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9253 Old Keene Mill Rd

Burke, VA 22015

1.866.GO.AGORA

Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

ADMISSIONS & TUITION PREPARING YOU FOR A LIFE OF PURPOSE
  1. Each applicant must be at least 18 years of age at the time of registration.
  2. Each applicant must submit their undergraduate degree transcript and diploma in the English Language. Non-English language Transcripts must be translated and submitted for evaluation by the World Education Services (WES).  Average GPA of 3.0 in USA and the equivalent of 85% or a “B” worldwide.
  3. Evidence of passing English language proficiency requirements by satisfying one of the following categories:
      • Native speaker.
      • Graduation from an English-speaking institution in USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, or any other country whose native language is English.;
      • Graduation from an English-speaking institution worldwide (i.e. American University in Cairo).
      • A GCSE or iGCSE graduate with at least a “C” grade in English.
      • An IB Diploma graduate.
      • IELTS 6.5 or equivalent, with nothing lower than 5.5 in any of the four elements (listening, speaking, reading and writing).
      • TOEFL iBT score of 78, with nothing lower than 17 in any of the four elements (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Equivalency Guide: (TOEFL 550/ TOEFL CBT 213/TOEFL iBT 78).
      • The Admissions Committee reserves itself the right to take into consideration other proofs of English proficiency not stated above
  4. Submit two professional or academic letters of recommendation.
  5. Complete Admission application and financial declaration forms.
  6. Payment of Admission Application Fee. Fees can be paid by visiting https://htc.agora.edu/asp-products/application-fee/
  7. Submit a letter of intent detailing your reasons for joining the program.
  8. All applicants must submit a 2000-word writing sample.
  9. All applicants must submit a Government issued Photo ID.
  10. All applicants must submit a passport sized photograph (in JPEG format, recent color photo, plain/white background, bright, centered/front view of full face, eyes open and visible and cropped from just above the top of the head to the collarbone

Agora University may consider for transfer coursework completed at accredited institutions of post-secondary education whose accrediting agencies are recognized by the European Union or by an agency recognized by CHEA. Only coursework completed at a C average or better may be considered for transfer after a review by, and at the discretion of the Dean. Students will need to provide a transcript for all accredited coursework taken and indicate a desire to transfer coursework before enrolling in the current term. A maximum of 50% of graduate coursework can be transferred. A minimum of 50% of graduate coursework must be undertaken at Agora University.

Coursework earned at a non-accredited institution may be submitted for review with an official transcript and course descriptions. Coursework earned at non-accredited institutions will be considered on a case by case basis by the Academic Dean. In most cases, refusal to transfer work will be based on content or academic standards incompatible with the courses required for graduation at Agora University.

Please note that Agora University courses might not be transferable to other institutions. It is only at the discretion of the receiving institution to make that decision.

 

Individuals with extensive ministry experience and a high school degree, but without an accredited bachelor’s degree, may petition for provisional acceptance into the MTh program. They must submit an essay and other evidence that they are capable of doing graduate-level work and evidence of experiential learning. A committee will review the petition and if it qualifies an interview will be scheduled with the applicant and a final decision will be communicated thereafter. Students must earn a GPA of at least 3.0 in their first four courses. No more than 5 percent of the students in the MTh program can be admitted without a bachelor’s degree.

Applications will be assessed against academic and non-academic selection criteria. Methods of assessing applications vary between courses but may include: prior and predicted academic achievement, references, personal or supporting statements, and a personal interview. Applicants may not omit any requested or relevant information, make any misrepresentation (for example, through plagiarism) or give false information at any point of the application process including after an offer is made. Should this occur the University reserves the right to dismiss the application, or withdraw an offer admission. Scanned copies of documents are generally accepted during the admission process but original documents can be requested at any stage.

The University strongly recommends that students entering our programs have appropriate and updated mid-range consumer-grade laptop. Students should consider using a laptop that is already owned or another existing computer if possible. If you do not have access to a laptop already and must purchase a new one we have some recommendations below. Again, please note that if you already have a laptop it does not need to meet the specifications below. These specifications are only for people who don’t already have access to a laptop and must purchase a new one. Some courses in the university may require a more robust system, so be sure to verify any class/software requirements before making a purchase. The College will update these specifications on an annual or biannual basis to match advances in software and hardware requirements.

