Admission to LATS

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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy: LATS admits students of any race, color national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other school-administered programs.

ADMISSION CRITERION

The applicant must be active in some phase of Christian ministry. In addition, the applicant must meet one of the following:1) Must have graduated from a Bible Institute or2) Must have a university degree in another discipline or

3) Must have a minimum of five years of church experience as a senior pastor

ADMISSION PROCESS

The following is required to be considered for admission to the Latin American Theological Seminary:1) Application form2) Application fee ($25)

3) Three one-page essays

4) Three references (Pastoral and Christian Friend)

5) Complete and updated ministerial resume (those seeking admission based on their ministerial experience alone must include a resume)

6) Official Transcripts from Bible institute or university.The following items must be sent together to the LATS office:

Application form: Applications may be obtained from the LATS office or from an extension coordinator where course work will be performed. The application must be mailed directly to the LATS office.1) Application fee: A check or money order payable to LATS in the amount of $25 must be sent along with the application. The application fee is non refundable.

2) Three one-page essays: For the first essay the applicant is asked to state why he or she desires to study at LATS. For the second essay the applicant is asked to discuss his or her conversion experience. The third essay the applicant is asked to discuss his or her current involvement in ministry or to state how he or she hopes that LATS will further enrich his or her life for Christian service. Alls essays must be typed.

3) Complete and updated ministerial resume: There are two types of applicants that must include a ministerial resume: the applicant that does not have a Bible institute diploma or a university degree and the applicant that does have a Bible institute diploma or a university degree.The student who is a senior pastor and desires to receive credit for his or her ministerial experience, which is up to 45 units of life experience, must submit a resume, complete the 15 unit prerequisite courses that are required, and a three-five page essay that describes their life experience knowledge and skills as a senior leader of a congregation. The essay must include comments in the following areas: Church administration, strategic planning, pastoral care and counseling, spiritual life with God, and evangelism and mission experiences.The ministerial resume must include ministerial titles held, and the locations where ministries were performed, and a description of all ministerial responsibilities.The following items must be sent directly to LATS by institutions or persons other than the applicant:

1) Three references: The pastoral reference form must be given to the pastor under whose care the applicant has been for at least a one-year period. If not, then the applicant should give the reference form to his or her previous pastor. If the applicant’s pastor is a family member then the reference form should be given to someone else that meets that role (youth pastor, associate pastor, presbyter, superintendent, bishop, etc.). Pastors in an associate role should give the reference to their senior pastor. Pastors should give the reference form to their supervisors (presbyter, superintendent, bishop, etc.).

2) The other two references should be given to teacher or colleague that knows the applicant well enough to discuss the applicant’s character, emotional stability, and ability to perform in an academic environment. Or, if the applicant has formal education he or she may include a reference form for a teacher or colleague.

3) Official transcripts: Only official transcripts that are signed by an appropriate official, and bear the official school seal, and are sent directly to LATS in a sealed envelope will be received, evaluated, and the appropriate amount of units transferred to the student’s permanent academic record. Unofficial transcripts (photocopied) will be accepted during the admission process for those that studied in third-world countries, but the official transcripts must be in the LATS office no later than the third month after the application has been submitted. If the official transcripts do not arrive during that three-month period the student’s academic registration will be temporarily suspended, meaning that he or she will not be able to register in any more courses until the matter is resolved.

4) An application will not be reviewed by the admissions committee if any item is missing. Only complete applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis. The length of the application process varies with each applicant. Factors such as references and transcripts can delay the process. However, once an applicant has been accepted he or she will be notified by mail within a two-week period.

REGISTRATION POLICY

Course Registration and Fees: Students may register in any quarter of the school year. However, they must register two weeks prior to the beginning of a course, whether it is a 14 week course or LATS Extension course. Students may register by filling out a registration form that they may obtain from the coordinator of the extension where they plan to take the course, or directly from the LATS office for the On-Campus program. The registration form must be submitted to the extension coordinator at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the desired course.

LATE REGISTRATION

If a student desires to register for a course after the registration period he or she will be charged a $15 late registration fee that must be paid. This includes ten week Extensions courses.

TUITION PAYMENTS

Full tuition payment is due on the first day of class. Students may defer full payment by paying fifty percent of the tuition before the first day of class and make three installment payments on the remaining balance every 1/3 segment of the course. Tuition must be paid in full by the last day of class. If a student should drop a class, the tuition will be prorated and any necessary refunds will be made to the student after the seminary receives the initial tuition payment from the student. If a student drops a course in which he or she has deferred payments, then the tuition will be prorated and any necessary refunds will be made to the student.

STUDENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

LATS encourages its students to be good stewards according to the principles found in God’s word. Students should make payments and cancel debts on a timely basis. Students are responsible for paying the following:1) Tuition2) All applicable fees, including graduation fees

3) Books