Master of Theological Studies

Student Profiles

Megan K. McCabe

Your area of concentration and expected graduation date:
Moral Theology, expecting to graduate in May 2010.

Degree and college you attended before ND, and any jobs you had between graduation and coming to ND:
I graduated from Fordham University in 2008 with a BA in Theology and a minor concentration in Art History.

What attracted you to MTS program in Notre Dame?
When I first started to look into graduate programs the MTS at Notre Dame was the first program to really catch my attention. I knew that I was looking for a program that would offer at least some sense of the Tradition as a whole, no matter what the area concentration, and I was drawn to the comprehensiveness of the program. The fact that the program is so well funded helped make going on to graduate work a real possibility straight out of undergrad. It was definitely my first choice program during the application process.

Greatest Strengths of the MTS Program:
A major strength of the program is the diversity of thought among both students and faculty, leading to interesting and thought provoking classroom discussion. The diverse perspectives, as well as the comprehensiveness of the material in classes, have helped me clarify and rethink my own work.

Additionally, the program has a strong community, and many of the students spend a fair amount of time together socially. This community can make the move to a new place and into graduate work more comfortable and stress-free.

Greatest challenges since coming to Notre Dame:
The program is (obviously) academically rigorous. Both the academic strength of the students and demanding nature of the coursework can be challenging and, at times unintentionally intimidating. However, the program has continually challenged me to put forward my ideas coherently and confidently, encouraging ongoing academic growth.

Your housing situation:
I live off-campus, but within walking distance of campus with three other MTS students in my year. Living off-campus is nice because it’s a bit cheaper than living in the on-campus housing. I live about as close to campus as you can get and walk to school every day. The walk is a bit long to go home between classes most of the time (and on-campus housing is a tad closer), but it’s nice to have the convenience of being able to walk to the library

Other thoughts:
It gets really cold—so a good coat is worth the investment.