Academic Admission Procedures And Academic Policies

Academic admission applications are available from the Registrar’s Office and may be requested by contacting the Assistant Registrar, Erin Passmore, at erin.passmore@utoronto.ca. The academic application consists of a personal information form, a letter of intent and three letters of recommendation. Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (please see explanation below) are to be sent to the St. Augustine’s Seminary Registrar. Proof of Canadian citizenship, permanent residency or International Student Study Permit must be provided with the application and a non-refundable application fee of $25.00. Only complete academic applications will be forwarded to the Admissions Council. Students wishing to take courses of interest or to audit courses should contact the Registrar.

Official Transcripts Required for Admission

An "official" transcript is a transcript sent from one institution to another institution. At no point does such a transcript pass through the student's hands. Official transcripts are required from all previous post- secondary institutions that the applicant has attended, whether or not a degree program was completed at that institution. For example, if a student attended university A and then switched to university B, which granted transfer credit for the work done at A and eventually conferred the degree, official transcripts from both universities are required. If a student has completed credits for a thesis or independent study, detailed documentation must be provided to the Registrar concerning the topic(s) covered. Received supporting documents become the property of St. Augustine’s Seminary and cannot be returned or forwarded.

There are three methods by which official transcripts may be received by the Seminary:

•       an official e-transcript service (e.g., E-Script or Parchment), or

•       a printed transcript (sent directly to the Seminary from the issuing institution) by regular postal mail, or

•       a printed transcript (sent directly to the Seminary from the issuing institution) by courier service.

Academic Application Deadlines

  • September Start – First Term: July 15th

    January Start – Second Term: November 30th

  • Summer Session Start First Semester: March 30th

  • Summer Session Start Second Semester: May 30th

  • Request for Fall Convocation: August 15th

Registrar

Student Handbooks

The St. Augustine’s Student Handbooks are available on our website in our Current Students section or can be accessed by clicking here. There are two handbooks: a Conjoint Student Handbook and a Non-Conjoint Student Handbook. These handbooks provide information on Student Web Services, Payments, Email Policy, Student Services, St. Augustine’s Student Code of Conduct, Student Grievance Policy, Copyright Access, Extended Health Services, and SAS Policy on Discrimination and Harassment.

Duration of Studies

The time for completing a degree or diploma program will be planned in consultation with the academic adviser at the beginning of the student’s program. Except in extraordinary circumstances, the duration for completing a degree program must not exceed eight academic years. Formation program requirements for the ordination stream may increase the duration by 2-3 years.

Leave of Absence

A student in a degree program may be granted up to one calendar year of parental, health, or compassionate leave. This period of leave does not count towards the maximum number of years during which the student must complete his or her program.

Academic Probation

When a student is admitted to studies at the Seminary with an academic record that contains low marks, acceptance may be conditional upon successful completion of the first term or year of studies. In these circumstances, the student will be "on academic probation". The Admissions Committee will review the academic record of the student after the set period of time and determine if the student is eligible to continue in the degree program.

Students may also be placed on academic probation as a result of a low cumulative average for the term. Academic probation is determined and reviewed by the Academic Dean of St. Augustine’s Seminary.

Advanced Standing, Shared Credits and Transfer Credits

St. Augustine’s Seminary follows the policies of the Association of Theological Schools and the Toronto School of Theology for the granting of advanced standing credits, shared credits, and transfer credits. Requests of this type are to be made in consultation with the Registrar.

Advanced Standing may be offered with or without credit reduction. Advanced standing without credit reduction is referred to in TST policy as “advanced placement.” Advanced standing with credit reduction is determined by an appropriate written and/or oral assessment of the student’s knowledge, competence, or skills to determine equivalency to what would normally be provided by the specific course for which they would receive advanced standing. Advanced Standing with credit cannot be automatically granted on the basis of ministerial or life experience or the content of undergraduate work. If advanced standing is granted with credit on the basis of appropriate evaluation, not more than one-third (ATS Standard 3.13) of the total credits required for an A.T.S. approved degree may be granted in this way.

Shared Credits refers to credits that were obtained through another completed graduate degree program that St. Augustine’s has determined it will accept toward its own degree program. The following rule applies: not more than half (TST) of the lesser degree will be transferred, and not more than half of the credits required for the current degree will be granted on the basis of shared credits (or transfer credits). Note that TST includes the concept of “shared credits” within its policy on Advanced Standing.

Transfer Credits refer to credits obtained from a degree program that the student did not complete/graduate from at an equivalent academic institution. Students transferring from equivalent academic institutions are required to complete at least 2 semesters of full-time studies (10 one-semester courses) at St. Augustine's to be eligible for the degree.

Course descriptions must accompany transfer credit requests, and official transcripts are required from the institution. The accreditation of the institution must be by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada or its equivalent. Only credits not applied to another degree are eligible for transfer (If credits were applied to another completed degree, see policy on Shared Credits above). Unapplied credits may only be transferred for courses completed within the eight years preceding initial registration in a degree program. Please refer to the Toronto School of Theology Basic Degree Handbook or contact the St. Augustine’s Seminary Registrar for further information.

Coursework Extensions

Students are to complete all coursework and exams according to the professor's course syllabus. A seminarian who wishes to request an extension to submit work beyond the end of examination week in a term must first receive formational approval from the Rector. All other academic students requesting an extension to submit work beyond the end of examination week in a term must receive the permission of the professor and the Academic Dean. This request is to be made before the final exam week. Once approval has been received, the student should contact the Registrar to complete the administrative procedures for the extension.

Course Load

Full-time students are normally required to take five courses per semester but must take at least four courses to receive full-time status per semester. A student may be allowed to enroll in six courses per semester with the permission of the Academic Dean. Part-time students take three or fewer courses per semester.

A minimum grade of 70% (B-) is required to pass any course. Attendance at the classes is obligatory; the student must report any absence to the professor of the course, and seminarians to the Dean of Students.

Transcript Requests and Release of Student Information

St. Augustine’s Seminary does not release the official transcripts of its students without the expressed permission of the student. The cost of an official transcript is included in the fee schedule. The student and not a third party must request letters from the Registrar verifying the eligibility for graduation. Personal or academic information about a student is not provided to public requests. St. Augustine’s students are not part of the University of Toronto transcript module. You may request an official transcript through our website: staugustines.on.ca/transcripts.

Outstanding Fees/Financial Holds: Transcripts will not be released for students with outstanding financial obligations to St. Augustine’s Seminary or the University of Toronto.Policies & Procedures

St. Augustine’s Seminary, in conjunction with the other member colleges of the Toronto School of Theology, has agreed upon the policies and procedures as outlined in the Toronto School of Theology Basic Degree Handbook available at www.tst.edu/academic/resources-forms/handbooks. Where a circumstance is not covered, the University of Toronto Rules and Regulations apply.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Please refer to the Current Student - Financial Information page.