Student Body
Admissions Information
Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia Beach is a graduate school of theology established to provide instruction in the Word of God and its related disciplines and to prepare men and women for effective ministry within the local church, both nationally and internationally.
CBTS, VA admits qualified applicants who are personally committed to faith in Jesus Christ. Applicants are accepted regardless of sex, race, color, national origin, or disability. Acceptance into the graduate programs of CBTS, VA is based upon academic and personal qualifications. Applicants are expected to understand the doctrinal position of the school and to willingly submit to its policies and procedures while enrolled as a student.
Applicants must be academically qualified to carry out the rigors of a graduate program. The graduate programs of CBTS, VA require a recognized bachelor’s degree for entrance. The Academic Dean and the admissions committee will evaluate all transcripts, references, interviews, and submitted essays to determine whether the applicant meets the standards and criteria for admission. CBTS, VA reserves the right to refuse admission to any applicant for any justifiable reason.
Seminary applicants should apply well in advance of the semester in which they intend to matriculate. Normally, an application takes approximately sixty days to process. Since an interview is an essential part of the application process, students are urged to begin the process well in advance of the intended semester of enrollment. You may download the catalog and click on admissions requirements for more detail.
Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia Beach considers international students for admission and welcomes the opportunity to address issues that affect international students. International students may contact the Seminary Office for an overview of the requirements.
Students who desire to transfer credit from other institutions will be considered on the basis of course grade and compatibility with the curriculum. Please contact the Seminary Office for more information.
Download a CBTS application in Adobe Acrobat PDF. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, please click here to download a free reader.
We look forward to receiving your application and invite you to contact us with any questions.
Admissions Criteria
Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia Beach offers a diploma, and three graduate degrees (Master of Biblical Studies, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology). Interested students are asked to complete the seminary application and submit it at least one month prior to registration for classes. The application can be downloaded from the seminary website (www.baptistseminary.edu) or received by regular mail or email upon request.
Central Seminary is willing to enroll students into degree programs whose theological positions differ from the mission and the doctrinal statement of the seminary. In order to nurture a positive learning environment, students who take exception to the mission and doctrinal position of the seminary must indicate in writing specific points of difference. In addition, they must indicate in writing a willingness to promote a positive learning experience both in and out of the classroom by a submissive and supportive manner of life. All students will be asked in faculty advising sessions to indicate in writing their understanding of and support of the seminary mission and theological position. The Theology Seminar taken prior to graduation offers all students the opportunity to express in writing and to defend orally the theological convictions of their conscience.
Diploma of Biblical Studies
Application Prerequisites for the Diploma of Biblical Studies
1. Applicants may not have completed or earned a Bachelor’s degree.
2. Applicants must give proof of a high school graduation by submitting a high school diploma, General Equivalency Diploma (GED), or equivalency. In the event that the applicant is a home school graduate he/she should submit a list of courses taken, work completed and any SAT or ACT test scores.
3. Applicants must be at least 30 years of age. Younger applicants are encouraged to complete an undergraduate degree program prior to seminary.
Application Requirements
1. Completed seminary application form and a non-refundable application fee made payable to CBTS. The application fee can be paid by cash, check, or credit card.
2. A church endorsement from the church of which the applicant is a member.
3. Four recommendations regarding the applicant’s character.
4. A written account (1-2 pages) documenting the applicant’s conversion, an overview of his/her spiritual life, call to ministry, and reasons for pursuing theological education.
5. A written account (1-2 pages) documenting the applicant’s Christian service experiences.
6. An interview with the Academic Dean.
7. Official high school transcript, General Equivalency Diploma (GED), or Home School test scores.
8. Complete the reading of The Handbook on Theology by Paul Enns and Basic Bible Interpretation by Roy Zuck. There will be an oral and or written test over the Systematic Theology section of The Handbook on Theology. Students are asked to contact the seminary to schedule the test.
Master of Biblical Studies and Master of Divinity
Application Prerequisites for the Master of Biblical Studies and the Master of Divinity
1. Applicants must have completed a four-year undergraduate degree or its equivalent from an accredited school. Applicants from non-accredited schools will be evaluated on an individual basis.
2. A minimum college cumulative grade point average of 2.4 (on a 4.0 scale). Applicants with a college cumulative grade point average below 2.4 (on a 4.0 scale) may be accepted on a probationary basis.
Application Requirements for the Master of Biblical Studies and the Master of Divinity
1. Completed seminary application form and a non-refundable application fee made payable to CBTS. The application fee can be paid by cash, check, or credit card.
2. A church endorsement from the church of which the applicant is a member.
3. Four recommendations regarding the applicant’s character.
4. A written account (1-2 pages) documenting the applicant’s conversion, an overview of his/her spiritual life, call to ministry, and reasons for pursuing theological education.
