How to enter a theological seminary: documents and exams

It may seem to many that any believer can serve in the church and eventually receive the highest rank, but not everything is so simple. Today, even people with a certain education are accepted into the clergy. To have prospects for growth in the Russian Orthodox Church, a person must graduate from a special theological seminary. Only those who meet specific criteria are allowed to enter. Studying at the theological seminary is open to men who are in their first marriage or single.

Currently, the education that graduates of the seminary receive is equivalent to a bachelor's degree according to the international classification, that is, it is higher. For Russian citizens, the training programs are free, and for foreigners only a paid department with a limited number of places is open. After graduation, graduates are allowed to work as priests within the Russian Federation, as well as help parishioners on behalf of the Orthodox Church.

Basic entry requirements

Education received at the seminary is defined as higher education and, according to European standards, is assigned to a bachelor's degree. Education for citizens of the country is free. Only after fully completing the seminary courses can a person get a job as a priest in Russia and begin helping people within the Orthodox Church.

Any Orthodox citizen between the ages of 18 and 35 can enter the seminary. Such a person must necessarily be a church member.

Bachelor's degree

a) admission rules approved by the organization independently

Rules for admission to the Religious Organization - the spiritual educational organization of higher education "Kolomna Theological Seminary" of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church for the 2022-2023 academic year

b) the number of places for admission to study under various conditions of admission:

Full-time education:

By directions:

• 03/48/01 – Theology, profile “Practical Theology of Orthodoxy” – 12 places
• Training of ministers and religious personnel of religious organizations - 9 places

Extramural studies:

Towards:

• Training of ministers and religious personnel of religious organizations - 20 places

All places are paid for under contracts for the provision of educational services (at the expense of the Moscow Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church)

c) information on the timing of admission, including the start and end dates for accepting documents required for admission, conducting entrance examinations, and completing the acceptance of applications for consent to enrollment at each stage of enrollment

Submission of applications for consent to enrollment - until August 3, 2022;

Issuance of the enrollment order is due by August 9, 2022.

d) according to various conditions of admission. List of priorities for entrance examinations when ranking lists of applicants

Full-time education:

48.03.01 Theology / Practical theology of Orthodoxy (bachelor's degree)

Full-time, correspondence courses:

Bachelor's degree programs aimed at training ministers and religious personnel of religious organizations / Orthodox Theology (bachelor's degree)

Minimum points confirming successful completion of the entrance test (maximum number of points – 100 points)

1. Comprehensive Exam – 51 points
2. Interview – 51 points
3. Russian language – Unified State Exam / Seminary internal exam – 36 points
4. History – Unified State Exam / Seminary internal exam – 32 points

e) programs of entrance examinations conducted by the organization independently;

Link to the entrance examination program (Appendix 2 of the Admission Rules)

f) information about places for receiving documents required for admission

List of documents for admission

The documents required for admission are submitted by the applicant or the person to whom the applicant has been granted the appropriate authority (hereinafter referred to as the authorized representative), by directly submitting documents to the admissions committee of the Kolomna Theological Seminary at the address:

Moscow region, Kolomna city, st. Golutvinskaya house 11, Staro-Golutvin Epiphany Monastery, room. 211

Monday - Friday from 9:00 to 17:00

e-mail

Reception of the rector (secretary)

g) information about postal addresses

140406 Moscow region, Kolomna, st. Golutvinskaya house 11, Staro-Golutvin Epiphany Monastery

Kolomna Theological Seminary does not accept documents through post offices.

h) information about email addresses for sending documents required for admission in electronic form

The opportunity to send documents required for admission in electronic form exists in the personal account of the electronic information and educational environment of the Religious organization - spiritual educational organization of higher education "Kolomenskaya Theological Seminary" of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church - https://do.kpds.ru/login /index.php

i) information on conducting entrance examinations using remote technologies.

7.3. The seminary conducts entrance examinations in person and (or) using remote technologies in accordance with the epidemiological situation (subject to the identification of applicants when they pass the entrance examinations; identification of the identity of the applicant who has been contacted by visual comparison of the applicant’s face with the person depicted in the photograph in the document, identification).

j) information about the need for applicants to undergo a mandatory preliminary medical examination (examination)

Based on Part 11 of Article 87 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ, the Seminary introduces restrictions for applicants by age, gender, and religion. Males of the Orthodox faith under the age of 35 years (for part-time studies up to 50 years old) are accepted for full-time study before the date of publication of the last enrollment order, who are unmarried or married in their first marriage and who do not have canonical obstacles to accepting the sacred sana

Applicants provide the original medical certificate 086/U with additional information (Admission Rules clause 7.4.1 clause 10) . In addition, the admissions test schedule allots an additional 1 day for the applicant to undergo a mandatory preliminary medical examination, the purpose of which is to analyze the state of health (individual characteristics) and assess the psychophysical indicators of the applicant.

k) rules for filing and considering appeals based on the results of entrance examinations conducted by the organization independently;

Based on the results of the entrance examinations conducted by the Seminary independently, the applicant has the right to submit a written appeal to the appeal commission about a violation, in his opinion, of the established procedure for conducting the test and/or disagreement with his (their) results.

