Entering Student FAQs

Yes, summer housing will be available to those students who begin the MTE program, Master’s or PhD degree students enrolling in Summer Greek or Hebrew language courses may be eligible for housing based on availability. All other incoming entering students will need to wait until the end of August to move into Seminary housing.

We will do our best to accommodate housing preferences, and we encourage you to complete your housing application early. Housing for incoming students will be subject to availability, and those who apply late may be placed on a waiting list.

The Housing Office offers three housing options: Brown Hall (a residence hall on the main campus), and apartment-style housing in Witherspoon and CRW apartments (on the Charlotte Rachel Wilson Campus).

Brown Hall is recently renovated. There are 53 single rooms with private bathrooms. All rooms are air-conditioned, carpeted, come fully furnished with a twin-size XL bed, desk, chair, nightstand, chest of drawers, bookcase, and a micro fridge. Laundry facilities and bike storage are located in the basement, a kitchen is located off the first-floor lounge, and each floor has a lounge with sofas, tables, chairs, a full-size refrigerator, and a TV.

There are one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartments available in our various apartment buildings. All apartments are unfurnished with a full kitchen and private bathroom(s). Please see the Housing page for more information on campus and building amenities.

Housing plays an important role in your seminary experience. We hope our housing options will provide you with a place to call “home.”

Residents of Brown Hall will receive breakfast and lunch at the Mackay Campus Center Monday through Friday during the academic year as part of their housing package. Additionally, residents have the option to purchase a voluntary dinner plan, available Monday through Thursday. All other meals are the responsibility of the student.

All entering students residing in CRW and Witherspoon will receive three lunches per week in the Mackay Campus Center, Monday through Friday during the academic year.

We will do our best to accommodate housing requests, and we ask for your patience as we try to accommodate as many students as possible. Incoming students will hear from the Housing Office by mid June. At that time, we will give you all the information you need about where you will be living in the fall.

• Entering MTE Student move in: May 23, 9am-1:00pm. 
• International Students move-in: Monday, August 25, and Tuesday, August 26
• CRW/ Witherspoon domestic students move-in: Wednesday, August 27th and Thursday, August 28th 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.
• Brown Hall domestic residents move-in: Friday, August 29th 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Please contact Housing, pts.housing@ptsem.edu with your questions and concerns about move-in dates and accommodations.  

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.

In order to register for classes, including summer language, you need to complete the enrollment steps outlined in your student portal. We recognize that there may be delays getting immunization clearances, but you must have your final transcripts and enrollment survey completed before you can register for summer language. Your immunization clearance must be complete before you arrive on campus.

Registration for summer language opens February 24. Once enrollment steps are complete, entering students interested in registering for summer language should email the Registrar at registrar@ptsem.edu, stating their interest in enrolling for either summer Greek or Hebrew.

Registration for the fall semester will be open to entering students following the June advising session where you will be provided details on courses, registration process, and next steps. You will receive an email from the Registrar with instructions about how to access the registration module and select your classes. You should complete all enrollment steps by July 1 to ensure you can register for classes before the add drop period ends on September 19th.

Summer languages and all language study at the Seminary count as elective credits. Each summer language course is six credits, a full year of study over the span of eight weeks. The course is intense, 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 professor or instructor, and a PhD student teaching assistant) dedicated to helping you be successful in learning how to read the Bible in its original language. Many students who have not studied any foreign language before can learn biblical Greek and Hebrew with dedication and hard work. An important piece of advice: If you do take the summer language course, you should definitely not plan on working even a part-time job alongside the course.

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. Learning a foreign language requires focus and dedication. 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.

On the other hand, an intense eight-week course is not for everyone. If your learning style favors learning in smaller increments over a longer time, then the summer intensive language course may not be a good choice for you. You may wish to consider taking your language during the academic year in the fall and spring semesters.

The summer language courses will follow a cohort model, facilitating personal connections and thorough instruction.

The 2025 Summer language courses will be offered in Online Blended modality:

• 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. You will also attend 90 minute daily virtual sessions of instruction and interaction with classmates and 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. You will also attend 90 minute daily virtual live sessions of instruction and interaction with classmates and instructors.

• 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.

Summer language courses are billed on a per-credit basis. For 2024, the cost per credit is $805, so the total cost of summer language is $4,830. However, the same scholarship/grant 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 24).

