Specialization in Christian Doctrine - Master of Arts in Theology

To be eligible for admission to the Graduate School at Marquette University, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or international equivalent must be completed prior to starting graduate school.
• A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
• Demonstrated English proficiency for non-U.S. citizens.

Applicants should have:

• An undergraduate degree with a major in theology, religious studies, or another field appropriate to their theological interests and/or
• A personal or professional background involving theology or religion. 

An undergraduate degree with a minor in one of the above fields is also acceptable. Ideally, applicants should possess basic familiarity with Christian Scripture and doctrines. Opportunities to make up for deficiencies in undergraduate education are available to students in need.

Application Requirements

• Read all application instructions prior to beginning an application.
• A completed online application form and fee.
• Transcripts:
  • If coursework was completed within the United States, submit copies of all current and previous college/universities except Marquette¹
  • If coursework was completed outside of the United States, a transcript evaluation is required. A copy of a course-by-course evaluation is approved for the application process.²
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A brief statement of purpose that includes: reasons for wanting to enter the program, vocational objectives, special areas of interest, and reasons for selecting Marquette's program.
• Applicants without an undergraduate degree in theology: a list of all college work in theology — course work, level and instructor, even though some of this also appears on official transcripts submitted.
• For international applicants only: a TOEFL score or other acceptable proof of English proficiency.

^{1Upon admission, final official transcripts from all previously attended colleges/universities, with certified English translations if original language is not English, must be submitted to the Graduate School within the first five weeks of the term of admission or a hold preventing registration for future terms will be placed on the student’s record.} 

^{2Upon admission, an official course-by-course transcript/academic record evaluation must be submitted to the Graduate School within the first five weeks of the term of admission or a hold preventing registration for future terms will be placed on the student’s record.} 

This program has rolling admission, which means you may apply any time before the following dates:

• Fall term admissions- August 1 (June 1 for international applicants)
• Spring term admissions- December 15 (October 1 for international applicants)

Financial Aid

The Department of Theology draws on the university's considerable financial aid resources to offer a variety of assistance opportunities to qualified students. These resources include teaching assistantships (TA), research assistantships (RA), minority student fellowships, graduate teaching fellowships, dissertation fellowships, M.A.C.D. scholarship, Smith family fellowships, Arthur J. Schmitt fellowships, John P. Raynor, S.J., fellowships, and Marquette University scholarships. For a comprehensive listing of merit-based aid (graduate assistantships/fellowships), visit the departmental financial aid webpage.

Private scholarships may also be available. U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be eligible to apply for student loans to help fund their educational expenses as well.