With a tight-knit community of graduate students, the MTS program offers six areas of concentration:
Biblical Studies
History of Christianity
Liturgical Studies
Moral Theology/Christian Ethics
Systematic Theology
World Religions World Church
Develop an expertise
All students apply to and are admitted to one of the six areas of concentration. While developing competence in the area of concentration, students also receive exposure to the full range of theological studies, ensuring that their theological work has both breadth and depth.
The program values language acquisition as an integral part of scholarly formation, and each area has its own requirements for primary source languages. Students also demonstrate competence in at least one modern research language, and the University offers intensive, tuition-free language courses in German and French every summer.
Course requirements
The MTS includes 48 credit hours:
15 credit hours are taken in the area of concentration
15 credit hours are taken outside the area of concentration, with three credit hours required for each of the other five areas within the MTS program
18 credit hours are “area requirements,” which are determined by each area within the MTS program
I look back on the coursework I completed during the MTS with a bit of awe — those four semesters were packed full of challenging, exciting, and sometimes life-changing moments in the classroom. I loved my time in the MTS not only for the excellent academic formation, but because of the rich and supportive community of fellow students and faculty, whose varied backgrounds and interests delighted me, challenged me, and inspired me to deepen my own particular gifts and questions. As I pursue my doctorate in Liturgical Studies, my experience in the MTS forms the foundation for how I approach my vocation as a theologian and educator; I hope to offer to my students the same excellent academic formation nourished by a generous and particular care which I have received at Notre Dame.
Other opportunities
Graduate students pursuing a terminal master’s or doctoral degree at Notre Dame have the opportunity to complete a graduate minor in peace studies. The graduate minor gives students access to classes taught by core faculty members at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, who are among the premier scholars in their field.
