Academic Information
Academic Calendar
The normal academic year consists of two 14-week semesters and usually a few weeks of interim courses in the two semesters. Normally, the first semester begins in July; the second semester begins in November. Traditionally, the academic calendar is as follows:
- The First Semester Begin : The 1st week of July
- The Second Semester Begin : The 2nd week of November
More detailed academic calendars are available on the GSBT’s website.
GSBT Hours of Operation
GSBT Office is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Most classes are taught Monday through Saturday on the online website. The each lesson will be opened for each week. It means that all the student must attend their class within every week to finish.
Grading System
GSBT employs a common set of marks to indicate student achievement in a course. The course syllabi detail specific requirements for each level of achievement. The following criteria are used in assigning a final grade:
- A – Excellent; superior achievement of course objectives.
- B – Good; commendable achievement of course objectives.
- C – Satisfactory; acceptable achievement of course objectives.
- D – Poor; marginal achievement of course objectives.
- F – Failure to advance in the course to the extent necessary for credit to be given.
- W – Withdrawal; official permission granted to withdraw from the course after the final date for dropping a course.
- P – Pass; adequate achievement of course objectives, but no grade points given.
- AU – Audit; no grade points given.
- I – Incomplete; a temporary extension granted as defined in the
“Policy for Incompletes.”
Grades have been assigned the following numerical values for the purpose of computing the grade point average:
Grade points per subject are determined by multiplying the grade points assigned to the letter grade earned, times the number of credit hours assigned to the course. A student’s semester and cumulative grade-point average are computed by dividing the total grade points earned by the number of attempted hours.
Grade Reports and Appeals
Students can access an unofficial copy of their transcript through the GSBT’s online student management system. If there are any discrepancies between the transcript and the student’s personal records, these should be reported to the registrar. Students have six months from the end of the semester to appeal any grade recorded on their transcript for that semester. After this six-month period, all grades will be considered final.
Academic Probation
At the end of each academic term, students who do not maintain the required GPA for their program (ThM/PhD = 3.0) will receive a notification from the registrar about their declining performance, even if their cumulative GPA is still above the minimum. It’s important for students to take this warning seriously and work to improve their GPA in the next term. If a student’s GPA falls below the minimum for graduation, they will be placed on academic probation and given two semesters to raise their average to the required level or to show significant progress to the satisfaction of the registrar and Academic Dean. Failure to make sufficient progress may result in termination from the program. Funding sources, such as the GSBT Scholarship Committee, will be informed immediately if a student receiving funds is terminated.
Enrollment in Courses
Enrollment periods for the first semester and the second semester are established as defined in the academic calendar. All returning students are required to enroll in their desired courses during these two registration periods; Students can enroll through GSBT’s online student management system. Late enrollment will be penalized at 5% of the total tuition costs. Enrollment in Independent Study courses must be administered by the registrar and are not subject to the late enrollment fee.
Tuition and Fees
GSBT is committed to providing affordable, solid seminary training to its students for the good of the churches and seminaries. Students are charged $200 per credit hour. The tuition rate is subject to change by approval of the faculty. Students are invoiced for tuition costs at the beginning of each semester; there are two payment due dates corresponding to the two semester invoicing periods:
- for all courses within the first semester, tuition is due June 30.
- for all courses within the second semester, tuition is due November 10.
Special fees include the following:
- Application fee: $50 (non-refundable)
- Accepted student deposit: $50 (confirming accepted student’s decision to enroll and is applied towards student’s tuition)
- Late enrollment fee for returning students: 5% of total semester tuition cost.
- Graduation fee of $50 to be charged in student’s final semester. This fee is applied even if the student does not attend the graduation ceremony. If payment of tuition and fees is not received prior to the beginning of the following semester, or if an approved payment plan is not in place, the student may be prohibited from enrolling in further courses. The low cost of education at GSBT is part of the seminary’s commitment to reach out to others to provide a solid ministerial training for the good of the universal church of Christ Jesus.
Tuition Refund of Dropped/Withdrawn Courses
A student dropping or withdrawing from an individual course may receive the following refund on tuition:
For all the study courses:
- Within two weeks, an 50% refund is granted
- After two weeks, no refund is granted.
For scholarship students, the above drop/add policy applies.
Final Examinations
Final examinations are given during an announced exam week at the conclusion of each academic term. If applicable, exams for all courses will be administered during each course’s regularly appointed time slot for that semester. Students are expected to take examinations at this time. Excuses for absence from a final examination and requests to reschedule an exam are to be presented to the professor prior to the scheduled time of the examination unless unforeseen circumstances make prior notice impossible.
Commencement and Placement
A student can only graduate once all program requirements are fulfilled and a graduation checklist form has been submitted to the registrar. In exceptional cases, with approval from both the Academic Dean and the registrar, a student may participate in commencement exercises even if they have incomplete coursework. However, the diploma will not be awarded until all requirements are completed. Students eligible for a degree are expected to attend the commencement ceremony unless they have strong reasons to be absent; in such cases, they will receive their degree without attending. Commencement usually takes place on the second Tuesday after the last final exam of the second semester. Graduation regalia will be provided for students. Faculty and administration are available to assist students with necessary paperwork, records, and recommendation letters for further graduate studies or job applications.