Student Life 

International Students

Southeastern seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping international students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission in their country of origin.

It is Southeastern's desire to:

• Train international Christian leaders for ministry in their countries of origin,
• Further the mission of Southeastern, and
• Satisfy the laws and regulations governing international students

The admissions procedure for international students requires additional information and processing time due to seminary policies and the requirements of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. For more information about the admissions process, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@sebts.edu.

Admissions Process

An international applicant must complete the following in addition the required forms for admission to The College at Southeastern or Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

International Student Packet
This packet includes forms required by the U.S. government to verify your financial support and other forms necessary for the issuance of an I-20.

TOEFL
In order to qualify for admission to the seminary, the prospective student should check with the admissions advisor for his/her program for the minimum required TOEFL score Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

WES Evaluation Requirement
Due to the difficulty in interpreting international transcripts, a WES (World Education Services) evaluation is required of all students who have studied outside of the United States. All official transcripts from non-US educational institutions – high school as well as any post-secondary transcripts –must be translated (as applicable) sent directly to WES by the issuing institution. This is a requirement before your admissions file will be considered complete. You will find all the information you need at www.wes.org.

You can apply for your evaluation on the WES website, and should apply for the Course-by-Course evaluation if you have completed any university-level coursework.

If your transcripts and diplomas are in languages other than English, you must provide a translation. On the WES form, request a copy of the report to be sent to "a third party" and indicate the following:

Office of Admissions
The College at Southeastern
PO Box 1889
Wake Forest, NC 27587-1889

International Student Agreement

International applicants must complete the following agreement in order to be admitted to Southeastern. The form is available in the International Student Packet.

Below is the content of the agreement for those considering attending Southeastern.

1. As soon as I receive my I-20 Form (Student Eligibility Certificate), I will have someone fluent in English read and translate all the information on Page Two of the I-20 before I sign it and take it to the Embassy or the U.S. Consular Section.
2. I understand that F-1 status implies and the seminary requires that I return home after completing this degree, and I fully intend to follow that course of action.
3. I understand that the International Student Deposit must be received by the Admissions Office before my I-20 can be issued. Accounting Services will hold my deposit for the duration of my studies. My deposit will be returned, without interest, under the following conditions: 1) upon securing travel arrangements to return to my home country, and 2) having no outstanding charges to SEBTS. If I do not return to my home country or if I owe rent, tuition, or any additional charges exceeding the deposit amount, I understand that I forfeit my deposit.
4. I understand that if I do not return to my home country, all scholarships will become loans and must be paid back to the institution.
5. I also understand that during my first year of study, I will not be permitted to work off campus. I also understand that there is no guarantee of campus employment. Therefore, I may have to live for at least one year with no income.
6. I will be required to have adequate health and hospitalization insurance for myself and my family.
7. I will attend Southeastern’s International Student Orientation. Failure to attend this Orientation may endanger my status as a student at Southeastern, as well as my student status with USCIS.
8. I will be expected to join a Southern Baptist church in the area during my first semester. If I choose not to do so, I will be charged the non-Southern Baptist rate for tuition.