For applicants with a Master of Divinity or its equivalent.

Priority application deadline: May 1st (for Fall) and November 1st (for Spring).

• Applicants must submit four references, three from prior professors and one from a pastor or Christian ministry leader. Applicants should submit references that testify to their Christian character and academic ability. 
• Applicants must submit a 2–3-page statement of their rationale for doctoral study.
• Applicants must hold an MDiv or graduate theological degree with an equivalent theological background from an accredited institution.
• Applicants must have the necessary graduate semester hours for their major. For the Biblical Studies major, applicants must have completed 15 graduate semester hours of Greek and Hebrew with at least 9 graduate semester hours in their major (either Hebrew or Greek). For the Theology major, applicants must have 24 graduate semester hours of theology and church history—at least 8 of these in advanced theology and church history courses—and completion of 12 graduate semester hours of Greek and Hebrew. Applicants may apply to the program without having all these requirements met; the AGSC (Academic Graduate Studies Committee) has discretion on how to process applications that do not meet all of these requirements. 
• Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average from previous academic work that indicates a capacity for graduate work. Under normal circumstances, no applicant with a grade point average below 3.5 on a 4.0 scale will receive consideration for entrance into the PhD program.
• Applicants must prepare and submit a research paper that demonstrates their research and writing capabilities. The paper should evidence detailed research, proper documentation of academic sources, and a properly formatted bibliography. It should feature a developed and sustained argument. The paper should relate to the applicant’s intended field of study.
• Applicants must complete the PhD entrance exam (starting fall 2025). Applicants can complete this exam at Gateway’s Los Angeles campus or through a suitable proctor in their area. Official study guides are available on Gateway’s website, and applicants should consult these guides in advance of taking the exams. The Enrollment Services Office or the Academic Graduate Studies Office can provide more information about entrance exams. 
• Applicants who do not have English as their native language are required to take an English proficiency exam. Acceptable exams include the TOEFL iBT and IELTS. Applicants who take the TOEFL iBT must score at least a 90. Applicants who choose to take the IELTS must score at least a 7. Applicants from non-English-based programs—for example, bilingual programs—must produce sufficient TOEFL/IELTS scores. Applicants who graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree from an ATS-accredited English-language-based institution and who completed all coursework in English will have this testing requirement waived. 
• After meeting all the standards and completing all other application procedures, applicants may be interviewed by the Director of the PhD/ThM Programs and/or the AGSC.