International applicants interested in the Master of Arts in Ministry (M.A.M.) or Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) degree require an undergraduate university-level degree. International applicants interested in the Master of Sacred Music (M.S.M.) degree must hold a Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Music Education degree. International applicants for the Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree require successful completion of an Association of Theological Schools-accredited degree at the master's level requiring at least 2 years of full-time study or the equivalent credential from an institution outside the U.S. and Canada.

The degree should be completed with a B-minus average or above.

References from church and academic leaders who know the applicant well and can testify to the applicant's seriousness of purpose, maturity, and capability.

In addition to the standard requirements for admission, applicants who have not previously studied in English must verify their English proficiency with a minimum score of 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) on the TOEFL or 100 (internet-based). The SMU school code for submitting TOEFL scores is 6660. These scores may be submitted in any of various ways at the direction of the Office of Admission depending on available resources. Beyond TOEFL proficiency, typing and/or computer skills are essential.
a 3.0 overall grade-point average, and a satisfactory score on the GRE.