Frequently Asked Questions

I haven't been in a classroom for years. Can I handle the coursework?
The vast majority of Saint Meinrad students are non-traditional students, coming back to school after several years spent in another career, raising a family, and so forth. Saint Meinrad coursework is rigorous and challenging, but our professors also understand that many students might need some extra assistance, especially in the beginning of their study. The School's Mader Center also provides learning resources, tutorials and writing/research assistance for those who need it.

I'd like to teach. Can a Saint Meinrad degree help me?
Saint Meinrad's Master of Arts degree is an academic theology degree geared toward those who would like to teach theology on the elementary, middle school, high school, or college level. The MA also serves as good preparation for doctoral studies, for those who wish to pursue a terminal degree.

I'm interested in studying theology, but I'm not sure if I'm called to work for the Church.
Many students at Saint Meinrad—cradle Catholics, converts from other Christian denominations, and those who have returned to the Catholic Church after many years of not practicing their faith—do not intend to seek professional lay ministry positions. Some are retired; some are already firmly committed to a non-Church-related career and vocation; some are still discerning how God is calling them to grow and serve. By its very nature, theological study includes a process of vocational discernment. Saint Meinrad's spiritual formation program helps students discern where theological study is leading them.

Can I get financial aid?
Because of the bequests of generous donors and the institution's own commitment to lay ministry, Saint Meinrad is able to offer generous financial aid to lay students based on financial need (as determined by the FAFSA form), lay ministry involvement and academic record. Students receiving financial aid must fill out a new FAFSA form each year. Saint Meinrad also offers grants that match the contributions of a parish or diocese toward a student's coursework, up to $150 per term.

Do I need to take the GRE?
Saint Meinrad does not require scores from the Graduate Record Exam for admittance to a degree program. However, the School does accept the scores, which can be helpful if, for some reason, a student's academic record does not provide an accurate picture of a student's academic ability.

I live several hours from Saint Meinrad. How can I study there?
A large percentage of Saint Meinrad lay degree students live at least three hours away from campus. The main course format for part-time students living some distance from Saint Meinrad is the weekend course. These courses consist of three all-day Saturday - Sunday weekends (with a break for Mass, of course), roughly one per month for three months. This compressed format gives students the same amount of classroom time as a conventional weekly course, but requires being on campus only one weekend per month. Weekend courses are offered year-round; most students take four per year, thus making a dozen trips to Saint Meinrad or our Indianapolis site per year. Alternatively, students have the option of taking up to 15 credit hours in the online and/or independent-study format.

I can only study part-time. How long will it take me to complete a degree at Saint Meinrad? Most lay students at Saint Meinrad are part-time—with families, full-time jobs in ministry or other fields, and a variety of other responsibilities and commitments. Saint Meinrad has planned weekend and online course offerings carefully such that if a student takes four weekend classes per year (fall, spring, early summer and late summer), he or she can graduate in four years. Students coming in with an undergraduate major or minor can complete the degree in fewer than 48 credit hours and usually in fewer than four years.

Does Saint Meinrad offer a distance-learning degree?
Although Saint Meinrad offers a number of online courses and the possibility of independent studies, we are not a distance-learning institution. Students may take up to 9 independent study credits toward their degree--one course per division area. The total number of independent study, online, and Web-hybrid credits cannot exceed 15.

Can I complete my degree at Saint Meinrad's Indianapolis site?
Saint Meinrad's academic accrediting agencies require that at least half the required credits for a degree be taken at the Saint Meinrad home campus (which has the requisite access to library, staff and faculty), through weekly or weekend courses. Therefore, up to half of your degree can be completed through other formats: a combination of online courses, independent studies, transfer credit from other institutions and courses at our Indianapolis site.

I'm not Catholic. Can I take classes at Saint Meinrad?
Although Saint Meinrad School of Theology is firmly rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition and most classes are taught from a Catholic perspective, the School has a commitment to ecumenism and has both students and faculty from other Christian denominations. Saint Meinrad also has a consortium relationship with four Protestant seminaries in the region, encouraging an exchange of learning between the schools.

I'd like to study full-time. Does Saint Meinrad have on-campus housing?
Although Saint Meinrad has temporary accommodations for weekend and January-term students, the School does not offer a long-term residency option for full-time lay students. The School can provide resources and referrals to assist full-time students in finding housing nearby.