Master of Theological Studies

Student Profiles

Kerry Casey

Your area of concentration and expected graduation date:
Biblical Studies, 2009

Degree and college before the MTS:
I graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2007 with a BA in Religious Studies and came straight to Notre Dame.

What attracted you to the MTS program?
My thesis advisor recommended that I take a look at ND for graduate studies, and after looking at the Biblical Studies faculty I was very impressed. Many of the professors had written articles or books that I had read as an undergraduate. When I visited, there was a really strong sense of community among the students, which was important to me since I was going to be far from other friends and family.

What are the greatest strengths of the MTS program?
The free summer language classes have been really important for me, since I’ve been able to reach both Advanced Greek and Hebrew and study German by taking classes over the summer. The faculty is large with diverse interests, which makes it easy to find professors with similar interests. The program emphasizes preparation for PhD programs and has been an excellent way to adjust to the differences between undergraduate and graduate work.

What has been your great challenge in the MTS program?
Taking two ancient languages every semester has been a real challenge. I have a lot more work due day to day because there is translation for every class, but I have fewer papers due all at once than most students.

What employment opportunities you have pursued while in the program?
The first summer I tutored student-athletes in Spanish. They are always looking for tutors, especially for math and science classes. Last spring I was hired to write an essay on the history of the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock for an adult education class called “One Land, Three Faiths” that ND was holding at its institute in Jerusalem. I also teach a GRE prep class for Kaplan, a test prep company. This fall I’m also going to be a teaching assistant for an undergraduate class on Catholicism.

What is your housing situation?
Last year I lived by myself in an apartment in Mishawaka, the town right next to South Bend. I didn’t like living so far from campus so this year I am renting a house with two other women in the program. The houses near campus tend to be older and not as nice as the newer-but-farther apartment complexes, but both options are inexpensive.

Any other thoughts?
Living in South Bend can be challenging if you like big cities. One thing to keep in mind though is that the low cost of living is a huge benefit, and Chicago and Lake Michigan are close by when if you need to take a break from South Bend.