Summer Language FAQs

Each summer, we offer introductory Greek and Hebrew courses as summer intensive classes. Each summer language course is six credits, a full year of study over the span of eight weeks. The summer language courses will follow a cohort model, facilitating personal connections and thorough instruction.  

The 2025 Summer language courses will be offered in two modalities: 

• Greek Language Course: This course will be conducted entirely online, allowing you to participate from the comfort of your own home. Our online platform is designed to provide interactive lessons, virtual discussions, and personalized feedback from our experienced instructors.  

• Hebrew Language Course: This course will be conducted entirely online, allowing you to participate from the comfort of your own home. Our online platform is designed to provide interactive lessons, virtual discussions, and personalized feedback from our experienced instructors.

Non-degree can apply here. Apply Here  

For those who choose to enroll in a summer language course, you should plan to enroll in a fall semester course in which to continue your new language skills. Consider enrolling in the one-credit OT1153 Hebrew Translation course and/or any Hebrew exegesis course with the prefix OT34XX. For Greek, the options are NT1153 Greek Translation and/or any Greek exegesis course with the prefix NT34XX. 

For those enrolled in degree programs, summer languages at the Seminary count as elective credits. Each summer language course is six credits, usually covered in a full year of study over the span of eight weeks. The course is intensive, and it will require you to focus your time and energy during those eight weeks on the study of the language. You will be doing so, however, with a committed teaching team (a faculty instructor who delivers lectures and designed the course, a PhD student instructor who facilitates the day-to-day aspects of the course, and a teaching assistant who leads your small group time throughout the week. Many students who have not studied any foreign language before can learn biblical Greek or Hebrew with dedication and hard work. An important piece of advice: Because of the intensive format, this course amounts to the work of a full-time job and should be your main priority for the eight weeks of the summer term.

For those enrolled in a PTS degree program, the advantages of taking a summer biblical language course as an incoming student include:

1. Ahead of the early September orientation you will develop a close-knit relationship with a group of Princeton Seminary students, as you experience together the challenges and joys of learning an ancient biblical language.
2. Taking a summer language course as your one object of study for eight weeks allows you to be single-minded in studying Greek or Hebrew without the distractions and demands of several other courses at the same time, as is the case during the full academic year language courses.
3. Taking a summer language course as an incoming student will earn you six credits upfront before the fall semester, which will allow you more flexibility and space for electives during your seminary career.
4. You will immediately be able to enroll in upper-level biblical exegesis courses that require either Greek or Hebrew beginning in your first semester.

The summer language courses will follow a cohort model, facilitating personal connections no matter where you are. Small groups will walk through the material together, engaging many different modes of learning, including: participating in small groups on zoom, watching recorded lecture videos, meeting with a tutor virtually one-on-one, and working through vocabulary and translation exercises independently and at your own pace.

To allow for maximum flexibility to suit a wide variety of learner’s schedules, the bulk of the course will be taught asynchronously, with lectures, exercises, and quizzes watched and completed at a time of each student’s convenience each day. There will also be small group meetings for 90 minutes per day that will be available at different times to suit student schedules, as well as optional meetings for enrichment exercises.

The classes are offered fully online. While students should expect to devote a significant amount of time to the course, the online format will allow students flexibility in how they allocate that time throughout the day than a traditional classroom format. If you have additional questions about the summer language program, please email admissions@ptsem.edu.

For those in degree programs who choose to enroll in a summer language course, you should plan to enroll in a fall semester course in which to continue your new language skills. You may keep your Hebrew fresh through the one-credit OT1153 Hebrew Translation course and/or with any Hebrew exegesis course with the prefix OT34XX. For Greek, the options are NT1153 Greek Translation and/or any Greek exegesis course with the prefix NT34XX.

Cost for external (non-degree) students: $3,570 for 6 semester credits ($595/credit hour)

• $50 application fee
• $250 deposit payment due after admission to confirm placement in the program (before June 13)
• Full payment (minus nonrefundable $250 deposit) due by the first day of the course to officially enroll (June 23); 50% refundable until June 30 (no refunds after June 30).

For Entering or Returning Students:

Summer language courses are billed on a per-credit basis. For 2025, the cost per credit is $805, so the total cost of summer language is $4,830. However, the same scholarship that you have for the normal academic year is also applied to the summer. Any costs left over are due at the start of the summer session (June 23).

Someone with a full tuition scholarship would not be responsible for any payment toward summer tuition.

Once you have a network account, you can view and pay your bill on the Bursar’s page of Inside PTS (our internal website).