Masters by Exception

Gateway Seminary will consider applicants lacking an accredited undergraduate degree for admission to its basic master's degrees.  A student must request admission under this provision in writing through the Office of Enrollment and may initiate this request only after all qualifying criteria have been met:

  • Applicants must demonstrate their ability to do graduate-level work by entering the Seminary as a diploma student and by completing at least 15 hours of Gateway Seminary coursework required in the master’s degree sought (at least 6 hours of introductory courses in New Testament, Old Testament, history, or theology) with a minimum GPA of 3.2. Electives, transfer credits and ADVANCE courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement.  

  • This provision will not be granted to previous students who graduated with diploma degrees. 

A student admitted under this exception must take an additional 24 hours (M.Div.) or 18 hours (M.T.S., M.A.E.L., M.A.I.S., M.G.E.., and M.A.C.C.) following enrollment under this exception. 

Please contact the Gateway Seminary Office of Enrollment with any questions. To initiate a master's by exception request, please email; enrollment@gs.edu. 

Per accreditation standards, there is a limited number of students whose master’s by exception appeals can be approved by the Admissions Committee each year. 

Additional Notes for ADVANCE Students:

  • Applicants must be 25 years old or older and have a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED).  

  • A Gateway Seminary diploma (mentioned above) is not the same as an ADVANCE or CLD diploma.  You may apply for a master’s by exception even if you have completed an ADVANCE or CLD diploma or ADVANCE leadership diploma. 

  • ADVANCE/CLD students may transfer up to 10 units into a master’s program.  The amount varies depending on the master program’s requirements and the ADVANCE electives completed. Christian Studies courses from ADVANCE will not transfer.   

  • After you have been accepted into the master’s by exception program, please email admin@gatewayus.org or call 346-218-2600 to discuss which units can transfer. These units will not transfer until you have completed the first 15 hours of a Gateway Seminary Diploma in Theology program, but it is a good idea to discuss your ADVANCE/CLD credits with the registrar before you complete these 15 hours. 

  • Prayerfully consider this option.  ADVANCE offers pre-baccalaureate level work, while a GS Diploma in Theology jumps to master’s level work.  The GS diploma coursework will demand significantly more time and effort compared to ADVANCE coursework.

The confusing statement you are reading about the 24 and 18 additional hours is not to complete those degrees, it is to finalize your admission into the Masters degree program of your choice. 

  • There is a bit of unfortunate overlap in terminology which causes confusion here. Students without an accredited undergraduate degree are able to pursue a Masters degree by going through the Masters by Exception process with Gateway Seminary. 

  • Many ADVANCE students fall in this category. For these students, they must first transfer their ADVANCE Credits into a "Diploma" (non-ADVANCE) at Gateway Seminary. 

  • Unlike ADVANCE diplomas, these graduate diplomas require Masters level coursework offered by faculty of Gateway Seminary according to the same policies, procedures, and rates of the Masters program. 

  • After a student completes 15 hours of coursework at the Diploma (non-ADVANCE) level and meets the GPA requirements, they can apply to a Masters degree using the "Masters by Exception" option. 

  • The student is not admitted to the Masters program of their choice until additional hours (24 or 18) are completed but they no longer need to maintain a 3.2 GPA average. 

  • Once these additional hours are completed, they can officially be entered into the Masters degree and transfer the relevant courses they have completed at both diploma (ADVANCE & non-ADVANCE) levels. 

  • If an ADVANCE student has an accredited undergraduate degree, they can apply directly to a Master degree and transfer up to 10 hours without first entering a Diploma (non-ADVANCE) program to take additional Masters level work before being fully admitted to a Masters degree. 

  • In either case, there is the possibility of transferring elective ADVANCE hours into a Masters degree from Gateway Seminary. 

  • The Masters by Exception route requires a few extra steps and courses before being admitted to a Masters program, but makes this option possible for more students.