The rules for filing and considering appeals are regulated by the Regulations on the Appeal Commission of the Seminary. During the consideration of the appeal, compliance with the established procedure for conducting the entrance test and (or) the correctness of assessing the results of the entrance test conducted by the seminary independently is checked.

l) information about special rights and benefits specified in paragraphs 33, 37 and 38 of the Procedure

— subject to successful completion of entrance examinations and other things being equal, preferential right of enrollment is granted to the following persons:

1) orphans and children left without parental care, as well as persons from among orphans and children left without parental care;

2) disabled children, disabled people of groups I and II;

3) citizens under the age of twenty who have only one parent - a disabled person of group I, if the average per capita family income is below the subsistence level established in the constituent entity of the Russian Federation at the place of residence of these citizens;

4) citizens who were exposed to radiation as a result of the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and who are subject to the Law of the Russian Federation of May 15, 1991 N 1244-I “On the social protection of citizens exposed to radiation as a result of the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant”;

5) children of military personnel who died while performing their military service duties or who died as a result of injury (wounds, trauma, concussion) or diseases received by them while performing the duties of military service, including when participating in counter-terrorism operations and (or) other activities fight against terrorism;

6) children of deceased (deceased) Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation and full holders of the Order of Glory;

7) children of employees of internal affairs bodies, the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, institutions and bodies of the penal system, compulsory enforcement authorities of the Russian Federation, the federal fire service of the State Fire Service, authorities for control of the circulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, customs authorities , the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, those who died (died) as a result of injury or other damage to health received in connection with the performance of official duties, or as a result of an illness they received during their service in the specified institutions and bodies, and children who were their dependents;

children of prosecutorial employees who died (died) as a result of injury or other damage to health received during their service in the prosecutor's office or after dismissal due to harm to health in connection with their official activities;

9) military personnel who undergo military service under a contract and whose continuous duration of military service under a contract is at least three years, as well as citizens who have completed military service by conscription and are entering training on the recommendations of commanders issued to citizens in the manner established by the federal executive body authorities and federal government bodies in which military service is provided for by federal law;

10) citizens who served for at least three years under contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies in military positions and were dismissed from military service on the grounds provided for in subparagraphs “b” - “d” of paragraph 1 , subparagraph “a” of paragraph 2 and subparagraphs “a” - “c” of paragraph 3 of Article 51 of the Federal Law of March 28, 1998 N 53-FZ “On Military Duty and Military Service”;

11) disabled war veterans, combatants, as well as combat veterans from among the persons specified in subparagraphs 1 - 4 of paragraph 1 of Article 3 of the Federal Law of January 12, 1995 N 5-FZ “On Veterans”;

12) citizens who directly participated in tests of nuclear weapons, radioactive military substances in the atmosphere, nuclear weapons underground, in exercises with the use of such weapons and radioactive military substances before the date of actual termination of these tests and exercises, direct participants in the elimination of radiation accidents at nuclear installations surface and underwater ships and other military facilities, direct participants in the conduct and support of work on the collection and disposal of radioactive substances, as well as direct participants in the liquidation of the consequences of these accidents (military personnel and civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, military personnel of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Federation or federal government bodies, military personnel and employees of the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, persons who served in the railway troops and other military formations, employees of the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation and the federal fire service of the State Fire Service);

13) military personnel, employees of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation, the penal system, the federal fire service of the State Fire Service, who performed tasks in conditions of armed conflict in the Chechen Republic and in adjacent territories classified as zone armed conflict, and the specified military personnel performing tasks during counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region.

m) information about special rights specified in paragraphs 34-36 of the Procedure

3.1. The Seminary has established special rights and benefits for the winners and prize-winners of the All-Russian Olympiad for schoolchildren, Olympiads for schoolchildren of levels I – III, held for grade 11 in a general education subject corresponding to the field of study. 3.2. The seminary establishes compliance of the main educational program in the areas of training: 03/48/01 Theology, Training of ministers and religious personnel of religious organizations with the following profiles of the All-Russian Olympiad:

o) information on the procedure for recording individual achievements of applicants

4.1. Applicants for training have the right to provide information about their individual achievements, the results of which are taken into account when applying for training. Individual achievements are taken into account by awarding points for individual achievements and (or) as an advantage in case of equal criteria for ranking the lists of applicants.

These points are awarded to the applicant who has submitted documents confirming the receipt of the results of individual achievements, and are included in the amount of competitive points. The applicant submits documents confirming receipt of the results of individual achievements.

4.2. When admitted to undergraduate programs, an applicant may be awarded no more than 10 points in total for the following individual achievements:

o) information on the possibility of passing entrance examinations conducted by the organization independently, in the language of the republic of the Russian Federation on the territory of which the organization is located, in a foreign language

Entrance tests at the Religious Organization - the spiritual educational organization of the Kolomna Theological Seminary are conducted only in Russian

p) information on the specifics of conducting entrance tests for persons with disabilities and people with disabilities

Religious organization - spiritual educational organization of higher education "Kolomna Theological Seminary" of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church provides entrance examinations for applicants from among persons with disabilities and (or) disabled people, taking into account the characteristics of their psychophysical development, their individual capabilities and health status ( individual characteristics), in accordance with clause 11 of Article 87 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Education in the Russian Federation” (See Admission Rules clause 9)

c) information about the availability of a hostel

Students and applicants of the Religious Organization - the spiritual educational organization of higher education "Kolomna Theological Seminary" of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church are given the opportunity to live free of charge in the Seminary dormitory.

r) sample agreement on the provision of paid educational services

Religious organization - spiritual educational organization of higher education "Kolomna Theological Seminary" of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church does not provide paid educational services.

An applicant can submit a request (application) for consent to enrollment in each educational program twice

The maximum number of areas of training in which an applicant has the right to simultaneously participate in the competition for undergraduate programs at the Seminary is one area - Theology/Training Program for Ministers and Religious Personnel of Religious Organizations

Important documents

A person who wants to connect his life with the church and study at a seminary must:

• have a certificate of completion of general secondary education;
• present to the commission the results of the Unified State Examination in subjects that are declared as necessary in the institution to which the applicant is entering;
• show a health certificate;
• have a Russian passport;
• provide a copy of the medical policy;
• present a military ID;
• bring a certificate for admission;
• present recommendations from clergy who serve in the applicant’s place of residence (all recommendations must be confirmed by bishops).

To earn a positive recommendation, an applicant to the Moscow Theological Seminary must actively participate in the church life of the parish in which he belongs. For example, being a participant in obedience in the choir - reading and singing. Also, those who wish to enter the seminary for training must assist the clergy, take care of the utensils in the temple, and help teachers in Sunday schools. In addition, you need to communicate with the abbots of the temple as often as possible.

What it is?

Translated from Latin, “seminarium” means “nursery”. A theological seminary is an educational institution that provides training for Christian clergy and the spiritual, moral, and cultural education of people. In addition to seminaries, there are theological universities, theological academies and institutes in Russia.

Training within the theological seminary takes place in the following areas: clergy, clergy, regents, and other church workers.

As a rule, theological seminaries are based on a closed type, that is, training in it has many similarities with boarding schools and military schools. There is a strict daily routine here: personal time is allocated, lectures are held, prayers are read, rehearsals are organized, and there is time for meals and rest. Each student is obliged to comply with the current rules, and in case of their violation, each specific situation is analyzed, penalties or expulsion from the theological seminary are applied.

Seminaries exist in Christianity and Catholicism. Most often they operate at monasteries, therefore they are divided into male and female.

No priest can work in the church without seminary education.

Exams for admission

How to enter a theological seminary? Exams for admission to the seminary are different from entrance exams to other educational institutions. Those wishing to study must write essays on church topics that are reflected in general history.

The admissions committee also conducts interviews with applicants. The main purpose of entrance exams is to determine:

• how close the person wishing to study at the institution is to church topics and is enlightened in this area;
• is he familiar with the main Orthodox prayers?
• can he read and write in Church Slavonic;
• have you studied the Bible and church history;
• Are you familiar with church holidays, as well as basic traditions?
• does he have a concept of church appurtenances?
• can he independently read the morning and evening prayers, the troparia of the twelve feasts?

An applicant can learn more about the required parameters for admission and the Unified State Exam on the official website of the institution where he plans to study.

Entrance tests

To enter the theological seminary you need to pass one specific exam. It tests the applicant's knowledge of the Law of God. The main writing task is the essay. The topics are always different, but always relate to the history of the Russian church. In the written assignment, it is important to consistently and clearly justify your point of view about the Bible and the Orthodox faith, sharing your revelations and life experiences. Examiners value openness, responsiveness and kindness, warmth and compassion for others.

The next stage of admission will be an interview with the admissions committee, whose members are current church ministers. During the interview, the applicant will have to talk about his life path, his faith, as well as the reasons that prompted him to enter the theological seminary.

The purpose of the entrance examination is to assess the sincerity of candidates. The admissions committee wants to understand the following points:

• level of knowledge of the Bible, the Law of God, the history of the Orthodox Church;
• the applicant’s desire to devote his entire life to serving God;
• the degree of involvement of the candidate in the church;
• knowledge of church traditions and holidays;
• ability to read and write in Church Slavonic;
• the ability to memorize a large number of prayers, troparions and psalms.

Otherwise, the admissions committee pays attention to the general development and education of the applicant, the ability to express thoughts beautifully and behave confidently. Erudition and culture are of great importance. During the interview, several questions will necessarily relate to the history of your native country and the most important global problems in the world. The applicant’s leisure time, his social circle and the opinion of loved ones about his admission to the theological seminary are of a certain importance.

It is worth noting that today the theological seminary provides the same level of education as most secular domestic universities.

Personal qualities

When entering the seminary, it is customary to pay special attention to the general intellectual development of a person and his education. An important role is played by a person’s erudition and cultural development. It is important that the applicant is well aware of historical events in his country and follows all events in the world. It is also customary to ask the applicant about what he does in his free time. Interviews and exams are in most cases free-form.

A graduate of a theological seminary, where anyone can study if they follow certain rules, receives a higher education that will help him get a decent job and achieve his goals.

Features of studying at a theological seminary

Studying at a specialized religious institution is possible on a full-time and/or part-time basis. In most cases, becoming a “qualified” church worker is free. But at the same time, students do not always receive a scholarship. These payments depend entirely on the financial capabilities of the educational institution. For example, often special “theological schools” operate at churches, so the size of the scholarship and the possibility of paying it will directly depend on the budget of the church.

What is the educational process in a theological seminary?

Only Orthodox people, Christians, can master religious basics and nuances. Moreover, they can be one from birth, or they can change their faith at their own request.

Training involves a simultaneous combination of theory and practice. Students live in a special dormitory and observe all established traditions, orders, and fasts. They eat in special dining rooms and engage in social life. Moreover, propaganda of Orthodoxy is strictly prohibited.

Education at the theological seminary takes place in accordance with the current rules. At the bachelor's level, students master the program for 4 years, and then can continue their professional path to religion in the master's program, studying for another 2 years.

Among the compulsory subjects to be studied are:

• General developmental disciplines: Russian language, mathematics, foreign language, logic, pedagogy, physical education, psychology, etc.
• Special subjects: history of the Russian Orthodox Church, Divine services, patrolology, apologetics, history of Christian virtues, catechism, etc.

Moreover, bachelors and masters must undergo practical training at a church, where they gain experience in organizing and conducting services, church celebrations, rules of conduct for individual events (baptism, funeral services and funerals, weddings, etc.).

In each course of study at the theological seminary, each group is assigned a mentor who will help in mastering practical skills and knowledge. He is obliged to monitor the students’ daily routine, their actions, the correctness of speech, individual movements while studying and reading prayers, etc. His responsibilities also include regular conversations with students, solving organizational and educational problems of students, instructing them on the righteous path, etc.

Studying at a theological seminary also involves carrying out “community work”: subbotniks, cleaning the seminary territory, duty in the refectory (dining room), night and day shifts, etc.

Mastering the theoretical part of work in the church involves not only reading and retelling, but also writing essays, reports, and term papers on subjects. The practical part of the curriculum involves studying and observing the learned canons and rules.

