No! IRBS has adopted a hybrid academic structure which will make enrollment in and completion of our degree programs more accessible to students from all over the world. Classes are available via video conferencing and may be attended from anywhere.  Several classes are available as pre-recorded, self-paced Legacy courses.

The Master of Divinity and Diploma programs will require a minimum of 30 hours of face-to-face teaching, as this will better prepare students for pastoral ministry. This may be completed by attending intensive classes offered on campus or a variety of domestic & international locations, and/or through video conferencing technologies.  

The Master of Arts in Religion may be completed online, with the exception of our Missions & Evangelism class, which requires travel. 

The Certificate of Reformed Baptist Studies will be available 100% online. 

All potential students must submit official student transcripts as part of their application process.  Once students have been accepted for admission, they may request that any relevant graduate level credits they’ve earned be considered for transfer credit.  When evaluating transfer credit, the Admissions Committee analyzes the following: 1) the relevance of the curriculum, 2) the equivalency of the curriculum in its content, 3) the equivalency of the curriculum in its quantity, and 4) the received grade for the completion of the course curriculum.  A maximum of 50% of the degree requirements may be applied as transfer credit (MDiv – 55 hours, MAR – 36 hours). All credits considered for transfer must have been completed within 10 years prior to applying.

An undergraduate degree is required for admission to our degree programs (MDiv & MAR).  However, mature men who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree may apply for the BDiv program.  This program consists of the same requirements as the MDiv (110-hours of Exegetical, Systematic, Historical, Practical, and Language courses; 30-hours of live teaching; the completion of our internship program; and standard tuition & fees). Credits will not be transferred to other institutions.  

This program is intended for continuing education of pastors and theological students who wish to gain understanding of historical Reformed Baptist Doctrine. An undergraduate degree is required in order to receive graduate credit for these courses.

IRBS wants to assure its students and prospective students of its high academic standards and integrity. While even now operating at such standards, the seminary is pursuing official accreditation and has secured other forms of verification. 

Enrolled students who are members in good standing of churches which support IRBS with a monthly gift of $200+ (or the annual equivalent) qualify for tuition free enrollment (administrative & technology fees do apply).

Learn More

Applications can take up to 6 weeks to process, including the gathering of transcripts & references, so it’s best to begin your application about 3 months before the beginning of the target semester, but there is no deadline.  You may apply at any time for the rolling enrollment of Legacy courses.

• Thanks to our ability to live conference with students online, we can now accept students from around the world, and have several countries represented in our student body.  However, IRBS cannot currently admit international applicants as residential students. All international applicants are eligible to apply and learn through distance education courses.  
• If your native language is not English, sufficient evidence of English proficiency must be provided, demonstrated by a minimum score of 79 on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT), taken within two years prior to applying to IRBS.  All three delivery methods of the TOEFL iBT will be accepted, including the home edition & paper edition. Our institution code is D119. 
• If you have completed an undergraduate degree in the U.S. [or in a primarily English-speaking country], with a minimum of 2.7 GPA, you may be eligible to be exempt from the TOEFL requirement.  Contact IRBS Admissions to discuss options.
•  

Understanding that students might be prevented from receiving a theological education for financial reasons, IRBS offers scholarships that are based on financial need. Once a student’s admission application has been accepted, the student may request a scholarship application from Admissions. Scholarship applications made before admission will not be reviewed. Once the request has been made, proof of financial need may be required. The Scholarship Committee will review scholarship requests and respond within 2-4 weeks with their decision. Scholarships are awarded on a first come, first serve basis and according to need. Students must apply for scholarships each academic year, but they are awarded on a semesterly basis, assuming the student meets all the conditions for the scholarship that he or she is applying for.