed Bible, closed book assessment that is to be taken by yourself without any help.
This test is 150 questions – 75 Bible and 75 theology.
There is a time limit of 75 minutes which starts once you proceed. This gives you an average of 30 seconds per question.
DTS and Ministry Safe have partnered to offer Sexual Abuse Awareness Training. This proactive education seeks to equip current students and DTS alumni with a clear understanding of child sexual abuse, sexual abusers, effective preventative protocols, a compassionate model of care addressing the needs of abuse survivors, and an appropriate response to abuse allegations arising in church and ministry environments.
You will be asked some basic info to get you registered on the Ministry Safe training site:
- Under Employee/Volunteer, select “Volunteer”
- Under Type of Training, select “Sexual Abuse Awareness Training”
Once you complete the Ministry Safe training (which will take you about an hour to complete), there is a brief quiz on the Ministry Safe training website. After you complete this quiz with a passing score, you will receive a certificate on the Ministry Safe training website.
You will be added to a New Student Assessment course in our online learning platform (online,dts.edu) the week before classes start in the Fall or Spring Semester. In that course you will be asked to upload a copy of your Ministry Safe certificate to the New Student Assessment course. We will not be automatically notified if you have completed this assessment unless you tell us.
Note: If you have previously completed Ministry Safe at your church or your place of service, you can simply upload a copy of your certificate from your previous training.
DTS is committed to maintaining an environment conducive to learning for all students and a professional workplace for its employees. As such we take active measures against discriminatory harassment and sexual harassment, including any type of violence or misconduct.
Please watch this twelve minute video before you start classes:
Our entire policy can be read at www.dts.edu/title-ix
You will be added to a New Student Assessment course in our online learning platform (online,dts.edu) the week before classes start in the Fall or Spring Semester. In that course you will be asked to complete a brief quiz based on this video. Once you complete the quiz in the New Student Assessment course, you will have fulfilled this requirement.
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