Academic Programs

Master of Arts
The Master of Arts (Catholic Thought and Life) degree, requiring 48 semester hours (up to 12 hours can be waived for students with previous theological background) of academic work, is designed for those seeking basic knowledge in Catholic thought and life, including its philosophical basis. For this general academic degree, core courses include the study of philosophy, Scripture, Church history and systematic theology.

Students may also study biblical languages (Hebrew and Greek), as well as Latin, Spanish, and French. The degree provides a foundation for further studies in theology. While the program is academic in nature, opportunities for supervised pastoral ministry and clinical pastoral education are available.

Program Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Articulate the philosophical foundations for Catholic thought;
• Articulate the Christian creedal heritage as it is reflected in the Roman Catholic tradition;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the biblical and historical origins of the faith;
• Articulate an understanding of the celebration of the Christian mysteries and of the moral life.

Prerequisites

1. The MA presumes no prior theological education. A four-year undergraduate degree (in any field) from an accredited institution of higher learning is required.
2. All MA students must complete the application process to be accepted into the degree program.

Degree Requirements

1. A total of 48 graduate credits in the following areas:

   Philosophy and Systematic Studies
       05:511 - Plato and Augustine (3 hours)
       05:512 - Aristotle and Aquinas (3 hours)
       05:523 - Modern Philosophy (3 hours)
       10:510 - The Creed in History and Theology (3 hours)
       10:520 - Foundational Theology (3 hours)
       Sacramental or Liturgical theology elective (3 hours)
       Ethics or Moral theology elective (3 hours)

   Biblical and Historical Studies
       22:520 - Introduction to Old Testament (3 hours)
       24:526 or 24:531 - Introduction to New Testament I or II (3 hours)
       30:520 - Early Church History (3 hours)
       30:525 - Medieval Church History (3 hours)

   Electives (15 hours)

   Concluding Exercise

   The concluding exercise for the MA (Catholic Thought and Life) is a comprehensive essay exam. The professors who teach the required courses for this degree will submit three questions for inclusion in the written exam during the first week of the spring semester.

   The Academic Dean will randomly select five questions from this pool (three from the Division of Philosophical and Systematic Studies and two from the Division of Biblical and Historical Studies) to be given to each student during his or her last semester of studies. The student will choose three of the five questions (at least one from Philosophical and Systematic Studies and at least one from Biblical and Historical Studies) and respond to each in a comprehensive essay of eight to ten pages for each question.

2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) on a 4.0 scale.