Master of Theological Studies Degree (MTS)
This program is designed to strengthen the religious basis of the individual’s life and work, whether in a secular career or church-related career, by providing the individual with a general theological understanding as well as the opportunity for in-depth study and specialization. The curriculum is organized:
- To facilitate the attainment of survey knowledge of the Catholic theological tradition with the possibility of attaining a focused knowledge in a specific discipline.
- To enable students to think theologically by considering different theological areas, perspectives, and methods.
- To allow a level of freedom that respects and builds upon a person’s interests, abilities, and past experiences and encourages that individual’s commitment to life-long learning.
The twenty (20) units of study consist of foundational courses, in-depth courses, electives, and a summative exercise, as follows:
Foundational Courses (5 units)
- Foundations of Theology (SMT 1101)
- Introduction to the New Testament (SMB1501)
- Introduction to the Old Testament. (SMB1007)
- Fundamental Themes in Christian Ethics (SMT 1904)
- Foundational History (SMH 1010)
Scriptural Electives (2 units)
- One elective in the Old Testament
- One elective in the New Testament
Systematic Theology (2 units)
- one course in Christology
- one course in Trinity
Ethics (1 unit)
- one course in social, sexual, biomedical, or ecological ethics
Pastoral (1 unit)
- Theology of Ministry, Pastoral Care, Pastoral Counselling, or Spiritual Direction
N.B. Core Systematic and Ethics courses must be taken from offerings in the Roman Catholic tradition.
Historical (1 unit)
- Any history course
Electives (6-7 units)
A total of six or seven (6 or 7) free electives, depending on which Summative Exercise option is chosen.
No more than three units of Greek, Hebrew, and or Latin may be included.
Students may choose a specialization consisting of a total of six courses from one of the major divisions (Scripture, Systematic Theology, History or Pastoral). In-depth courses and electives may be counted toward a specialization.
Students may complete the degree in one of three (3) ways: a Field Education option, a Thesis option, or a Research Paper option.
1 unit, Theology of Ministry (SMP 2600). Students wishing to complete the MTS program in two years take this course in their first year, as the full sequence of Theology of Ministry, Field Placement, and Theological Reflection Seminar requires a minimum of three semesters.
A minimum of 1 unit, consisting of at least 100 hours in an approved placement site, and a one-semester Theological Reflection Seminar. Students may take a two (2) unit Field Education program or a second one (1) unit program with the second unit counted as one of the electives.
The Theological Reflection Seminar constitutes the summative exercise for this degree option. Consult the Director of Pastoral Formation and Field Education about this component.
Students who choose the Thesis option may also choose to take the Theology of Ministry and Field Education/Theological Reflection Seminar courses as electives. Field Education timelines:
For September Field Education: notify Director of Field Education by last Friday in June.
For January Field Education: notify Director of Field Education by last Friday in November.
For summer Field Education: notify Director of Field Education by third Friday in March.
MTS students who maintain a minimum A- average, normally after completion of 15 courses, may choose to write a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MTS degree. The thesis is worth two units of study and comprises the summative exercise for this option.
Students are given two full semesters to write their theses.
After two full semesters, students must apply for an extension and will be charged a program continuation fee. Further information is available from the Director of Basic Degree Programs.
Students may choose to complete the degree with a major research paper. This paper should be 8000 to 9000 words, and is evaluated by one reader, who may also be the director.
This option is worth one unit of study, leaving the rest of the degree to be fulfilled with a further elective course.