Upon completion of the theological seminary, the graduate must complete a certification project (within the framework of a chosen topic or an upcoming church event or holiday) and demonstrate the acquired skills: perform a service in a church, describe or organize a specific event or celebration, etc.

Studying time

How to enter a theological seminary and how long to study? The duration of study at the seminary varies from 4 to 5 years. These deadlines will vary at different institutions. The training course will include mainly humanities disciplines. The training is carried out in order to develop the student’s spiritual education, to form a full-fledged personality who can follow the Laws of God and inspire other people to serve God. Some institutions additionally offer a higher mathematics program.

There is an opportunity to enroll in a theological seminary in the correspondence department. In this case, the training time will be up to 5 years. At the same time, you need to make a charitable contribution in the amount of 4 thousand rubles annually. Students also pay for their own accommodation during the session.

How do they become priests? The seminary gives graduates the right to continue their studies at the Theological Academy. All those who have completed their studies at the institution receive a referral to parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Duration of training

Studying within the theological seminary lasts 4-5 years. The duration of training depends on the institution, specialty and direction.

The educational process is dominated by humanities. They are designed to develop spiritual qualities, form a comprehensively developed personality, instill culture and a positive worldview. Sometimes higher mathematics is included in the educational process.

After theological seminary, graduates can go to the next level of education - the Theological Academy.

Existing establishments

Currently in Russia there are a large number of seminaries of the Orthodox Church, in which you can study after receiving basic secondary education and providing a certificate for admission. The most famous is the Moscow Theological Seminary.

Also, such educational institutions are open in St. Petersburg, the Far East and Siberia. The largest institution in Russia is the Moscow Seminary, located in Sergiev Posad. A large number of new establishments were opened in the 1990s. Now citizens of the country can complete their studies in seminaries and receive a church education.

Seminaries of the Russian Church are located in many countries, for example, in Japan and the USA. It helps Orthodox people living in other parts of the world complete their church education, become members of the spiritual Orthodox Church and obtain the profession of clergy.

Russian Orthodox Church

Preparatory courses operate at almost every secular university. What is offered to applicants to seminaries of the Russian Orthodox Church? This review contains a summary of information about preparatory courses for applicants to theological schools.

The Moscow Theological Academy offers the widest selection of preparatory classes to applicants . Prospective seminarians can choose one of three options.

Those who live in Sergiev Posad or have the opportunity to visit there on Sundays can attend classes at the Entrant School, which operates within the walls of the academy. Classes are held every Sunday from September to May. Admission is based on the results of an interview, which takes place on Sundays before classes. School graduates receive a recommendation for admission to the MDA, and the best students can be enrolled in the preparatory department of the MDA without entrance exams.

Muscovites and those who find it easier to get to Moscow can sign up for evening preparatory courses at the Moscow Novospassky Monastery.

The rest of the MDA was pleased with a new product this year: the distance education portal https://mpda-dl.ru was launched for applicants. The main audience of the portal is students in grades 10-11. In general, registration and training are free and available to everyone, including those who do not intend to receive spiritual education, but are interested in studying the history of the Church, Orthodox doctrine, and liturgics.

The portal has published seven textbooks that fully comply with the program of preparatory courses at the MDA: electronic manuals on Biblical history, the fundamentals of Orthodoxy (catechism), general church history, the history of the Russian Church, Orthodox worship (liturgics) and on the auxiliary subject methodology of educational activities. Also posted are illustrative material, audio recordings of worship services and video recordings of lectures by MDA teachers, which can help in the learning process.

In other theological schools, as a rule, only a certain type of course is offered. Some seminaries conduct face-to-face classes, others organize distance learning, and in some, applicants can receive the necessary training in preparatory departments or in diocesan schools.

Full-time courses

Barnaul Theological Seminary offers two-month summer evening courses to applicants. In July-August, those wishing to enter the seminary attend nightly classes, which are designed to help them receive the necessary preparation for the entrance exams.

The Don Theological Seminary offers one-year preparatory courses for applicants to the theological-pastoral and regency-singing departments. Anyone over the age of 16 can enroll in the courses. Documents are accepted from August 1 to September 15.

If there is a recommendation from a priest and personal data meets the requirements for entering the seminary, enrollment in the preparatory course occurs without exams.

Classes are held twice a month on Sundays from 15.00 to 18.00. Those who successfully complete the courses have the right to preferential admission to the Don Theological Seminary.

The Stavropol Theological Seminary offers applicants to take a propaedeutic course. Enrollment is carried out in August based on the results of entrance tests, classes are held throughout the academic year.

The Khabarovsk Theological Seminary, within the framework of the Continuing Education Sector, offers three-year theological courses, classes in which are held once a week from September to May. In addition, a manual for applicants has been developed and published. For this academic year, there are plans to travel to the dioceses of the Far Eastern Federal District for the purpose of specialized training for future applicants.

At the Tobolsk Theological Seminary, direct preparation of future applicants begins several weeks before the entrance exams. Everyone who has submitted documents for admission attends preparatory courses, depending on the direction. The classes are useful not only for applicants: teachers get the opportunity to test those wishing to enroll in advance and get some idea about the future enrollment of students.

In addition, three times a year, high school students of Orthodox gymnasiums and students of the Tyumen Theological School come to Tobolsk as part of the “Applicant Days”. They can listen to lectures by the best teachers of the seminary on basic disciplines and take part in a cultural program.

During Christmastide and Bright Week, high school students who are interested in spiritual education can spend some time in the seminary dormitory, interact with students and teachers, and more realistically evaluate how suited studying at the seminary is for them.

