Church Route

The dream of becoming a pastor never left you, or it came later in life. By now you have a family, a job and life experience. But it’s not too late. Perhaps becoming a pastor through the church route is an option. You then undergo a thorough training with us, together with the students of the master’s pastors program. The program assumes about 25 hours of study per week (2/3 of a full-time program). This route is offered only part-time. At the end of the training you will receive a church certificate with which you can apply for a profession in the Dutch Reformed churches.

Admission Process

1. In most cases, the prospective student contacts the TUU student advisor for more information about the pathway.

2. TUU informs the prospective student and 1 or more interviews usually follow. With study advisor or 1 of the teachers of the program or with a student/alumnus.

3. When the prospective student thinks he meets TUU’s admission criteria and has made the choice to apply, he requests a recommendation from his church council to qualify for an abbreviated program because of life experience or special gifts, and with this he reports to the National Committee on Church Studies (cko@ngk.nl). This can be done until March 1.

4. The Church Studies Committee (CKO) then invites the prospective student for an interview and decides whether the committee can make a positive assessment. The prospective student can enter the abbreviated church route only with a positive judgment from CKO.

5. If the CKO judges positively, the prospective student reports to TUU with a recommendation from the CKO and completes the application form. This can be done until May 1. Attached to that form should always be the following documents:

• A cover letter of approximately 1 A4
• A CV including church activities
• Relevant diplomas and lists of marks (at least from the highest education)
• Positive opinion of the Church Search Committee (KO 2.2)

6. The TUU Admissions Committee decides whether the prospective student can start the preliminary program (including assessment). (This costs the student 1 college year).

7. After completion of preliminary track and positive assessment, the student can start with the church track, this is a three-year track.

8. Upon completion of the church route, the student will receive a certificate with which to apply for a BSO.

Admission Requirements

The Theological University has the following admission requirements to be allowed to start the church route:

• You are older than 40 years of age
• You have an HBO or WO degree
• You have at least 8 years of working experience in the church, for example as a church worker, catechist, elder or pastoral worker.
• You have life experience or special gifts that make your church council and the Church Search Committee consider you suitable for the church route.

Costs and regulations

The cost for the preliminary track, including assessment is €300. (To be adjusted annually) You may take a maximum of two years for the preliminary track, the second year you may re-register free of charge.

During the preliminary track you fall under the regulations as described in the Education and Examination Regulations (OER) of the Bachelor of Theology.

The fee for the church route is €2025.00 per year (to be adjusted annually). During the ecclesiastical route you fall under the regulations as described in the Education and Examination Regulations (OER) of the Master Theology.

The program assumes approximately 25 hours of study per week (2/3 of a full-time program).

Current tuition fees 2024/25: