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Courses

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The M.Div. program is carefully designed to give students a strong, common foundation for ministry as well as the freedom to explore the theological and pastoral topics that would best serve their own particular vocational paths. All students (lay and religious) generally take the same set of foundational courses in the first year, establishing a strong cohort community grounded in an exploration of the richness of the Catholic faith. Years two and three continue to have a set of required common courses as well as electives.

Biblical Studies (12 credits)

  • Introduction to the Old Testament

  • Introduction to the New Testament

  • Two electives (recent options include The Prophets, The Bible in its Ancient Near Eastern Context, The Option for the Poor in the Bible, The Gospel of John, The Synoptic Gospels, and The Letters of Paul)

History of Christianity (6 credits)

  • Introduction to the Early Church

  • One elective (recent options include U.S. Catholicism, Images of Church and Reform, Patristic Exegesis, Medieval Theology, The Church in Africa, The Qur’an and the Bible, and Contemplation and Action)

Liturgical Studies (6 credits)

  • Sacramental Theology

  • One elective (recent options include Liturgical History, the Liturgical Year, Initiation, Eucharist, Liturgy and the Female Body, and the History of Christian Architecture)

Moral Theology (6 credits)

  • Foundations of Moral Theology

  • One elective (recent options include Christian Ethics and Pastoral Praxis, Catholic Social Teaching, Medical Ethics, Sexual Ethics, Improvising Peace, and Christian Political Theology and Ethics)

Systematic Theology (15 credits)

  • Fundamentals of Systematic Theology

  • Christology

  • Ecclesiology

  • Orders and Ministry

  • One elective (recent options include Theologians of Grace, Mystery of God, Christian Spirituality, U.S. Latino Theology, Feminist and Multicultural Theology, and Teología En Español)

Pastoral Studies (23 credits)

  • Theological Integration

  • Evangelization and Catechesis

  • Leadership, Power, and Authority

  • Pastoral Topics I

  • Pastoral Topics II

  • Fundamentals of Pastoral Care

  • Pastoral Administration

  • Preaching I

  • Preaching II

  • Preaching III (optional for lay students)

  • Liturgical Celebration I

  • Liturgical Celebration II (optional for lay students)

  • Reconciliation Ministry (optional for lay students)

Human and Spiritual Formation (6 credits)

  • Human and Spiritual Formation (1 credit each semester)

Electives (6 credits)

  • Students also have six credits of open electives that can be taken in any area of study or even outside of the department. In recent years, in addition to courses in Theology, students have taken courses in poetry, philosophy, literature, accounting, Italian, Swahili, Spanish, French, and Latin.