Remote training

At the Yekaterinburg Theological Seminary, correspondence preparatory courses begin in December. Most of the students are high school students, and from different regions of Russia. On average, up to 10 people undergo training per year. During the learning process, they write tests on the catechism, biblical history, liturgics, general history of the Church and the history of the Russian Church and send answers by mail. And two to three weeks before the entrance exams, classes are held directly in the disciplines that must be passed upon admission.

This year, for the first time, the Khabarovsk Theological Seminary organized online counseling for applicants, which was held in the summer. It is curious that not only future seminarians of the Far Eastern Federal District, but also seminary applicants from other regions sought advice.

Other

There are no special courses for applicants at the St. Petersburg Theological Schools However, in the St. Petersburg diocese there are three-year evening diocesan theological courses. Many course participants then become applicants and students of SPbDA.

The situation is similar in the Vladimir St. Theophan's Theological Seminary , where there is a one-year preparatory department, the training at which provides the preparation necessary for admission to a bachelor's degree. And on the territory of the Vladimir Metropolis there are Holy Trinity (Gus-Khrustalny) and theological schools named after Patriarch Pimen (Murom), the graduates of which then become first-year undergraduate students at the Vladimir Seminary.

The Perervinsky Theological Seminary also has a preparatory department for those who were unable to enter the seminary. During the year they attend evening classes together with the first-year students of the Catechetical Department. These students are required to live on the territory of the Nikolo-Perervinsky monastery, where the seminary is located, and participate in obediences during the day. If the training is successful, they can be enrolled in the first or second year of seminary next year. Every year there are from three to ten people in the preparatory department.

At the Yakut Theological Seminary, the role of preparatory courses is played by the School of Catechists, which has existed since 2009. Every year the school admits 10-15 people. Duration of study - 3 years, form of study - evening. Currently, the educational program is brought into line with the requirements for similar institutions imposed by the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis. For those who want to study at the seminary, but for some reason are not ready to take the entrance exams, it is recommended to take 1-2 courses of this school. Often unbaptized young people come here in order to more seriously prepare for baptism and further churching, as well as those who want to test their calling for future study in the pastoral department.

Prepared by O. Bogdanova

Educational Committee/ Patriarchia.ru

Admission details

How to enter a theological seminary? If a person who is already serving at the temple expresses a desire, then he speaks about his goals of entering the seminary to the priest. He helps those who want to figure out what and how to do, what knowledge they need to have. To do this, it is important to fully know the church charter, understand the main types of services, and know their meaning. A student who wants to study at a seminary must understand exactly what kind of pastor he wants to become in the future, what he wants to do in his life.

After the applicant learns in detail about all the installations, he can take a short exam from the priest to determine exactly which areas he understands and which he has problems with. Next, the priest determines whether the applicant should be recommended to the seminary or not. If the priest is ready to be responsible for the applicant, then he draws up a letter of recommendation to the bishop. The bishop sets a date for the commission. It is the commission that will determine whether the person wishing to begin studying at the institution, and which seminary is best for him to choose for himself.

How to enter the seminary

To work in the church and be a priest, a higher theological education is required. You can get it at an Orthodox university, academy or theological seminary, where undergraduate and graduate educational programs are available. We'll tell you what you need to enter the seminary.

Theological seminary: what to do for a man

Admission to a theological seminary is different from admission to “secular” universities. This is expressed in gender and age qualifications: church-going men aged 18-35 can enter the seminary. They need to provide the following documents:

1. Certificate of secondary education.
2. Unified State Examination certificates in subjects chosen by the seminary as competitive (most often Russian language and history).
3. Passport.
4. Health certificate.
5. Military ID.
6. Recommendations from the clergy of your locality, certified by the bishop.

The last point is mandatory. To receive it, the applicant must actively participate in the life of his parish: communicate with the rector, help the clergy: sing in the choir, work in Sunday school, care for the temple or church utensils.

In addition to these documents, some seminaries may also require:

• baptismal document;
• wedding certificate (if the applicant is married).

Only men in their first marriage can enter seminaries.

Spiritual education for women

Women are not accepted to study at the seminary. They can receive religious education in special schools or Orthodox universities (as a rule, they can enroll in any department except pastoral).

In the church hierarchy, women can be abbess of a monastery.

What is needed to enter a theological seminary: exams

To enter the theological seminary, applicants take an exam on the Law of God. Most often, they are asked to write an essay related to some event from the history of the Orthodox Church.

After the exam, applicants are interviewed. Members of the commission find out the general cultural level of the applicant, as well as:

• whether he is a churchgoer;
• does he know prayers and is he familiar with the Bible?
• whether he observes church holidays and traditions of Orthodox culture;
• Can he read and write in Church Slavonic?

The admission procedure may differ for each seminary, so it is best to familiarize yourself with the admission rules in advance.

How to enter a theological seminary? Help in your parish and study the Bible

How to enter a theological seminary in absentia

Most seminaries allow you to apply for admission electronically, but you will have to come to the exam and interview.

Correspondence studies are also available in many institutions, but those who enroll there are mainly those who already work in the church.

Many seminaries allow part-time students to live in the seminary dormitory during testing.

Seminary tuition fees

In most seminaries in Russia, training is free, and there is no provision for a contract form. Not all seminaries provide students with scholarships: the availability of financial benefits depends on the charter of the educational institution.

By the way! For our readers there is now a 10% discount on any type of work

At the same time, students are supported by the seminary, live in its dormitory, eat free meals in the refectory and engage in socially useful work.

The seminary also provides employment for graduates.

Passing the commission

On the established date, the applicant must come to the diocesan examination committee. Most often it takes place three weeks before the entrance exams. This is where the applicant’s knowledge and level of education are tested. If a young person does not have enough knowledge, then he is advised to wait another year and prepare more.

The questions can be very different, but they are all needed to determine the knowledge of the applicant. In most cases, they push the young man to explain his understanding of the service, his point of view on the topic of the order of the service. It is also very important to remember well the main church songs and be able to explain what they mean.