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

PTSEM Academic Calendar

Registration for entering MDiv, MACEF, MDiv/MACEF Dual, MTS, and ThM students will open on Tuesday, June 17^th.  Academic Affairs will host virtual advising sessions (zoom) throughout the summer that entering students should attend prior to registering for classes.  Attending an advising session is a crucial step in preparing for your first semester where you will be provided with details on courses, the registration process, and important next steps.  Students will receive an email with instructions on how to register for a session.  Students must register for an advising session in order to receive the access link.  If students cannot attend an advising session, they are encouraged to email advising@ptsem.edu.

• Tuesday, June 17th at 2:00 pm ET (MDiv, MACEF, Dual Degree)

• Wednesday, June 18th at 2:00 pm ET (MTS, ThM)

• Tuesday, July 15th at 2:00 pm ET (MDiv, MACEF, Dual Degree)

• Wednesday, July 16th at 2:00 pm ET (MTS, ThM)

• Tuesday, August 19th at 2:00 pm ET (final session for MDiv, MACEF, Dual Degree, MTS, ThM)

Registration for entering MTE students will open on Thursday, April 24^th.  Academic Affairs will host a virtual advising session (zoom) open to MTE students only, where students can learn more about their academic program, details on courses, and the registration process.  Students must register for the advising session in order to receive the access link.  If students cannot attend the advising session they are encouraged to email advising@ptsem.edu.

• Thursday, April 24th at 2:00 pm ET (MTE only)

Registration for entering MA(TJPL) students will open on Wednesday, June 4^th.  Academic Affairs will host a virtual advising session (zoom) open to MA(TJPL) students only, where students can learn more about their academic program, details on courses, and important dates.  Students will also confirm registration with Advising during the session.  Students must register for the advising session in order to receive the access link.  If students cannot attend the advising session they are encouraged to email advising@ptsem.edu.

Wednesday, June 4th at 7:30 pm ET (MA(TJPL) only) Advising Sessions are open to entering students while they are in the confirmed or enrolled stage of enrollment.  However, students will be unable to register for classes until all enrollment steps are completed.  Please contact admissions@ptsem.edu regarding any questions on your enrollment status.

Program guides are available on the Registrar’s page of the main website and you can access the Course Catalogue online. Each academic program has a designated academic advisor who will support them with first semester registration.  Students are strongly encouraged to attend an advising session hosted by Academic Affairs to learn more about courses to enroll in. Students will also have an opportunity to connect with their dedicated academic advisor at the advising session.

Entering students will receive an email from Advising with information regarding the virtual advising sessions hosted by Academic Affairs.  Students may register for a session that corresponds with their degree program.  Students are encouraged to attend advising sessions regardless of where they are in their admission status (confirmed or enrolled).  Please go to the application portal to view more information.

We bill tuition, fees, housing, health insurance, etc. for the entire semester upfront, and the bill needs to be taken care of (by financial aid, monthly payment plan, or a direct payment) prior to the start of classes on September 1. Fall billing usually takes place in late July/early August, and you will receive an email from the bursar with instructions of how to view your account and pay your balance online.

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

The Direct Deposit information remains the same.

Yes! The Seminary encourages all students to set up Direct Deposit. Once you have a network account and can access Inside PTS, there is a form to complete so that any student account refund you receive would be by Direct Deposit. Students are encouraged to set up Direct Deposit as early as possible, and the form to do so is available at this link.

If you believe that your previous undergraduate studies would qualify you for advanced placement for any required introductory course(s) (i.e., OT2101 Orientation to Old Testament Studies and NT2101 Introduction to the New Testament, you must apply. Detailed information will be posted in the fall registration documentation, which will be available in the summer.

You may place out of introductory Greek and/or Hebrew by taking a placement exam. The Greek and Hebrew placement tests will be administered during Fall Orientation. Detailed information will be posted in the fall registration documentation, which will be available in the summer.

An admitted student who wishes to transfer credits and has completed graduate coursework in a program conducted by a school accredited by a recognized accrediting organization may apply through the office of the registrar. Transfer of credit is ordinarily reviewed in August and students are required to submit syllabi for any course that they wish to transfer from another institution. Detailed information will be posted in the fall registration documentation, which will be available in the summer.

The MDiv/MSW Dual-Degree program meeting is ordinarily scheduled during the first full week in October, where you will have an opportunity to meet with the Rutgers team as well as the PTS team to hear first-hand how the program works from start to finish.