Samford University's Preministerial Scholars program exists to equip young ministers for personal, spiritual, and professional excellence in ministry leadership. Sponsored by the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies, participants in the Preministerial Scholars Program can anticipate the following requirements and benefits:
- Major in Biblical Studies, Religion, Christian Ministry, Music and Worship, or Worship Leadership. You are committing to one of these majors and will register as one of these majors prior to your first semester of classes.
- Ministry Internships. You will register for and undertake ministry internships for at least 2 semesters. (One internship can be during a summer.) Each internship will involve regular hours of service in a local church, local church-related mission organization or non-profit. For your internship, we will award a $3,000 stipend. You get to use this stipend (normally not before your junior year) toward a ministry experience like but not limited to a ministry internship (church, non-profit, camp, etc.), a mission trip, or a ministry or mission conference.
- Ministry Cadres. Participate in at least 2 semesters of Ministry Cadres. These Cadres serve to supplement classroom and field experiences by providing communal, vocational, and spiritual growth through scheduled gatherings. Students share ministry experiences, and specialists address critical issues of church-related ministry.
- The Cadres will meet weekly on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
Because the program is a part of the Spiritual Life Cadre program, students will receive convocation credit for attending the Cadre meetings.
Freshman Premins are required to attend the Freshman Preministerial Scholars Cadre during their first semester. These Cadres are led by the Director and Coordinator of the Preministerial Scholars Program and upper class Premins who serve you as Peer Mentors. This Cadre gets great reviews as it gives you the chance to bond early with your fellow Freshmen as well as older students and professors.
Retreats. Attend one fall and one spring retreat. The purpose of these retreats is for prayer, worship, reflection, and fellowship.
Eligibility
Prospective Students
Prospective students are encouraged to apply to the program.
Sense of calling
Applicants must have a sense of calling to full-time ministry in one of the following church-related vocations: senior pastor, associate pastor, church administrator, minister of education, age group minister, music and worship minister, career missionary, hospital chaplain, campus minister, pastoral/family counselor, seminary/religion professor, bi-vocational minister, church-related social worker, justice ministry, church-related nonprofits, or Christian media/journalism.
Major Requirements
Applicants must commit to one of the following majors: Biblical and Religious Studies; Christian Ministry; Worship Leadership.
Requirements for admission
Applicants must meet all requirements for admission to Samford University and must be admitted at the time of any official announcement of the award.
Leadership
Applicants must demonstrate leadership inclination or capacity, energy, industry and self-reliance in extracurricular activities.
Highest moral standards
Applicants must represent the highest moral and ethical standards and principles.
Timeline
February 15, 2026
Completed application materials and recommendations deadline
March 2026
Preministerial Scholars to be announced
May 1, 2026
Preministerial Scholars confirmation deadline
Application
To apply for scholarships, you must have an online Samford account. If you've started your Samford/Common App admission application, you can apply for scholarships using the same login information. If you haven't started an admission application, please log in as a new user.
Internships
Preministerial Internships
Preministerial students participate in two internships. Internships involve regular hours of service in a local church, church-related mission organization, church-related non-profit, or through the Samford Sunday preaching program (see below). Students also have the option of completing internships during the summer. Students gain experience in ministry settings that are customized for their areas of interest.
Mentor Introduction
One of the unique characteristics of the Preministerial Internship is the commitment of the mentors to invest in the student intern’s life. The mentor relationship is the key to the success of the program. Through the evaluations and mentor feedback, it is apparent that the mentors often benefit as much as the students. Mentors agree to spend at least thirty minutes a week with the intern. This time is set aside weekly for ministry evaluation, planning, relationship building, and spiritual formation.
Become a Partner
Samford University seeks out new Preministerial Mentoring Partners each semester. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please download the Mentor Application and return it to Preministerial Scholars at Samford University. Students are paired in ministry settings of their interest. We cannot guarantee we will have an intern to fill in each request we receive. However, we do have new interns seeking placements each semester.