Example minimum hardware specs:

  • Intel® Core™ i5 (4 cores recommended)
  • 4GB Memory
  • 256GB Hard Drive
  • 15.6′′ HD Widescreen LED Display
  • Wireless Network Adapter
  • Software Requirements:
  • Operating System of Choice (ie. Windows or Mac)
  • Word Processor of Choice (ex. Microsoft Word)

 

You must have access to a computer connected to the internet. If you are reading this Handbook, you probably already meet the requirements. Dial-up connections will be sufficient for most classes, but a few classes have video materials, which will display better if you have a DSL or cable connection. You may use any of the common browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. Most of our course lectures are in PDF format. There is a link to three free PDF readers on our public information page. The PDF pages are designed for full-size computers; tablets may provide an adequate display, but the materials may be difficult to read on smaller devices. We require that you have a word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word. Free word-processing programs are also suitable. We highly recommend that you also have a webcam with a microphone, for identity verification and live sessions. Your internet connection must be able to transmit video.

Upon receiving a Letter of Admission from Agora University, the Student will also receive an Enrollment Agreement which must be signed and returned to the University for the Admissions process to be finalized. Upon receiving the signed Enrollment Agreement, the University Registrar will enroll students in their respective courses.

The normal full-time enrollment for a graduate student is nine credit hours per semester. Part-time students may register in up to six hours per semester. Auditing students may register in courses on a-la- carte basis. Students who register as full-time may file a request with the Registrar to change their status to part-time. However, students who are in the part-time schedule may not upgrade to full-time status.

It is the responsibility of students to keep the Registrar apprised of their activities and to ensure that the Registrar is aware of their enrollments and progress. Any leave of absence must be approved by the Dean and submitted to the Registrar for proper filing.

Enrollment Status

  • Enrolled

  • On Leave (officially recognized after petitioning the Dean)

  • Withdrawn (were once enrolled but have not been for one or more semesters.

    o This status may require to be reactivated with a fee of $50.

  • Dismissed (officially acted upon by the Dean)

  • Graduated (once all requirements have been met and verified by the Registrar, the Director of Finance, and the Dean)

Upon submitting all required items and completing the application form, the Director of Admissions will send an email within 3 business days to schedule a Zoom Interview. Usually interviews are 20-30 minutes. The Interview Committee consists of the Director of Admissions and two other faculty/staff members. After the interview, the Committee will make a decision.

Agora will notify the applicant of its decision of the interview and application by email. This notification is usually made within 10 days of the completion of the Application and Interview Process. The admission status made is either full admission or denied admission. 

Full Admission 

Full admission is offered to the applicant for which Agora has received all admission documentation as required or requested, no additional demonstration of qualification is needed, and the applicant appears to be the kind of student who would benefit from study at Agora. 

Denied Admission 

An applicant denied admission does not meet the qualifications for admission.

TUITION

Master of Theology

$6,000 / Full Program

MTh Tuition Fees (USA, Canada, Europe Australia, and New Zealand)

2023

Application Fee (one time)

$50

Registration Fee (one time)

$150

Library Fee (per year)

$100

Technology Fee (per year)

$50

Tuition per Year

$3000

Graduation Fee (One time)

$300

*These tuition fees include tuition, educational services, textbooks and instructional materials

Bishop Epiphanius Merit-based Scholarships are awarded in recognition of exceptional or outstanding academic achievement.

Master of Theological Studies

$6,000 / Full Program

MTS Tuition Fees (Worldwide for all regions) **

2023

Application Fee (one time)

$50

Registration Fee (one time)

$150

Library Fee (one time)

$100

Technology Fee (one time)

$50

Tuition per year

$3000

Graduation Fee (One time)

$300

**These tuition fees include tuition, educational services, textbooks and instructional materials

Bishop Epiphanius Merit-based Scholarships are awarded in recognition of exceptional or outstanding academic achievement.

Refund
Policy

Tuition is refunded if a student cancels their enrollment or withdraws from the program or from one or more courses. The refund is on a weekly basis as per the refund schedule below (please refer to the cancellation policy above for refunds of fees such as the application and registration fees).  

Cancellation or withdrawal requests should be made in writing by sending an email to the Registrar at registrar@agora.ac.

No tuition refunds will be issued if a student does not finish a semester (and has not submitted a cancellation/withdrawal request), and tuition fees cannot be carried over to the next semester. Refunds will be issued using the same method of payment within 30 days from the date the University receives the student’s withdrawal request. 

Refund Schedule (applicable to the program as a whole or to individual courses): 

 

Percent of tuition refunded after start of

(Before start of classes)

100%

1st week 

100%

2nd week

100%

3rd week

100%

4th week

50%

5th week

40%

6th week

30%

7th week

20%

8th week

10%

9th week

0%

Sample Refund Calculation

If a student sends a withdrawal request during the fifth week of the semester, the student will receive a refund of 40% of the tuition:  

Refund Percentage: 40% 

Tuition & Fees: tuition of $1500

Refund: $1500 x 40% = $600

I have been a student of Agora University for over a year now, and it has challenged and inspired me to grow in my knowledge and love of theology and of the humanities as a whole. 

John Saad