Students from other countries may be admitted to the degree programs at Notre Dame. Evidence must be presented of academic preparation equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Admissions Office. Applicants must also provide recommendations from church leaders in their native countries.

      All students desiring to enter Notre Dame Seminary who are learners or speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL) or English a Foreign Language (EFL) will be required, as part of the entrance formalities, to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550 for the paper-based version of the test (240computer based; 80 Internet-based). Potential NDS students have an opportunity to take the paper-based TOEFL administered on the NDS campus each semester.

      If the student, as part of his past education, has passed the TOEFL within the past two years with the requisite score of 550, he may be accepted. Students who have not taken the TOEFL or who have taken it but not reached the requisite score, or who have a score of 550 or higher but whose scores are outdated (more than two years old), will have to take or re-take the TOEFL prior to the start of classes. The Notre Dame Seminary (NDS) English Language Program (ELP) will administer the paper-based TOEFL at the beginning and end of each semester. All potential NDS students are welcomed to take the TOEFL on the seminary campus before the start of classes. A student may be exempt from this requirement at the discretion of the Academic Dean.

      Any student who does not receive a score of at least 550 points and who wants to pursue a degree at Notre Dame Seminary can enroll in the seminary’s English Language Program (ELP) to study English until he is able to achieve a score of 550. If a student has a score between 500 and 550 on the TOEFL, and wants to pursue entry into the seminary theological degree program, he is encouraged to attend NDS the ELP courses and may audit a limited number of theology courses, which will be determined by the Admissions Board. At the end of the semester of ELP classes and audited seminary classes, the student will retake the TOEFL in order to be considered for re-admission into the theology degree program. If the individual does not succeed in attaining the minimum TOEFL score required (550 points), he will continue in the English program until he achieves the minimum TOEFL score.

Special Students

Seminarian Applicants

      The following documents must be sent by mail directly from the School, Parish Church, Chancery, etc. concerned. They should be mailed to: The Rector, Notre Dame Seminary, 2901 South Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118-4391. The following information must be received before a candidate’s application for admission can be reviewed by the Admissions Board:

1. Seminarian Graduate School Application Form.
2. Two recent photographs.
3. Two letters of recommendation from professors or non-relatives.
4. Transcripts of college credits (transcripts must be sent to the Registrar’s Office directly from the Office of the Registrar of all the undergraduate and graduate colleges/universities attended).
5. Graduate Record Exam (GRE), prior August 31st.
6. Letters of recommendation from the Rectors of all seminaries the applicant has attended and/or is presently attending. If the applicant is attending a non-seminary college, a letter of recommendation from some officer of the college is required.
7. Official and currently dated baptismal and confirmation certificate.
8. A letter of sponsorship from applicant’s bishop or vocation director.
9. Certificate of reader, acolyte, admission or ordination is required if these ministries have been received by the applicant.
10. Physical examination (within the last six months).
11. Psychological assessment. 13. Essay.

      To discontinue in a course after the dates published in the academic calendar is considered a withdrawal "W" and a record of this appears on the student's permanent transcript. In order to withdraw from any course, the student must receive the written approval of the Academic Dean. Forms for this are available in the registrar's office. The last day for withdrawing from a course with a "W" grade is indicated in the academic calendar.

NOTE: "Course Withdrawal" forms are to be submitted to the Dean's office, not to the course instructor.

Academic Standing

1. Stage One: They should consult the instructor as soon as possible to seek an explanation and try to resolve the problem. Only if this is unsuccessful, they may proceed to stage two.
2. Stage Two: They should submit their case, in writing, to the Academic Dean with a copy to the instructor, no later than six (6) weeks after the beginning of the following semester.

1. The Dean will then act as negotiator in attempting to resolve the dispute in informal fashion, consulting with both parties, jointly or individually, and using any other means he deems appropriate—while naturally holding in confidence all written and oral statements. Should the Dean himself be named as the instructor in the case, then the students should take their appeal to the President-Rector who will act as negotiator (as above) and replace the Dean in all further stages of the appeal procedure.
2. If the above negotiations are unsuccessful, the Dean, after deciding that the student has a case which warrants further action, will refer the matter to stage three.

3. Stage Three: The Dean appoints an ad-hoc committee of two or three faculty members, who have some knowledge of the academic area in question, to review the matter. The Dean, with the approval of these faculty members, may at his discretion co-opt one or more students to the committee as consultors. The committee will review the student's work in the course in question (papers, tests, etc.), together with the professor's evaluation (which can include class work and performances), taking into account the written procedure for grading that the professor has submitted at the beginning of his course to students together with the course syllabus (approved by the Dean in the usual way). The committee's findings are by way of recommendation to the Dean (either to retain, or to change the grade). The committee will make every effort to achieve a consensus recommendation. In case of a tie vote, the Dean will decide the matter (he may co-opt a further member to the committee).
4. Stage Four: On the basis of the committee recommendations, the Dean makes the final decision whether to retain or change the grade; his decision is not effective till after one week, the period allowed for an appeal by either the student or instructor. Should the dean decide that the appeal is well grounded, he may direct a rehearing.

Consortium

      Notre Dame Seminary, in 1971, became an affiliate member of the New Orleans Consortium with Loyola University and Xavier University as its full members. Full-time students wishing to take courses at these institutions under consortium privileges, and wishing to have credits transferred to Notre Dame must have the written approval of the Academic Dean before registering for these courses. According to the consortium agreement full-time students at Notre Dame are limited to six (6) undergraduate credit hours per semester in the participating universities.

      In 1994, Notre Dame Seminary and Our Lady of Holy Cross College entered into an agreement for a jointly earned Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies with the core curriculum taken at Holy Cross, while the philosophy minor and the theology major are taken at Notre Dame. The degree is granted by Our Lady of Holy Cross College. A few students who come without a B.A. or B.S. take advantage of this program while simultaneously fulfilling the Notre Dame pre-theology program.