Questions are often asked to find out more about a person’s personal qualities: interests, skills, favorite hobbies. When passing the commission, not only the applicant’s knowledge is taken into account, but also his form of communication, openness, friendliness, and character traits. If the applicant has completed all the tasks and presented himself in a worthy manner, then he receives a special direction from the ruling bishop to study at the seminary.

For a part-time student

Selection committee

Contact information: Address: 355017, Stavropol, st. Dzerzhinskogo, 155 Tel./fax E-mail Working hours: Monday - Friday 9.00-17.00 Saturday-Sunday: closed

Information on the forms of entrance examinations - 2020

Entrance tests to the Stavropol Theological Seminary are carried out according to the schedule approved by the admissions committee. Before the entrance exams, applicants who do not have holy orders undergo a medical commission and an interview with the Administrative Council of the seminary.

Admission to the Stavropol Theological Seminary is carried out on a competitive basis based on the results of the Unified State Exam (Russian language, history, social studies) and additional entrance tests of a creative and professional orientation conducted by StDS.

Information about the specifics of conducting entrance tests for persons with disabilities

Admission to study at the seminary is carried out in accordance with clause 11 of Article 87 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ, according to which religious educational organizations have the right to establish additional conditions for admission to study, the rights and responsibilities of students, grounds for their deductions arising from the internal regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Theological educational organizations do not accept persons with disabilities for training due to the presence of special requirements for applicants arising from the internal regulations of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Information about special rights and benefits when applying for training

Students who have successfully completed the Preparatory Course program have the right to be admitted to a bachelor's degree program based on the results of entrance examinations, without passing additional entrance examinations.

Outside the competition, subject to successful passing of the entrance exams to the Seminary, the following may be accepted:

• persons under the age of 23 from among orphans and children left without parental care;
• persons under the age of 23 from among disabled children, disabled people of groups I and II, for whom, according to the canonical rules and the conclusion of the institution of the state medical and social examination service, studying at the Seminary is not contraindicated;
• persons under the age of 20 who have only one disabled parent of group I, if the average per capita family income is below the subsistence level.

List of areas of training (specialties) and entrance tests

Information about hostel availability - 2020

While passing the entrance examination, applicants are given the opportunity to stay free of charge in the seminary dormitory and receive three meals a day.

Regulations on the student dormitory of the Stavropol Theological Seminary

Entrance tests

Admission to the Stavropol Theological Seminary is carried out on a competitive basis based on the results of the Unified State Exam (Russian language, history, social studies) and additional entrance tests of a creative and professional orientation conducted by StDS:

• an essay (presentation) on a biblical or church historical topic,
• an oral examination on the basics of doctrine, worship and history of the Orthodox Church (the oral examination program is attached),
• testing the skills of church singing and reading, knowledge by heart of basic prayers.

Entrance test program

Schedule of entrance tests (changes made)

Documentation

List of documents provided by applicants to the Seminary admissions committee:

1. Recommendation from the rector of the parish of the Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. For applicants from other dioceses, a recommendation from the rector of the parish, certified by the diocesan bishop, is required.
2. Application addressed to the rector for admission to StDS (filled out by hand).
3. Application for admission
4. Autobiography.
5. Application form (to be completed before arriving at the seminary).
6. Statement of consent to the processing of personal data.
7. Consent to enrollment.
8. Document on secondary general or higher vocational education (copy and original). For foreign citizens, a document on education legalized in the prescribed manner (copy and original). For citizens arriving in the Russian Federation in a manner requiring a visa, the first and last name translated must correspond to the visa (more information about legalization can be found on the website of the National Information Office).
9. Certificate of passing the Unified State Exam in the subjects Russian language, history, society (copy and original).
10. Copies of passport pages with a mark on citizenship and registration at the place of residence. For foreign citizens:
    a copy of the passport and its duly certified translation. For citizens arriving in the Russian Federation in a manner requiring a visa, the first and last name in the translation must correspond to the visa;
11. a copy of the visa for entry into the Russian Federation (for citizens arriving in the Russian Federation in a manner requiring a visa).
12. Copy of military ID. For persons who have not served in military service - a copy of the registration certificate with a note on military registration.
13. Birth certificate (copy and original).
14. Certificate of Baptism (copy and original).
15. A copy of the compulsory health insurance policy. For foreign citizens - a copy of the international insurance policy;
16. Color photographs (9x12 format - 2 pcs., 3x4 format - 2 pcs.). If you have a rank, wear clothes appropriate to the rank.
17. Copies and originals of documents:
    certificate of ordination as a reader (for readers);
18. certificate of ordination to the priesthood/deacon (for clergy);
19. the last decree of the ruling bishop on appointment to the parish (for clergy).
20. For married people:
    a copy of the marriage registration certificate;
21. wedding certificate (copy and original).
22. Inquiries:
    medical certificate (form 086U);
23. certificate from psychiatric and drug treatment clinics;
24. certificate from place of residence about family composition.

Points 2, 3, 4, 5 are filled in in advance.

The decision to enroll is made by the admissions committee and approved by order of the rector.

Modern priest

How do they become priests? The ministry of a priest is not limited to serving God and fulfilling demands. This profession includes missionary activities, communication with young people, and preaching. The priest must remember that parishioners are people with higher education (especially in cities), so it would be wrong to read a sermon from a piece of paper or retell someone else’s.

Nowadays people ask priests a large number of questions that interest them, so they are obliged to know the answers to them and present them correctly. The theological seminary was created to teach students to independently search for answers, think broadly and constantly educate themselves.

Full-time or distance learning

Many people believe that full-time education has greater advantages than part-time education. It pushes the student to study more and gives the opportunity to communicate with people who understand a lot in this area. It is this form of education that helps to develop a personality. In some ways, it is similar to the army: waking up and going out at a certain time, strict rules. Self-study is always a good thing, but in seminary you can do the same and at the same time ask questions of interest to those who can fully answer them and explain what is not clear.

