The faculty, staff, and students at North Park Theological Seminary value the richness and diversity that international students bring to the community. Approximately one-sixth of our student population is made up of students from countries outside the United States. The Admission Office is here to help you in the application process and in the transition to life in the United States and at North Park. If you are interested in studying at North Park Theological Seminary, please review the information below.

International Student Requirements

If you are an international student considering applying for admission to North Park Theological Seminary, you should be aware of the following requirements. In addition to the regular application requirements, international students must also do the following:

1. Submit an Affidavit of Financial Support.
The United States government requires that international students be able to show evidence of sufficient financial resources that will allow a year of study in the United States. The evidence must be shown before permission to enter the country is granted. This means international students need to show personal or family resources and/or sponsorship from friends, churches or scholarships that would permit them to pay for schooling and living expenses. This proof is recorded in an Affidavit of Financial Support. You may download this form from our web site, or you can find one with our application packet. More than one sponsor is allowed for each student.

Add an additional $7,844 to the total for each additional child to cover health insurance, food, rent, and personal expenses.

The grand totals assume only one spouse is taking courses.The tuition amount is based on an average of 16 semester hours of classes per year, and is the lowest number of semester hours a student can take and still be considered a full-time student. For international students to complete their program in the amount of time their visa permits, they will have to take more than 16 semester hours per year.\

International Student Financial Affidavit of Support, download here
All international students are required to submit this form verifying their ability to meet the financial requirements for studies at the Seminary. For other special requirements for international students, please read the information below carefully.

2. Submit a TOEFL score.
All international students for whom English is not their primary language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam (TOEFL), and have their scores sent directly to North Park from the testing agency. North Park's school code for the TOEFL exam is 1556. For more information, visit the TOEFL web site at www.toefl.org. The TOEFL is now administered in several formats.  Please check the table below for the minimum score requirements for immediate admission to a seminary degree program.  All students will be re-examined upon arrival in the United States by the director of the English as a Second Language program irrespective of original TOEFL scores.

Applicants who score below a 550 on the TOEFL may seek admission in North Park's English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Those students can request that their application materials be forwarded to NPU's ESL program. If North Park's ESL accepts the student, then he/she will be accepted to the ESL program only and will still need to attain a sufficient score in the TOEFL to gain admittance to the Seminary. It is recommended that a student who scores under 500 not enroll in North Park's ESL program if they hope to gain admittance to the seminary. Even with a year of ESL studies, it is rare that a student can raise his or her score more than 50 points. It is possible for a student to enroll in the ESL program and pass the ESL courses, but fail to achieve a sufficient score on the TOEFL exam. In that case, the student may need to return home. Note that North Park's ESL program has intermediate and advanced levels, but not beginning levels. Also, note that graduation from North Park's ESL programs advanced level does not guarantee admission to the Seminary. A TOEFL score of at least 600 paper/250 computer or internet is still needed.
Click here for more information about English as a Second Language (ESL) at North Park University.
Minimum scores required for admittance into a seminary degree program:

Scores which were formerly equivalent to 550-599 will require dual admission into the ESL program and Seminary.  Note equivalents below:

3. Have transcripts evaluated by an agency that evaluates foreign educational credentials.
If a student has attended any college or university outside the United States and Canada, they must have their transcripts evaluated by an agency that will provide us with an academic translation of the documents in addition to requesting transcripts from any college or institution you have attended to be sent directly to us. One such organization we highly recommend is Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE). For more information visit www.ece.org.

4. Have the proper immunizations.
The state of Illinois requires students to have had vaccines for tetanus/diphtheria (primary series and a booster within the last 10 years), rubella, mumps, and red measles. An Immunization Record form will be sent out with the I-20 to an accepted student and must be properly filled out in order to register for classes.

5. Students are responsible for attaining their own visas once they have received the I-20.  Click here for the link for form 901 for SEVIS and here for information about obtaining an F-1 visa.
Click here for general information about SEVIS!

Application Deadlines:

Students currently outside the US:  Spring: applications due by November 1 for I-20 issuance.
                                                         Fall: applications due by June 1 for I-20 issuance.
Students currently inside the US:
               *On an F-1 Visa (at another school - transferring to North Park):  December 1 for I-20
                  issuance.
               *On a B-1 or J-1 visa (requires change of status):  October 1 for I-20 issuance.
                                 1. Visa may not expire more than 30 days prior to 1st day of classes.
                                 2. Application must be submitted 30 days or more before visa expires.
                                 3. Supporting documents must be submitted 21 days or more before visa expires.
               *Summer start:  To be decided.