Christian Experience

The applicant must be a professed follower of Jesus Christ of at least 3 years with a call and commitment to Christian ministry. He or she must be a baptised member in good standing with his or her church who has been actively serving for at least 2 years.

Application Deadline

The academic year is divided into two regular semesters, July to November and January to May, with intensive course terms in January and July. The academic year starts in the July semester, and the application deadline for International students is 1 April for all programmes.

Students may also commence their studies in the January semester. The application deadline is 1 November of the previous year.

Application Procedure

BTS only enrols Asian students or students who have a clear direction to serve in Asia. Our mission focus is Asia, and the BTS curriculum is shaped to meet regional needs (e.g. in social, political and church contexts, and Asian expressions of other major religions). It is also the policy of the Seminary to encourage overseas Baptist applicants to study at the Baptist Seminary of their own country unless special circumstances make it necessary or more advantageous for them to study in Singapore.

Applicants must meet all the admission requirements and follow the application procedure. In some cases, the Seminary may require additional documents or processes to help assess whether the applicant is suitable for admission to the course for which he or she applied.

Submit Application Documents

Please submit the Application Form (click to download) together with required documents and a S$30 application fee before the application deadline. You may submit the application documents in person or by mail to Baptist Theological Seminary, 1023 Upper Serangoon Road #01-01, Singapore 534761 or by email to [email protected]. Some applicants may be called for an interview at the Seminary.

The application will only be processed after submission of the following documents:

1. Copy of Passport Information Page and 1 digital passport-sized Photo
2. Copy of Baptism Certificate
3. Copy of Educational Certificates and Transcripts
4. Statement of Call and Commitment
5. Church Endorsement Form (not required for Advanced Diploma and Graduate Diploma Programmes)
6. 3 Personal Reference Forms (1 Pastor, 2 Personal)
7. Spouse/Fiancé(e) Information Form
8. Medical Report for Admission
9. Valid Duolingo/TOEFL/IELTS Score Report (may be waived on a case-by-case basis after submission of all other application documents)
10. Transcript Evaluation Form (if applicable)

S$30 application fee

A non-refundable S$30 application fee must be submitted together with your application. Overseas applicants can arrange for a local contact to make this payment on their behalf. We accept payment in the following modes:-

1. PayNow UEN S74SS0032HBTS or bank transfer to BTS’ DBS current account 028-005061-5. Please indicate your full name in Bill Ref/Comments.
2. Crossed cheque made payable to: Baptist Theological Seminary
3. Cash payment at Admin Office
4. Bank draft payable to “Baptist Theological Seminary” for 30 Singapore Dollars (no other currencies accepted)
5. Telegraphic transfer (please email the Registrar’s Office for details)

Request for Transcript Evaluation

Transfer of course credits received from accredited theological institutions may be accepted as partial fulfilment of study programme requirements. Request for a transfer credit evaluation must be made during the application stage. Only courses which are substantially equivalent to the BTS courses, and with a B grade or higher or of an equivalent standard will be considered for credit transfer. The Academic Dean will determine their evaluation and approval.

To request for transfer, please submit the Transcript Evaluation Form (click to download) to the Registrar’s Office together with:

• Official transcripts to be evaluated. All transcripts in a foreign language must be translated into English and notarised by the relevant authority.
• Grading scale of the theological institution that awards the credits to be evaluated
• Syllabi of all courses to be evaluated

• A fee of S$50 for every transcript to be evaluated

Notice of Approval

A provisional letter of acceptance will be sent out from the Registrar’s Office to successful applicants within one month from the application deadline. Those who receive the letter of acceptance shall respond in writing by the given deadline, and the Registrar’s Office will follow up with Student’s Pass application* and course registration. The office will also provide incoming students with information on how to prepare for studying at BTS.

*Please refer to Immigration Requirements for details on Student’s Pass application.

Immigration Requirements: Student Pass

International Students must possess a valid Student’s Pass issued by the Singapore Immigration and Customs Authority (ICA) for the duration of their study. To apply for a Student Pass, international students must enrol in a full-time programme. Such students must not engage in any form of paid employment or any business, profession or occupation in Singapore during the validity of the Student’s Pass. For a Student’s Pass to be granted, they must have adequate financial resources or support from churches, family, friends, savings or other means. Please refer to ICA website (https://www.ica.gov.sg/pass/studentpass/pei) for more details.

The Registrar’s Office will assist new students throughout the process of obtaining a Student’s Pass. The steps are as follows:

Submission of Online Application

The Registrar’s Office will submit the Student’s Pass applications on behalf of new students. The student shall submit an electronic copy of his/her ID photo (with white background) to BTS through email for this purpose.

The processing of Student’s Pass application by the ICA will generally take about 4 to 6 weeks. The Registrar’s Office will inform students of the application outcome when notified by ICA, and email the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter to successful applicants. The In-Principle Approval letter will also serve as an entry visa to Singapore.

