Individuals applying for admission to Heritage must be Christians who desire further training life for ministry. Admission to the Seminary is not limited by ethnicity, gender, or national origin.

Program Requirements

Applicants for the Master of Divinity degree program must have a minimum AGPA of 2.3 (C+) in their bachelor’s degree.

Applicants for the Master of Theological Studies degree program must have a minimum AGPA of 2.5 (C+ / B-) in their bachelor’s degree.

Applicants who do not meet these standards or are mature students may apply to the Certificate of Theological Studies program. Students who successfully complete the certificate may be eligible to enter a master’s degree program.

Transfer Students

Students desiring to transfer into Heritage Theological Seminary from another seminary must arrange for a complete, official transcript to be sent from each post-secondary school previously attended. These transcripts must be sent directly to the Assistant Registrar – Seminary, Heritage Theological Seminary, 175 Holiday Inn Drive, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, N3C 3T2.

Transfer students must have received an honourable dismissal from all other schools and may receive transfer credits from other recognized institutions for equivalent courses in their chosen program provided that they have earned a “C” grade or above. All transfer credits are subject to the discretion of the Registrar in consultation with the Academic Dean.

In order to be eligible to graduate from Heritage Seminary, transfer students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at Heritage Seminary, or one-half of the degree, whichever is less.

Advanced Standing

Heritage Seminary considers awarding Advanced Standing to students who have attained an undergraduate degree in Bible, Theology, Religious Education, or Religious Studies (e.g., B.Th., B.R.E., B.R.S.). Advanced Standing means that a student is given credit for previous academic work and is not required to take some of the prescribed courses for a degree. Several factors are weighed when considering whether or not an applicant is eligible for Advanced Standing. These include number of hours completed at the undergraduate level, AGPA, grades in individual courses, and the program to which a student has applied. Please refer to the Seminary Catalogue for more information.

To resume studies, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 1-800-465-1961 for more information.

Special Admissions

Mature applicants 28 years of age and over, who do not possess an undergraduate degree, may apply for either the MDiv or MTS in either one of two ways:

1. Apply for admission to the Graduate Certificate of Theological Studies — Track to Degree program. Upon completion of this 30 credit hour program with an AGPA of 2.50 or above, and upon approval of the seminary faculty, the student may enter either the MDiv or the MTS. Courses completed in the GCTS will be used in the new degree program.

2. Demonstrate undergraduate degree equivalency. Students who have completed approximately 90 credit hours of studies at the post secondary level from an accredited institution, or a variety of accredited institutions, may apply directly to the MDiv or MTS based on degree equivalency. Such applications will be reviewed by the Academic Dean of the seminary. The 90 undergraduate credit hours should consist of a broad variety of interdisciplinary studies as well as courses which required an adequate amount of academic research and writing. The Registrar may require the student to supply course syllabi in order for the Academic Dean to determine undergraduate degree equivalency.

International Students

Students from the United States of America

Applicants from the U.S.A. must meet the general admissions standards as explained above. Also, American students must have a valid study permit, which can be obtained at a port of entry or at the nearest Canadian Consulate. A student will need an acceptance letter and evidence of sufficient funds/financial support to obtain a study permit. This permit must be presented prior to enrollment. Proof of English language proficiency is not required for American citizens. Applicants should complete the International Student Application. After acceptance, applicants from the U.S.A. must apply for a study permit. To obtain more information on Canadian Immigration policies and procedures, see the Canadian government website at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada.html.

Students from All Other Countries

Students are advised to apply at least nine months before their planned enrollment date to allow time for processing, acquiring permits and visas, etc. Students are admitted on the basis of graduation from a recognized college, university, or Bible/theological school. Applicants are responsible to provide documentation that verifies the level of their post-secondary training.

Transcripts: Official transcripts must be sent from all schools previously attended. Transcripts that are not written in English must be translated and notarized by an official translating company and sent directly to Heritage. International applicants must also provide a credential evaluation report from World Educational Services (WES) Canada. Applicants must request a “WES ICAP Course-by-Course Evaluation Report” and choose Heritage College & Seminary as the recipient.

English Language Requirements: Proof of English Language proficiency is normally required from all international students with the exception of citizens from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and countries of the West Indies (except Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, and St. Lucia).

Heritage accepts the following language proficiency tests:

1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

  • Students must achieve a minimum score of 80 on the TOEFL iBT, and a minimum score of 20 on each of the four sections. Tests can be booked at https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/.  Heritage’s institutional code is: 1498.

2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

3. The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)

  • Students must achieve a minimum level of 7 on the CELPIP-General. Tests can be booked at https://www.celpip.ca/.

Study Permit and Visa: International students must obtain a valid study permit, and in some cases a visa, to study in Canada. To obtain a permit and, if necessary, a visa, international students must apply through Canadian Immigration officials in their home country or online at Immigration Canada’s official website. Students cannot begin their studies until the necessary immigration documents have been approved. To obtain more information on Canadian Immigration policies and procedures, see the Canadian government’s official website at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigrationrefugees-citizenship/services/study-canada.html.

It is strongly recommended that all applicants have a local support network (welcoming church, local agency, relatives, or other significant persons). This will contribute to the strength of an application.

International students are only accepted for fall term registration. Students will not be enrolled in studies unless the funds required for the first term of studies have been paid (tuition, emergency health insurance for one year, and if applicable, residence costs).

For step-by-step instructions for International Students, see the International Students page.

More Information

For further information, please refer to the current Seminary Academic Catalogue  or contact an Admissions Counsellor.