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New students may begin during either the January or June session. To be considered for the January session, all application materials must be submitted no later than November 1. To be considered for the June session, all application materials must be submitted no later than April 21.
However, submitting an application by the deadline is not a guarantee that spaces are still available in the incoming class; spaces fill up quickly and it is not uncommon for new students to be placed on a waitlist. In light of this, the Admissions Department encourages all applicants to submit their materials well in advance of the November 1/April 21 deadline.
Students requesting admittance must have:
* for entrance into the D.W.S. program only
An application to either degree program contains the following:
You may complete the application form online, or you may print a copy of the application from the back of the Academic Catalog and submit the form by mail.
Your personal statement of 300 words or less should explain your current ministry context as well as how you believe you would profit from being a part of this academic program. This document may be mailed or emailed to the Admissions Department, or you may upload your statement directly to your online application.
Applicants must request two letters of recommendation. The first letter of recommendation should come from your senior pastor or direct supervisor. (If you are the senior pastor of a church, you may request a letter from a fellow pastor who has worked closely with you in ministry settings.) The second letter of recommendation should come from a colleague, a ministry partner, or an IWS graduate. An ideal letter will include how long the writer has known you, how they view your role in Christian ministry, and how they feel you will approach graduate-level studies.
The letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the Admissions office by their authors, not through the applicant. These letters may be mailed or emailed to the Admissions Department, or you may send electronic links directly to your letter writers via the online application.
Official, sealed transcripts from all previously-completed degrees (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate, as applicable) should be sent directly to the IWS office. The Director of Admissions may also request transcripts of academic work that did not lead to a completed degree. Transcripts should be sent to:
IWS Director of Admissions, 4001 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32207.
Application to an IWS degree program will not be considered complete without the submission of the Application Fee of $50. The fee may be paid directly on the application page by credit card, or by check or money order by contacting the Admissions Office. The Application Fee is not refundable.
All applicants who indicate that English is not their first language are required to earn a passing score on either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the Duolingo English Test. Additionally, the Director of Enrollment may request a passing score from any applicant who displays difficulty with spoken or written English, regardless of the applicant’s first language or citizenship.
For the TOEFL, a passing score is 80 (Internet-based test) or 550 (paper-based test).
For the Duolingo English Test, a passing score is 105. If you have earned a passing score on either test within the past two years you may be able to submit this score to IWS; please contact the Admissions office for further information.
Applicants may find information about registering for the TOEF here. TOEFL test centers and upcoming dates are compiled here. Please be sure to mark IWS as your score recipient. You may search for IWS under the name “IWS” or “Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies,” or under DI Code 5988.
Applicants may find information about registering for the Duolingo English Test here. The Duolingo English Test is delivered online; it is not necessary to travel to a testing center. To have your scores reported to IWS, search for us under “Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.”
The Institute for Worship Studies admits male or female students of any race, color, denomination, age, disability, or national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges and activities accorded or made available. IWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, denomination, sex, age, disability, or national and ethnic origin in its administrative policies, educational policies, admission policies and other educational programs.
After an applicant has submitted their application and all the required materials, the Director of Admissions and the Admissions Committee will review the applicant’s file and render a final decision. This process takes about 2 weeks. New students will be notified of their acceptance by email first, then official documents will be sent in the mail later, as required.
Once a new student is accepted, they will be given the opportunity to submit a $500 deposit towards their tuition. This non-refundable deposit is the only way to guarantee a space in the incoming class.
New students may defer their enrollment for a limited period of time. If a new student has not matriculated within 2 semesters, they will be required to reapply to IWS.
Beginning in January 2022, new DWS students will be evaluated concerning their competency in scriptural knowledge and application. Some applicants may need to complete additional work in this area based upon their Master’s level work or pass a placement exam. Should previously completed work lack biblical, theological, and hermeneutical foundations and the doctoral student receives less than 85% on the placement exam, the doctoral student will be required to matriculate in IWS courses BIB 501 A & B. These courses will be taken in order to meet the additional requirements and are six weeks in length. The first of these courses, BIB 501(A), is completed six weeks prior to the on campus session while BIB 501(B) is taken concurrently with DWS 701.
Additionally, DWS 701 students will be evaluated by the end of the term as to their ability to research and write papers at a doctoral level. Students evaluated as needing assistance with these skills will be required to enroll in WR 701. This six-week course will be completed online in conjunction with DWS 702. It must be passed with at least a “B” in order to continue in the DWS program. Tuition fees apply to BIB 501(A), BIB 501(B), and WR 701. For students who began their studies in January 2022 or later, any DWS professor may recommend a student to take WR 701, and students are encouraged to take those recommendations seriously.