5. A written account (1-2 pages) documenting the applicant’s Christian service experiences.
6. An interview with the Academic Dean.
7. Official transcripts of all academic work beyond high school. Applicants who have not completed a degree program at the time of application must submit a partial transcript including the most recent semester completed for evaluation. Students will be provisionally accepted and not enrolled in a degree program. Provisionally accepted students will be allowed to take courses for two terms. Final transcripts, showing the awarding of a degree, will be required for continuation in the program. Transcripts must be mailed from the Registrar’s Office of the school the applicant attended to the CBTS, VA Office of the Registrar in order to be considered an official transcript.
8. Graduate Record Exam Scores, if the applicant has taken the GREs
9. Students without an undergraduate degree in Bible or without a Bible component to their degree must read The Handbook on Theology by Paul Enns and Basic Bible Interpretation by Roy Zuck. There will be an oral and or written test over the Systematic Theology section of The Handbook on Theology. Students are asked to contact the seminary to schedule the test.
The Master of Theology
Application Prerequisites for the Master of Theology Degree
1. Applicants must have completed a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent from an accredited seminary. Applicants from non-accredited seminaries will be considered on an individual basis.
2. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 (B-) on a 4.0 grading scale.
Application Requirements for the Master of Theology
1. Completed seminary application form and a non-refundable application fee made payable to CBTS. The application fee can be paid by cash, check, or credit card.
2. A church endorsement from the church of which the applicant is a member.
3. Four recommendations regarding the applicant’s character.
4. A written account (1-2 pages) documenting the applicant’s conversion, an overview of his/her spiritual life, call to ministry, and reasons for pursuing theological education.
5. A written account (1-2 pages) documenting the applicant’s Christian service experiences.
6. Official transcripts of all academic work beyond high school. Applicants who have not completed a Master of Divinity at the time of application must submit a partial transcript for evaluation. Students without a transcript will be provisionally accepted and will be allowed to take classes for up to two terms. Continuation in the program requires an official final transcript showing the completion of a Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent. Transcripts must be mailed from the Registrar’s Office of the school the applicant attended to the Office of the Registrar in order to be considered an official transcript.
7. An interview with the Academic Dean and the Director of the Master of Theology program.
8. Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia M.Div. Alumni may petition the faculty directly for admission to the Master of Theology Program.
9. Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia students with a minimum of 75 credit hours toward the Master of Divinity and with a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 (B-) may petition the faculty for provisional acceptance into the program and take Th.M. coursework simultaneously with M.Div. work. The faculty will review each request and vote upon the student’s provisional status as a student in the Th.M. program.
10. Graduate Record Exam Scores, if the applicant has taken the GREs
Admissions Status
Seminary applicants should apply well in advance of the semester in which they intend to matriculate. Normally, an application takes approximately 60 days to process. Since an interview is an essential part of the application process, students are urged to begin the process well in advance of the intended semester of enrollment.
It is the responsibility of the student to provide the seminary complete and accurate information. Once the student’s application is processed, the Academic Dean will inform the student of the seminary’s decision. One of the following situations could result.
Matriculated – Students who meet all the application requirements will be fully matriculated.
Matriculated, Probation – Students who do not meet the standard GPA/GRE requirements may be admitted with the understanding that the student’s matriculation status will be reviewed regularly. Once the probationary student shows a cumulative GPA of 2.3 during the completion of the first nine hours of graduate studies, the status may change from probationary to fully matriculated. Probationary students who do not achieve a 2.3 or higher GPA will not be allowed to continue in the programs at Central.
Delayed Admission – The student, for whatever reason, may choose not to enroll immediately. In this case, Central will keep the student’s application and acceptance status active for one year. After one year, if a student desires to matriculate in a forthcoming term, the student’s file must be updated. Updating student applications after a one-year period requires another payment of the application fee.
Provisional Admission – Students, whose files are incomplete at the time of matriculation, will be allowed to register for classes on a provisional basis. Provisionally admitted students may take classes for two terms (summer, fall, or spring).
Special Student Status—Students not making application to a program at Central may petition for special student status. Special student status is offered with a desire to benefit the larger body of Christ on a first-come, first-serve basis to the student who is enrolled in another graduate program or who desires to take an occasional class to further his or her knowledge of theology. The number of special students in a term is limited to 10% of the student population, so students under this status may be limited or deferred to a future term based on the number of students registered for classes.
Students requesting special status must complete an application.
Readmission – Students who withdraw from the seminary (officially or unofficially) for two academic years must submit a letter to the Academic Dean requesting permission to register for a forthcoming term. In addition, the student must update his or her file and provide a letter for the file indicating the reason(s) for the withdrawal period.
Admission to Another Degree Program – Central students, who complete one program and desire to enroll in another, must complete the following steps. First, make a written entry request to the Academic Dean. Second, submit to the Academic Dean a faculty recommendation and a pastoral endorsement. Finally, schedule an interview with the Dean and another faculty member. If the student is married, his or her spouse is encouraged to participate in the interview.