Full-time education helps you gain more knowledge due to direct contact with professional teachers. Correspondence education is best used by those who are already in the priesthood, who have experience in parish life, but need to improve the level of their knowledge. Such students are distinguished by special discipline. They do not need to be constantly motivated, since they know why they entered the training.

If possible, then enrolling in general education will be the best option, since in this case the student will show diligence, interest, and regularly communicate with the priest, who will help explain any incomprehensible topic. When entering an institution, the main thing is not to worry and try to forget about fear; for this it is best to mentally prepare yourself in advance.

Moscow Sretenskaya Theological Academy

17.07.20206797

*** Dear applicants! The timing and format (remotely / in person) of entrance examinations may be changed if the relevant regulatory documents of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church are issued.

REGISTRATION AND ENTRANCE TO THE EIS SEMINARY FOR SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS

In 2022, Sretenskaya Theological Seminary is accepting applicants for the main professional educational programs of higher education in the following areas of training:

• 48.03.01 Theology and “Training of ministers and religious personnel of religious organizations” (level - bachelor's degree
  ) for full-time study;
• 48.04.01 Theology and “Training of ministers and religious personnel of religious organizations” (level – master’s degree
  ) for full-time study:

focus (profile) “Pastoral counseling and mission in the modern world”; focus (profile) “Church Slavonic language: history and modernity”; focus (profile) “History of the Ancient Church”.

Documents are accepted:

In connection with the publication of the order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation dated June 15, 2020 No. 726 “On the peculiarities of admission to educational programs of higher education - undergraduate programs, specialty programs, master's programs, postgraduate training programs for scientific and pedagogical personnel for 2020/ 21 academic year" changes are made to the Rules for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs and to postgraduate training programs for scientific and pedagogical personnel.

According to these changes, the submission of documents by applicants as part of the 2022 admissions campaign, as well as the conduct of entrance tests, will be carried out exclusively using remote technologies; for enrollment, instead of the original education document, it will be necessary to submit an application for consent to enrollment.

The documents required for admission are provided (sent) to the Religious organization - the spiritual educational organization of higher education "Sretenskaya Theological Seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church" (hereinafter referred to as the Seminary) in electronic form (a paper document converted into electronic form by scanning or photographing with ensuring machine-readable recognition of its details) through the system “ REGISTRATION AND ENTRANCE INTO THE EIS OF THE SEMINARY FOR SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS

» from June 20, 2022

Therefore, documents submitted in person will not be accepted for consideration. Documents are accepted only remotely (see at the end of the section: Instructions for applicants for submitting documents

).

Basic information about training programs and the timing of the admissions campaign:

ADMISSION TO BACHELOR PROGRAMS:

Males of the Orthodox faith under the age of 35 who are unmarried and have no canonical obstacles to taking holy orders are accepted for undergraduate education programs (full-time study).

List and form of entrance tests

Citizens of the Russian Federation with secondary vocational or higher education, as well as foreign citizens, have the opportunity to enroll in undergraduate

based on the results of general education entrance tests (“Russian language”, “History”), conducted by the Seminary independently.

For citizens of the Russian Federation who have a general secondary education and plan to be enrolled in training in the field of study 48.03.01 Theology, only the Unified State Examination results obtained in 2016 - 2022 are recognized as the results of general education entrance examinations. Applicants for training in the field of training “Training of ministers and religious personnel of religious organizations” on the basis of secondary general education present the results of the Unified State Examination ( if available

) or pass general educational entrance tests conducted by the Seminary independently.

For all categories of applicants, the list of entrance tests also includes two additional entrance tests of a professional orientation, conducted by the Seminary independently in accordance with paragraph 11 of Article 87 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ: Interview “The Law of God”, Professional test “Essay on a church-historical topic” "

Thus, when applying to the Seminary for full-time undergraduate studies, the following list of entrance tests is established:

Entrance test programs conducted by the organization independently

Entrance test programs for the 2020/2021 academic year (undergraduate):

1. Interview “The Law of God”, including the following sections:
   “The Sacred History of the Old and New Testaments”;
2. “Fundamentals of Orthodox Faith”;
3. “Fundamentals of liturgical regulations”;
4. "General Church History";
5. "Orthodox hymnography".
6. Professional test Essay on a church historical topic.
7. Russian language (testing);
8. History (testing).

Education

Accommodation, food and training at Sretensky Theological Seminary are free.

No stipend is paid.

ADMISSION TO MASTER'S PROGRAMS:

Master's degree educational programs (“Pastoral Counseling and Mission in the Modern World”, “Church Slavonic Language: History and Modernity”, “History of the Ancient Church”) accept males of the Orthodox faith under the age of 35 who do not have canonical barriers to admission holy orders. Persons who have an education of the appropriate level, confirmed by a document confirming completion of a theological seminary or one of the educational institutions of the Moscow Patriarchate, are allowed to master educational master's programs.

Females of the Orthodox faith under the age of 35 are also accepted to study in the master's degree program "History of the Ancient Church". Persons who have an education of the appropriate level, confirmed by a document confirming graduation from a higher educational institution, are allowed to master the master's degree educational program.

List and form of entrance tests

For admission to the Seminary for full-time master's programs, the following list of entrance tests is established:

Entrance test programs conducted by the organization independently:

Entrance test programs for the 2020/2021 academic year (master's programs):

1. “Pastoral Counseling and Mission in the Modern World”;
2. "Church Slavonic language";
3. "History of the Ancient Church";
4. "Composition";
5. "Ancient Language" (Ancient Greek/Latin);
6. "New language (English / German)";
7. “Defense of the author’s project” (on the topic of the corresponding master’s program - “Pastoral counseling and mission in the modern world”);
8. “Defense of the author’s project” (on the topic of the corresponding master’s program - “Church Slavonic language: history and modernity”);
9. “Defense of the author’s project” (on the topic of the corresponding master’s program – “History of the Ancient Church”).

