While some schools offer undergraduate courses in systematic theology that require no prerequisites, a basic familiarity with the Bible and the tenets of Christianity are typically assumed. Other schools have more explicit requirements for Biblical understanding, and require students to complete basic coursework in Christian doctrine and Biblical studies before taking coursework in systematic theology.
Because systematic theology involves examining the philosophical and practical implications of Biblical principles, schools that teach it often require their students to be professed Christians or at the very least, simply assume that they are.
Systematic theology involves not just close study of the Bible, but also of the large body of literature written by Christian thinkers since ancient times. Because many of these works, along with important editions of the Bible itself, were written in languages other than English, some religious studies programs require students studying systematic theology to have reading fluency in ancient languages such as Latin and Ancient Greek. Other programs require students to acquire reading fluency in both ancient languages and one or two modern languages, such as French and German.
Advanced work in systematic theology, like advanced work in any subject, requires a basic grounding in the subject matter, so graduate courses in systematic theology often require previous undergraduate coursework in systematic theology or biblical principles. Some graduate programs with systematic theology concentrations sometimes require an undergraduate degree in religious studies for admissions, though others admit students with undergraduate degrees in other areas.