How to Apply

Iliff has partnered with CollegeNET to facilitate the online application process. Applicants create an account to access the online application. You can save your progress and return to complete your online application at any time. If you have any questions about applying to Iliff, contact . If you have technical difficulties with the online application, please contact the CollegeNET helpdesk

Application Deadlines

Priority deadline for Summer & Fall quarters: January 31
Fall quarter: July 31
Winter quarter: November 15
Summer quarter: April 30

Transcripts, references, resume & financial plan

Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded to the online application system to expedite the review of your application. Please request official transcripts from every college or university from which you have received credit. Transcripts should be sent directly from the college or university to the Admissions Office: admissions@iliff.edu or 2323 E. Iliff Ave., Denver, CO 80210

References

Three (3) letters of recommendation are requested by the applicant and submitted by the recommendation provider via the online application system. Applicants may submit an optional fourth reference. The letters should address your abilities for graduate study in religion, theology, or ministry. Letters should be solicited from college or university professors who have taught you and are well acquainted with your academic qualifications. If an applicant has been out of college for more than 5 years and is unable to secure academic references, other professional references may be substituted for an academic reference. Applications to the Master of Divinity Program should include a letter that speaks to your ministerial abilities.

Religious leader or field of interest reference
Academic or Professional reference
Academic or Professional reference
Personal/Character reference (optional)

Resume

The résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV) is uploaded and submitted electronically through the online application system. The Admissions Committee is interested in each applicant’s educational and professional history. The résumé provides you with an opportunity to expand on your professional and extracurricular background. In addition to educational and professional experiences, you may utilize your résumé to list academic awards, fellowships or scholarships, volunteer work, publications authored or co-authored, research, and any other pertinent experience.

Financial Plan

Applicants are asked to describe their plans for financing their theological education. This includes explaining denominational relationships, current financial resources, current indebtedness, plans to apply for scholarships, willingness to take out student loans, and any other information that is useful. Admission decisions are not determined from this question. Rather it informs the Admissions Office that the applicant has thoughtfully considered the costs of education and has a financial plan.

Application Essay

The Admissions Essay is uploaded and submitted electronically through the online application system. The admissions essay is an important aspect in the evaluation of your application. Answer the following questions by composing an essay of 4-5 pages (1100-1300 words). Please format your essay with 12 pt font, double spaced, 1 inch margins, and type your name at the top.

Each degree applied for has unique questions that must be answered in the submitted essay. Make sure to select the questions for the degree you are applying for.

Master of Divinity

The admissions essay is an important aspect in the evaluation of your application. Answer the following questions by composing an essay of 4-5 pages (1100-1300 words). Please format your essay with 12 pt font, double spaced, 1 inch margins, and type your name at the top.

What are your academic, professional, and personal reasons for wanting to study at a theological school such as Iliff? Why have you chosen to do so at this time? What type of ministry or community service do you wish to pursue?
Iliff’s central mission is to educate and develop leaders with courageous theological imaginations through its commitment to social justice, inclusiveness, and religious diversity. Which aspect of the Iliff mission statement do you most connect with and why?
One of the characteristics of successful leadership in ministry settings and in the community is meaningful and transformative engagement with difference and diversity. In addition, one of Iliff’s core values is being an institution “aligned with social justice, equality, and wholeness.” Please describe and write about a meaningful engagement or encounter you have personally had with an individual, group, or community that was significantly different from you (whether due to race, class, gender, sexual identity, or other differences). What did you learn about yourself from this experience and how were you challenged/transformed by it? How did you act, and what would you do differently now if faced with a similar situation?

Master of Arts in Social Justice and Ethics

What are your academic, professional, and personal reasons for wanting to study at a theological school such as Iliff and why have you chosen to do so at this time? What type of community service or ministry do you wish to pursue?
One form of motivation used in community organizing is testimonio, or personal testimonial narratives. Tell us one story that serves as an example to explain your motivation for participating in social change. What is your personal connection to social change efforts? (This is meant to be a reflective writing about your core values and life experiences, not a summary of your activities or accomplishments).
One of the characteristics of a successful social change agent is meaningful and transformative engagement with difference and diversity. In addition, one of Iliff’s core values is being an institution “aligned with social justice, equality, and wholeness.” Please describe and write about a meaningful engagement or encounter you have personally had with an individual, group, or community that was significantly different from you (whether due to race, class, gender, sexual identity, or other differences). What did you learn about yourself from this experience and how were you

Master of Arts in Pastoral and Spiritual Care

What are your academic, professional, and personal reasons for wanting to study at a theological school such as Iliff and why have you chosen to do so at this time? What type of ministry or community service do you wish to pursue?
Tell us one story of a time in which you were the person who provided pastoral or spiritual care to someone in need. How did you become involved? Was there anything you would do differently now? What difference did you make in the situation?
One of the characteristics of pastoral care is meaningful and transformative engagement with difference and diversity. In addition, one of Iliff’s core values is being an institution “aligned with social justice, equality, and wholeness.” Please describe and write about a meaningful engagement or encounter you have personally had with an individual, group, or community that was significantly different from you (whether due to race, class, gender, sexual identity, or other differences). What did you learn about yourself from this experience and how were you challenged/transformed by it? How did you act, and what would you do differently now if faced with a similar situation?

Master of Theological Studies

What are your academic, professional, and personal reasons for wanting to study at a theological school such as Iliff?
Reflect on a theological book or scholarly article that has recently interested you, highlighting its connection to your own personal and professional development and its relationship to interdisciplinary study at Iliff.
One of Iliff’s core values is being an institution “aligned with social justice, equality, and wholeness.” Please describe and write about a meaningful engagement or encounter you have personally had with an individual, group, or community that was significantly different from you (whether due to race, class, gender, sexual identity, or other differences). What did you learn about yourself from this experience and how were you challenged/transformed by it? How did you act, and what would you do differently now if faced with a similar situation?

Non-Degree

Please provide a brief statement (1 page) expressing your reasons for wanting to study at Iliff as a Non-Degree.

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Additional Choices

Master of Social Work Cooperative Program

A cooperative arrangement between Iliff School of Theology and the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver allows qualified students to pursue concurrently the Master of Divinity, the Master of Theological Studies, or the Master of Pastoral and Spiritual Care with the Master of Social Work degree. The cooperative degree program offers students the opportunity to apply theological learning to social service settings. Each school allows students to transfer a predetermined number of credits from one degree program into the other, which allows students to complete both degrees in a shorter amount of time. Details are listed in the Master’s Student Handbook.