Academic Programs

Master of Theological Studies
The Master of Theological Studies (MTS) is an academic degree of general theological study with a pastoral focus. The program educates students to be theologically literate in the Scriptures, the history of and current reflections on Church doctrine, and the ethical implications of that doctrine for pastoral practice. The program serves as a foundation for strengthening the theological and spiritual basis of a student's life and work, whether in a ministerial or secular career.

The program consists of 48 semester hours (up to 12 hours can be waived for students with previous theological background), with courses in a general theological curriculum that investigates the sources and resources of the Christian tradition. Required areas of study include courses in systematic, biblical and historical, and pastoral studies.

The flexibility of the program offers the opportunity to pursue specific areas of academic interest (e.g., liturgy and sacraments, moral theology, scriptural studies, pastoral studies, spirituality) through nine hours of elective coursework. 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:

• Exhibit a theological literacy of Catholic sources;
• Articulate theologically sound responses to pastoral issues in the Church;
• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of Catholic forms of spirituality, prayer, and theological reflection, particularly the Benedictine charism;
• Identify how theological interpretations and expressions result from personal, social and cultural influences; and
• Understand Catholic traditions as part of larger ecumenical and multicultural contexts.

Prerequisites

1. The MTS presumes no prior theological education. A four-year undergraduate degree (in any field) from an accredited institution of higher learning is required.
2. All MTS 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:

   Systematic Studies
       Systematic Theology electives (6 hours)
       Sacramental or Liturgical Theology elective (3 hours)
       Ethics or Moral Theology elective (3 hours)

   Biblical and Historical Studies
       Old Testament elective (3 hours)
       Intro to New Testament I (3 hours)
         or New Testament II (3 hours)
       Biblical Studies elective (3 hours)
       Early Church History (3 hours)
       Church History elective (3 hours)

   Pastoral Studies (9 hours)

   Electives (9 hours)

   Concluding Exercise (3 hours)
   Students must enroll in 70:100 - MTS Concluding Exercise. The student may choose one of the following options as the concluding exercise: a research paper or textual analysis.

   Research Paper
   The student will write a 25- to 30-page research paper that demonstrates achievement of theological literacy vis-à-vis some aspect of the Profession of Faith, the celebration of the Christian Mystery, the life in Christ, or Christian prayer. In addition, this paper must identify how it satisfies at least one other outcome of the degree, as defined above.

   Textual Analysis
   The student will write a 25- to 30-page analysis of a text(s) in the form of a journal article that focuses on a topic of theology. This paper must demonstrate a satisfactory achievement of the outcome concerning theological literacy in the following ways. In the analysis, the student must:

   • gather a pertinent bibliography around a topic of theology;
   • identify and critically evaluate the important text(s) relevant to the topic;
   • present the analysis in an organized and coherent presentation; and
   • discuss the implications of the analysis for contemporary Church life and ministry.

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