YWAM Partnership - Gordon Conwell

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Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Partnership

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is proud to partner with YWAM in equipping you to fulfill your ministry calling. Together, we are a thoughtful, loving, Christ-centered community of global discipleship.

YWAM staff (full-time and part-time) can receive a tuition discount of 40% per course.

YOUTH WITH A MISSION (YWAM) ADMISSION

Tier One: Mature Admission to the Certificate in Christian Studies

This path is for applicants who have served with YWAM for many years but who have not completed sufficient coursework at the University of the Nations to meet the requirements of applying at Tier Two. Applicants in this group will follow the standard Mature Admission policy to be considered for the Certificate in Christian Studies.

Tier Two: Mature Admission to a Certificate or Master's Program

This path is for applicants who are YWAM staff members who are in good standing, have served a minimum of two years on staff with the SBS and have completed an associate degree or a minimum of 84 credits* on their UofN transcript. These applicants can apply to any certificate or master’s program, excluding the Master of Arts in Counseling, Master of Arts in Christian Counseling, and the Master of Theology.

Regardless of the program selected, applicants must meet the requirements of a full master’s application, and their professional reference should be their SBS supervisor. The pastoral reference should also include a church endorsement. If accepted, applicants will be logged in Gordon-Conwell’s Student Information System (SONIS) as Mature Admission and be required to take CT500 in their first semester.

*Note in reviewing UofN transcripts: 

University of the Nations courses are usually packaged as 3-month, 12-credit blocks.  An associate degree with the UofN requires 84 credits, as opposed to the 60 credits from associate degrees from other schools. In terms of the actual courses that incoming students would be required to complete, the following can be referred to: Discipleship Training School (DTS), 24 credits; School of Biblical Studies (SBS), 36 credits. The remaining 24 credits can come from either electives (2) or seminars (the number will vary depending on the seminar). 

Tier Three: Standard Admission to a Master's Program

This path is for applicants who have completed the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree (184 credits) with the University of the Nations. These applicants can apply directly to a master’s program and will not be logged in SONIS as Mature Admission, nor do they need to have staff experience with SBS.

Applicants who have obtained the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree at UofN may apply to any degree program as a standard applicant. Additionally, Gordon-Conwell can accept up to nine graduate credits to be transferred into most master’s programs as elective credits providing the courses are appropriate matches for seminary study.

Make the most of your training through YWAM.

Up to half of your MACM could be accomplished by transcribing YWAM training courses through Gordon-Conwell.

The MA in Christian Ministries (MACM) emphasizes practical ministry skills. The MA in Theological Studies (MATS) emphasizes academic preparation for ministry or further scholarship. Both degrees are extremely flexible—allowing you to include the maximum amount of your existing training and developing your own ministry focus.

Master of Arts in Christian Ministries (MACM)


Up to 8 / 16 courses (24 / 48 credit hours) towards the MACM through YWAM Training.

Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS)

Up to 12 / 20 courses (36 / 60 credit hours) towards the MATS through YWAM Training.

Master of Divinity (MDIV)

Up to 12 / 30 courses (36 / 90 credit hours) towards the M.Div. through YWAM Training.

Complete Your Degree Online

Most of our degree programs (excluding counseling) can be completed 100% online. You can get a flavor for studying online by investigating some of the courses offered digitally this upcoming term:

Lay Counseling

What’s Next?

1. Transcription

I want to transcribe my YWAM courses through Gordon-Conwell.

Special Instructions

To transcribe credit through Gordon-Conwell, you first need to apply as a “Non-Degree Seeking” student. This will allow you to begin transcribing credit without submitting all of the requirements of a full application to one of our master’s degree programs.


Shortened-Application Requirements

After creating an application and supplying basic biographic information on the first page, you will only need to complete the following sections:

  • Program & Campus

    We recommend selecting “Online Experience” from the educational experience section under Campus. This will connect you with the Charlotte campus of Gordon-Conwell which oversees our YWAM partnership. For the program, please select “Non-Degree Seeking.”

  • Ministry Partners

    Please be sure to select “YWAM” from the list of consortiums (partnerships) and supply your staff entry date.

  • Educational Background

    Please fill out this section as normal, and send Gordon-Conwell your official transcripts. Click here for further instructions »

You are not required to supply any references or written essays as a YWAM staff applying as a “Non-Degree Seeking” student. You may skip this portion of the application.

2. Student

I want to begin a degree program through Gordon-Conwell.

Have Questions?

Someone from our friendly admissions team would be happy to reach out to you.