Education

Accommodation (for those who have successfully passed the entrance examination and are enrolled in the Seminary from among males), meals and training at Sretensky Theological Seminary are free.

No stipend is paid.

SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS BY APPLICANTS

through the electronic information system of Sretensky Theological Seminary and the Internet

Reception of documents (remotely) is carried out:

Monday – Friday, 10.00-17.00

Interaction with applicants when submitting applications (petitions) for admission is carried out through the electronic information system (hereinafter - EIS) of Sretensky Theological Seminary, including the return of an application (petition) for admission in connection with: submission of an incomplete set of documents or documents containing false information, submission incoming applications (requests) for refusal of enrollment.

1.

When submitting documents remotely, the applicant:

1.1. Follows the link on the Seminary page, where information for the applicant is posted.

1.2. Creates an account to log in to the Seminary’s EIS (the applicant independently enters and remembers the login and password for subsequent login), indicating information about himself (full name, email address, password, etc.) selects the name of the main professional educational program from the list , to which it arrives.

1.3. When you log into your account, you will be taken to your personal account, from which you will be taken to the document submission page.

1.4. Prints out and signs the agreement for the processing of personal data ( Form 9

), then it is scanned (or photographed using a smartphone camera) and uploaded to the portal, an employee of the Admissions Committee views the uploaded document in the portal and gives a rating with a comment - positive (upon receipt of which access to the next section is granted), or negative (upon receipt of which the student is given a second attempt to download the document).

1.5. Goes to the next section, prints out and fills out the form (for applicants to undergraduate programs - Form 3

/ for applicants to master's programs -
Form 4
). The completed application form, as well as all completed pages of his passport, is scanned (or photographed using a smartphone camera) and uploaded to the portal; After uploading, it awaits verification of documents by an employee of the Admissions Committee.

1.6. Goes to the next section, in which he receives a link to the Zoom conference, which he then enters (during the working hours of the Admissions Committee in accordance with the work schedule) for identification. A member of the Admissions Committee is present at the conference at the appointed time. The applicant turns on video and audio communication and shows the employee his passport. There is also an opportunity to ask any questions about admission.

2.

After uploading an agreement for the processing of personal data, a questionnaire, scanned copies of all completed pages of the passport and identification in Zoom, an employee of the Admissions Committee in the EIS marks that this applicant is ready to submit documents, after which he is given access to the following sections in which he uploads the required set of documents (according to the established
List
).

3.

An Admissions Officer checks the uploaded files.
If there are errors, they are communicated to the applicant through the messaging system or by telephone call to the number specified by the applicant. In this case, the applicant must make corrections and resubmit the data. If there are no errors, then the application (request) for admission (for applicants to undergraduate programs - Form 1
/ for applicants to master's programs -
Form 2
) is accepted and registered.

4.

After checking the documents, the Admissions Committee employee makes a mark in the Applicant Registration Journal and fills out a receipt (
Form 8
), thereby confirming that the applicant has passed the stage of submitting documents, after which the applicant will no longer be able to delete or change the uploaded files. In this case, the applicant has the opportunity to:

4.1. for citizens of the Russian Federation

those entering on the basis of secondary general education -
add
information and (or) documents about the results of passing the Unified State Exam in the general education subjects “Russian Language” and “History”, after their announcement);

4.2. for foreign citizens

– when submitting an application (petition) for admission,
submit
a document of a foreign state on education without a certificate of recognition of a foreign education (if, when submitting a document of a foreign state on education, a certificate of recognition of a foreign education is required), followed by submission of a certificate of recognition of a foreign education
no later than the day of completion accepting applications for consent to enrollment
:

4.3. for foreign citizens

– when submitting an application (petition) for admission,
submit
a document of a foreign state on education without legalization or an apostille (when submitting a document of a foreign state on education, which requires legalization or an apostille), followed by submission of the specified document with legalization or an apostille
no later than the day of completion accepting applications for consent to enrollment
;

4.4. for all categories of applicants

–
add
a scanned copy of a medical certificate in form 086/у;

4.5. for all categories of applicants

–
add
a scanned copy of the consent to enrollment (
Form 6
)
no later than the closing date for accepting applications for consent to enrollment
.

4.6. for applicants to master's programs

–
add
a scanned copy of the Author’s project on the topic of the relevant master’s program
no later than 5 days before the start of the entrance examinations
.

5.

The applicant is included in the list of applicants on the Admissions Committee page. This form of filing is considered filing documents in the “COPY” format.

6.

Persons entering the Seminary in the 2020/2021 academic year are required to submit the original documents required for admission during the first year of study in accordance with the established
List
.

7.

If the applicant wishes to withdraw from the competition (submission of documents in the “COPY” format), the Admissions Committee submits the relevant data on the applicant’s withdrawal from the competition to the Federal Information System.
This is done based on the applicant’s personal application (request) to refuse enrollment ( Form 7
).

8.

If the documents that are submitted in accordance with the established
List
no later than the closing date for accepting applications for consent to enrollment are not submitted, Sretensky Theological Seminary will be forced to exclude the applicant from the competitive lists.

9.

After the issuance of an order (orders) on the enrollment of persons who have submitted an application (petition) for consent to enrollment, education agreements may be sent to them.
The person who receives such an agreement prints it out and signs it, then scans it (or takes a photo with a smartphone camera) and uploads it to the portal. In this case, the original document of the education agreement must be presented by those enrolled in Sretensky Theological Seminary during the first year of study
.

REGISTRATION AND ENTRANCE TO THIS SEMINARY