Frequently Asked Questions

We have a rolling application deadline. In order to prepare well to begin graduate school, we recommend applying more than one month before the start of the term in which you’d like to take classes, though we accept applications up to 10 days before the beginning of the semester. Some financial awards have a deadline. Upon acceptance, admission may be deferred for one semester, or possibly more for extenuating circumstances.

EMS provides students the opportunity to complete all Seminary coursework online.  For those students seeking ordination in the United Methodist Church, the UMC General Board of Higher Education and Ministry stipulates that UMC students at EMS take all courses on campus.

• Students enrolled in a master’s or certificate program taking at least 5 credits per semester are eligible for financial aid and scholarships .
• The Financial Assistance Office has additional information on grants and loans.

Tuition is the largest cost of attending seminary. Each course requires textbooks for purchase or rent. Minimal fees are charged each semester for seminary-sponsored activities and general educational services. Full-time students who attend classes on campus and international students living in the U.S. are required to purchase EMU’s student health insurance plan or provide proof of alternate coverage. 

EMS offers a variety of degree programs:

• The MDiv is a broad, comprehensive theological degree that covers theology, biblical studies, history and ministerial practice. It is required for many denominations for ordination. 
• The MACL prepares students for particular areas of ministry, like Christian formation, worship and preaching, or leadership in faith-based institutions.
• The MAR offers focused academic study, including research and writing a thesis. Students choose the MAR to explore a particular research question or prepare for PhD studies.
• EMS offers dual degrees with Counseling, the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and the MA in Organizational Leadership.
• EMS certificates are short programs that offer an introduction to seminary or focus on a particular area of study.

You may audit or take up to four classes for graduate credit by completing a part-time application.

EMS has a special pathway to seminary for students without an undergraduate degree. Mature students with 30 undergraduate credits and significant ministry experience (paid or volunteer) may enter a certificate program and apply those credits to an MDiv or MACL. 

EMS recommends completing a degree within 10 years.

Approximately half of EMS student do not live near Harrisonburg. Nearly all of EMS’s courses are available on campus and online. Course are scheduled primarily on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in a synchronous format. If you have a strong Internet connection and are available to attend class during its scheduled times, you can attend from anywhere in the world.

EMS has an international student body and values the perspectives each student brings to our learning community. Some international students obtain a student visa and move to the U.S. to study on the EMU campus, while others with a strong Internet connection study remotely by attending courses synchronously online.

If a student has earned a degree outside of the U.S., a foreign credential evaluation is needed. A general evaluation is sufficient to verify an undergraduate degree, but if graduate transfer credit is sought, a course-by-course evaluation is required.

Graduate school requires time investment outside of classtime for reading, written reflections, skills practice and research. You can expect to devote 2-3 hours outside of class time for every 1 graduate credit you take. For a typical 3-credit seminary course, approximately 7.5 hours of study is expected outside of class each week. Taking 9 credits per semester is considered full-time student status.

EMS students come from all ages, occupations and faith traditions. Some students come with previous theological studies background. Some enroll after years of employment in other fields and wish to prepare for a second or third career. Some attend EMS in retirement for personal growth. EMS is grounded in an Anabaptist Mennonite tradition that emphasizes Christian faith and practices and the active pursuit of justice and peace, and welcomes students from all denominations and faith traditions into our inclusive learning community. 

EMS is an Anabaptist and ecumenical seminary. While Mennonite and United Methodist are the largest denominations represented, our students, faculty and staff come from a wide variety of faith traditions. Professors facilitate dialogue across theological perspectives and seek to strengthen students for ministry and leadership in their own communities and traditions.

Yes. Aligning with EMU’s diversity and inclusion priorities and our faith convictions, EMS is an inclusive community for persons of all genders and sexual orientations. Faculty and staff seek to provide a safe learning environment where all of our students can study theology and prepare for ministry vocations.

EMS enrolls students who hold a diversity of theological perspectives on human sexuality. EMS is a setting where students can engage in respectful dialogue and are formed to understand one another with compassion across differences. EMS seeks to uphold the dignity of all persons and does not tolerate discrimination based on identity or beliefs.

 

EMS is distinctive in our position within a historic peace church and a world-renowned peace and justice university. Seminarians are alumni of the same university as such notable graduates as Leymah Gbowee, recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2022, EMS graduates had the honor of hearing Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy, give the commencement address at their graduation. EMS is a robust ecumenical community that prepares graduates to ignite deep change in their community. We welcome you to discover your place as part of this dynamic community of learning at EMS.

EMS has a broad network of alumni, partners and friends. We put this network to work for our graduates to assist them in job placement based on their calling. EMS graduates are chaplains, spiritual directors, pastors, professors and teachers, nonprofit CEOs, ecclesial administrators, peacebuilders, and community organizers.

Most pastoral positions are managed by a governing body within the denomination. We help you navigate your own governing body, with faculty and staff who are particularly connected to many ecclesial systems. Faculty are available to write recommendations and can help advise you in seeking positions that are a good fit for your gifts and training.

 

There are many opportunities for various kinds of housing in the city of Harrisonburg. Parkview, the area around EMU, has a number of houses with apartments for rent. Often these are advertised on the EMU E-Classifieds.

We are in the process of finalizing graduate housing opportunities for the 2024-2025 school year. As we are working out the details of creating a graduate community, please reach out to your admissions counselor with questions. If you are in need of on campus housing for the Fall 2024-2025 term, please complete the 2024-2025 Graduate Housing Form. For additional information on on-campus Graduate Housing, visit our Living in Harrisonburg page.

Other housing may be found within the city of Harrisonburg through the Daily News-Record classifieds or local realtors.

 

There are many job opportunities in Harrisonburg, both on-campus and within the city and surrounding area.

Often part-time or seasonal work is posted on EMU’s website on the E-Classifieds

The local newspaper, the Daily-News Record , has a classified section posted online as well.

If you are interested in employment at EMU check with the human resources office.

 

Studying at EMS provides a deeper understanding of theological, historical and contextual issues of Anabaptism. For students preparing to minister in Mennonite contexts, EMS offers specific courses in Mennonite faith and polity as well as a broad and deep education in biblical, theological, and practical ministry competencies. Students can access a network of Mennonite leaders through EMS, building relationships with future colleagues and making lifelong friendships. 

EMS is also an ecumenical community. Students, faculty and staff share traditions, perspectives and practices that are not Mennonite. We believe this dynamic exchange of ideas strengthens each person and helps all of us hone our particular convictions and practices. 

 

 

EMS is the graduate theological school of Eastern Mennonite University (EMU). Because EMS is an embedded seminary, EMS students can take courses from other EMU graduate programs as part of their seminary study or earn dual master’s degrees. EMS students have access to EMU events and resources like the library, academic tutoring, mental health support, and health and fitness centers.