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.

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

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: the Conjoint Student Handbook and the Non-Conjoint Student Handbook. These Handbooks provide information on ACORN information, 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

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 it does not cover a circumstance, the University of Toronto Rules and Regulations are applied.

Advanced Standing, Shared Credits and Transfer Credits

St. Augustine’s Seminary follows the policies of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada 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 with credit is determined by an appropriate written and/or oral assessment of the student’s knowledge, competence, or skills that 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-fourth of the total credits required for an A.T.S. approved degree may be granted in this way.

Shared Credits: Credits that were applied to another graduate degree program that St. Augustine’s has determined it will accept to its own degree program. The following rule applies: not more than half of the lesser degree will be transferred, and not more than half of the credits required for the current degree are granted on the basis of transfer credits.

Transfer Credits: 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 in order 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. 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.

Standing Deferred – SDF (Extensions)

Students are to complete all course work 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 must receive the permission of the Academic Dean.

Once approval has been received, the student should:

· Obtain a standing deferred [SDF] request form from the Registrar, complete the top portion of the form, and take it to the Academic Dean for his signature.

· If approved, take the form to the professor of the course for approval; the professor completes the bottom portion of the form.

· Ensure that the St. Augustine’s Seminary Registrar has a copy of the SDF form in case of a discrepancy in the academic records.

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. Requests by mail or by fax will be accepted but not processed until the financial HOLD is removed from their record.

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.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Please refer to the Current Student - Financial Information page.