The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the ordinary professional degree for those preparing for ordained Roman Catholic Priesthood. It is also open to people qualified with an appropriate background. St. Patrick’s Seminary & University expects that seminarians pursuing the Master of Divinity will be concurrently enrolled in the S.T.B. Program. Exceptions to this policy will require a determination by the Faculty. The Master of Divinity is earned by the successful completion of the regular Seminary academic and pastoral curriculum requiring 126 credit units (118 required units plus eight elective units) as outlined below in the "Course of Studies for M.Div." (For students who are not pursuing ordination to the Roman Catholic Priesthood, the total number of units is 108.)
The goals and objectives of the M.Div. degree at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University are:
- A thorough knowledge of the Catholic tradition in all its many dimensions
- Pastoral skills and capacities that provide a bridge between the human family and God and foster conditions of fellowship in the community entrusted to their care
- Knowledge and pastoral skill necessary for service as sacramental ministers
- The ability to teach and preach the Gospel to all people
- Mature and theologically grounded cultural competence
Program Requirements
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree, have completed thirty semester units of philosophy and twelve semester units of religious studies, and must have taken one of the following tests: GRE or MAT. In addition, those for whom English is not their native language, the TOEFL/TWE must be taken. To successfully complete the program, students are expected to maintain an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0.
The first two years of the program are designed to provide students with the basic skills and academic foundation which they will utilize in the pastoral year, i.e., in the areas of scripture, systematics, moral theology, Hispanic studies, field education, introductory homiletics, and basic pastoral skills.
The Pastoral Year is a 10-month full-time parish experience of pastoral ministry in the student’s own diocese. This program is a six-unit program carefully monitored by a trained on-site supervisor (usually the pastor) in conjunction with the Director of the Pastoral Year at the Seminary.
Normally, the Pastoral Year takes place after Second Theology. Those who enter the program later will do their Pastoral Year after two full years of theological study.
After the Pastoral Year students return to the Seminary for the completion of their final two years of theological training.
The areas described above outline general goals of the M.Div. Program. The academic courses which contribute to the desired development cover the following specific areas and number of units:
| Sacred Scripture | 15 |
| Moral Theology | 18 |
| Systematic Theology | 29 |
| Liturgy | 3 |
| Church History | 8 |
| Pastoral Studies * | 45 |
| Electives | 8 |
* Includes six units for Pastoral Year and sixteen units for Field Education
Course of Studies for M.Div. and Ordination Requirements
First Year Theology
| SH-5105 | Patristic/Medieval Church History | 3 |
| SL-5108 | Foundations of Christian Liturgy | 3 |
| SS-5101 | The Pentateuch and Historical Books | 3 |
| SD-5101 | Fundamental Theology and Theological Method | 3 |
| MT-5103 | Prayer in Christian Tradition | 1 |
| PS-5111 | Catechetics | 1 |
| * PS-6280 | Field Education I | 4 |
| SH-5106 | Church in Reformation and Modern Times | 3 |
| MT-5102 | Fundamental Moral Theology | 3 |
| SS-5102 | Synoptic Gospels | 3 |
| PS-5112 | Homiletics I: Proclamation | 1 |
| SD-7233 | The Trinity | 3 |
Second Year Theology
| SD-6231 | Christology/Soteriology | 3 |
| SS-6241 | Pauline Corpus | 3 |
| MT-6253 | Spiritual Theology | 2 |
| PS-6271 | Pastoral Counseling | 3 |
| PS-6184 | Pastoral Ministry: Leadership & Skills | 2 |
| * PS-6282 | Field Education III | 1 |
| SD-6232 | Theology of Sacraments | 3 |
| SD-6234 | Theology of the Church | 3 |
| MT-6251 | Meaning of Human Sexuality | 3 |
| PS-6101 | Homiletics II: Preaching | 3 |
| * PS-6283 | Field Education IV | 1 |
Pastoral Year
| PS-7282 | Pastoral Year I/Field Education Requirement | 3 |
| PS-7282 | Pastoral Year II/Field Education Requirement | 3 |
Third Year Theology
| SD-6238 | Christian Anthropology and Life of Grace | 3 |
| MT-7352 | Catholic Social Ethics | 3 |
| * PS-6280 | Field Education | 4 |
| PS-7285 | Parish Administration and Finance | 2 |
| SS-7242 | Gospel of John | 3 |
| PS-7273 | Introduction to Canon Law | 3 |
| SS-7341 | Prophets (or SS-9343:The Psalms) | 3 |
Fourth Year Theology
| MT-8254 | Medical Ethics | 3 |
| SH-8236 | American Catholicism | 2 |
| * PS-6280 | Field Education | 4 |
| PS-8275 | Theology & Canon Law of Marriage | 3 |
| PS-9482 | Sacramental Ministry & Canon Law | 3 |
| SD-7236 | Ordained Priesthood and Lay Ecclesial Ministry | 3 |
| SD-9442 | Apologetics in American Culture | 2 |
* (See explanation in Field Education Section p.25 in Catalog)
The Master of Divinity Degree at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University has the Pastoral Year component as a program requirement. If the diocese should decide not to include the Pastoral Year in a seminarian’s program, the student must earn the six field education credits of pastoral year through additional pastoral work during the seminary program.
Ordination Requirements -18 Units
| PS-7274 | Homiletics III: Special Occasions and Issues | 3 |
| PS-8276 | Homiletics IV: Intensive Practice | 3 |
| MT-8255 | Theology of Reconciliation and Anointing | 3 |
| SD-6232 | Theology of Sacraments | 4 |
| SD-7235 | Theology of the Eucharist | 5 |
Total Number of Units Listed: 118
Transfer Credits:
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For those students earning M.A. and M.Div. degrees concurrently at St. Patrick's, up to 24 credits may be transferred from the M.Div. program to the M.A. program (excluding pastoral Studies courses).
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M.A. students are allowed to transfer up to 12 credits of graduate level theology courses from an accredited outside institution.
For students enrolled concurrently in the M.A. and the M.Div. programs, credits transferred to the M.A, program from an outside institution count among the total of 24 transferable credits.
If a seminarian is in the M.A. Thesis Track, he can transfer 24 credits from the M.Div. to the M.A. degree (excluding Pastoral Studies courses). Of the remaining 24 credits required for the M.A.: 6 are earned by writing/defending his M.A. thesis, 12 by taking the Faculty Designated M.A. Courses, and 6 more by taking Electives.