The M.A. in Theology was introduced in 1993 to better serve lay persons with a two-year program of theology in the Thomistic tradition to facilitate further theological studies or the faithful service of the pastoral needs of the Church.

Degree Requirements

Admission

The following prerequisites for admission will be evaluated by the Committee on Admissions which may, in individual cases, allow the student to remedy particular deficiencies during the first year of the program:

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Superior achievement and the ability to pursue graduate work as indicated by the transcript of previous studies (with a minimum GPA of 3.00).
3. Three letters of recommendation by persons who are in a position to judge the applicant’s ability in this academic area, along with a current photo and a completed application form.
4. Results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) indicating aptitude for graduate studies in theology and religious studies.
5. An undergraduate foundation in philosophy, consisting of a minimum of 18 credit hours drawn from the following areas: history of philosophy, logic, metaphysics, ethics, philosophical anthropology, natural philosophy, and philosophy of knowledge.
6. A reading knowledge of Latin.

Course Work

A minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate coursework is required according to the following distribution:

24 required:  Pentateuch or Prophets (3); Synoptic Gospels (3); Principles of Christian Moral Life I, II (6); Church History (3); Nature and Method of Theology (3); Ecclesiology (3); Triune God or Christology (3)

12 electives:  12 hours must be spent in the student’s area of concentration.  These concentrations may include systematic theology, moral theology, or biblical theology.

Language Requirements

Reading proficiency in Latin and a modern language, e.g. French, German or Spanish is to be demonstrated by written examination.  Since Latin is considered a prerequisite, this requirement must be satisfied within the first year of study.  The Latin course requirements may be waived in lieu of a successful exam result.  Foreign students whose native language is not English may fulfill the modern language requirement by passing the TOEFL exam.  Language proficiency exams are administered twice a semester.

Residency

Normally the M.A. program will require a minimum of two full-time academic years or their equivalent. The program may be taken on a part-time basis, but must be completed in no more than six years.  The residency requirement for the M.A. degree is four semesters.

Model Curriculum for the Master of Arts in Theology

Fall Semester	Spring Semester
I Theology
Elementary Latin I	Elementary Latin II
Pentateuch or Prophets of Israel	Synoptic Gospels
Early and Medieval Church History	Reformation & Modern Church
Nature and Method of Theology	History
	Ecclesiology
II Theology
Principles of Christian Moral Life I	Principles of Christian Moral Life II
Basic Elements of Christology	Triune God
Elective	Elective

· Latin Reading Comprehension Test (1st Year of Matriculation)

· Modern Language Reading Comprehension Test (1st Year of Matriculation)

· Thesis and Thesis Defense (2nd Year of Matriculation)

Grade Point Average

The student must maintain a grade point average of 2.75 or above throughout the M.A. program.

Timeline for M.A. Thesis and Defense 

I   M.A. Candidates (1st Year)

Spring  I M.A. candidates should begin discussing possible areas and topics for their M.A. thesis with a chosen director. 

  II   M.A. Candidates (2nd Year) 

30 September  Deadline for II M.A. candidates' submission of a definitive proposal to the Academic Dean for approval, signed by the candidate and his or her director.  The proposal should contain a brief description of the topic in one or two paragraphs and a brief bibliography.  (See Student Handbook.)

October - March  Candidate and director should be in frequent contact regarding the chosen thesis.  The thesis is to be between 50-70 pages in length, demonstrating the student's ability to identify and investigate a theological question, to carry out research appropriate to the topic, and to organize and present this material in a critical and coherent manner.  The form to be used is that prescribed by Kate Turabian in A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, 7th Edition (University of Chicago Press).  The entire thesis must be approved by the director before the final draft is submitted to the Dean.

31 March  Last day for submitting four unbound copies of the M.A. thesis to the Dean, as well as a written petition, signed by the director, for a defense.  One copy of the thesis will remain with the Dean, one copy will be distributed to the director, and two copies will be distributed to the two readers chosen by the Dean.   

Special Exam Week The director and two readers assigned by the Dean examine the student on the thesis topic for no more than 1½ hours, the first 30 minutes of which is dedicated to the candidate’s exposition of the thesis.  Each member of the board may then question the candidate for 20-30 minutes.  After the defense, the director and two readers leave the testing area to determine the grade of the defense (the average of three scores).  The candidate may field questions from the audience at this time, although this portion is not graded.  When the director and readers return, the director announces the outcome of the defense (successful/unsuccessful) and communicates privately to the candidate the grade of the thesis itself (20% of overall academic assessment) and the grade of the thesis defense (20% of overall academic assessment).  

N.B. Candidates must fulfill all of their academic requirements (60% of overall academic assessment), including their Latin and modern language requirements, before the thesis defense.