Entry to Singapore

When a Student’s Pass application is approved, the Registrar’s Office will advise the student on the appropriate time to come to Singapore and on other administrative matters. Students who need an entry visa to Singapore (such as nationals of China and India) must bring a hard copy of the In-Principle Approval letter for their journey, and present it to the Immigration Checkpoints in their home country and in Singapore. At the Immigration Checkpoint of Singapore, the student is required to fill in an Embarkation Card. A social visit pass for 30 days stay in Singapore will be granted.

Completion of Student’s Pass Formalities

After arrival, the student shall complete the Student’s Pass formalities and obtain the Student’s Pass within the one-month stay as a social visit pass holder. The Registrar’s Office will guide the student through the process, which includes:

• A medical check-up.
  The student, as required by the ICA, should undergo a Chest X-ray and HIV test at one of the clinical laboratories designated by the Ministry of Health. The Student’s Pass may not be granted if abnormalities are found. In such a case, the student will need to leave Singapore before the one-month social visit pass expires.

• Obtaining a Banker’s Guarantee (currently not required as of Jan 2024)
• Completion of Student’s Pass Formalities
  Students are required to finalise their Student’s Pass formalities in person and may be required to produce all ORIGINAL copies of supporting documents for verification at that time. Students must also be vaccinated and receive minimum protection against COVID-19. The Student’s Pass is valid for 12 months for male students, and 6 months for female students. The student is responsible for subsequent pass renewals.

Housing and Living

Orientation

Before arrival, international students will receive information regarding campus location, transportation, communication, cost of living, clothing and food, climate, medical facilities, and pertinent cultural facts about Singapore. Upon arrival, further assistance will be provided to help orientate new students to living in Singapore. The first semester begins with an Orientation Week when students will be briefed on academic and seminary life.

Housing

As the Seminary does not have facilities to house students, international students must be responsible for their accommodation in Singapore. BTS will, however, try to help the student to source for housing if needed or arrange temporary housing until permanent accommodation can be found. International students must therefore plan to arrive in Singapore two weeks before the semester starts or as instructed by the Registrar’s Office.

Cultural Adaptation

As Singapore is multi-cultural and multi-religious, international students are encouraged to understand and appreciate cultural and religious sensitivities. International students whose first language is not English will be expected to (be) in an ongoing English language programme to increase proficiency in English. Remedial English courses may be offered by BTS, but students must take it upon themselves to improve their written and oral English language skills during their course of study.

Church Affiliation

International students should find a church to belong to shortly upon arriving in Singapore. As ministry involvement is a part of the necessary training, international students should be engaged in local church ministries at some level during their studies. Those having difficulty finding a church to belong to should consult the Seminary’s Field Education supervisor for assistance.

Health Care

All international students must be covered under the BTS Group Hospital & Surgical and Group Personal Accident Insurance. It offers basic coverage for hospitalisation, surgical cost and accidents. The insurance premium is borne by the student.

Employment

Singapore Immigration laws forbid Student’s Pass holders and long-term social visit pass holders to engage in any form of paid employment. A breach of the law may result in forfeiture of the security deposit, cancellation of the Student’s Pass and repatriation.

Cost of Living & Financial Assistance

Please refer to the section on Financial Information for more details.

Accompanying Family Members

Long-term Visit Pass (LTVP)

Each accompanying family member will require a long-term visit pass (LTVP) to remain in Singapore, which can be applied for in person at the ICA by the student and the family member. Family members who need an entry visa to Singapore should get a tourist visa or a short-term social visit pass on their own. The student may obtain the LTVP Application Form from the Registrar’s Office after arrival in Singapore.

The following documents are required for the application:

• The student’s Student’s Pass
• The family member’s passport
• A copy of the marriage certificate
• Copies of the birth certificate of the applicant’s child or children (if any)
• Documented proof of vaccination or evidence of immunity for Diphtheria and Measles for foreign-born children aged 12 years old and below
• Verification of Vaccination Requirements (VR) (for entry to Singapore) document from HPB (for children aged 12 years old and below). With effect from 1 February 2019, foreign-born children aged 12 years old and below, who are first-time applicants for Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) are required to submit documentary proof of vaccination or evidence of immunity for diphtheria and measles to the Health Promotion Board (HPB) for verification via (https://www.nir.hpb.gov.sg/fcine/) before they can proceed with their applications to ICA for their long-term stay in Singapore.

Note: Official translation of the certificates is required if the above certificates are not in the English language.

LTVP is renewable every six months, at least 10 days before expiration of the current LTVP. The student is responsible for subsequent pass renewals.

Children’s Education

International students who wish to enrol their children in local primary or secondary school may refer to https://www.moe.gov.sg/international-students 

There are also private Christian schools available, such as Victory Life Christian School. For further details, please refer to http://victorylifechristianschool.com/