Academic Program for Priesthood Candidates (M.Div.)

The Master of Divinity program is the main professional degree program providing theological training for those preparing to undertake ministry in the Roman Catholic Church, primarily through ordination to the priesthood.

The Academic Program for Priesthood Candidates is the prescribed curriculum at ICSST for all seminarians seeking ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood. The program fulfills all the requirements of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Program of Priestly Formation (Sixth Edition, 2022). Students meeting the requirements of this program automatically fulfill the requirements of the M.Div. program.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the aforementioned general admission requirements for all ICSST programs, M.Div. applicants:

• must undertake psychological testing, according to protocols issued by the Office of the Rector/Dean; 
• must have a personal interview with the Rector/Dean and/or the appropriate Associate Dean. Scheduling for such interviews is initiated by ICSST; and
• should have earned at least 15 undergraduate hours in religious studies/theology and at least 30 undergraduate hours in philosophy as part of their undergraduate education, corresponding to the themes required by the Program of Priestly Formation (Sixth Edition, 2022).  Further preparation will be provided through the Pre-Theology program at ICSST.

Note: For seminarians already sponsored by a diocese or religious community, on-site testing at Seton Hall University for English language abilities (with possible additional requirements in ESL classes) may be substituted for the TOEFL, in consultation with the Associate Dean.

Matriculation Requirements

M.Div. students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The M.Div. program should be completed within six years (exclusive of any Philosophy or Pre-Theology requirements) unless extension of time is granted upon petition to the ICSST Educational Policy Committee due to extenuating circumstances.

The curriculum is as follows: 

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
First Semester		Hours
BIBL 6501	Synoptic Gospels	3
HSTD 6340	From Church Fathers to 1500	3
PTHO 6518	Integr - Lit Celeb and Music	2
STHO 6022	Graduate Research Seminar	2
STHO 6202	Revelation and Faith	3
STHO 6501	Worship of the Church	3
	Hours	16
Second Semester
BIBL 6201	Pentateuch	3
CETH 6200
HSTD 6202	History of Christianity II	3
PTHO 6601	Pastoral Ministry - Intro	3
STHO 6205	Christian Anthropology	3
STHO 6503	Sacraments of Initiation	3
	Hours	15
Second Year
First Semester
BIBL 6203	Prophetic Literature	3
CETH 6201	Fundamental Moral Theology II	3
HSTD 6313	Christianity: The Modern Era	3
PTHO 6203	Pastoral Psych. and Counseling	3
STHO 6203	Christology	3
Required Elective		3
	Hours	18
Second Semester
BIBL 6503	Johannine Literature	3
CETH 6306	Catholic Sexual Teaching	3
PTHO 6109	Intro to Preaching	2
PTHO 6500	Evangelization-Sanctification	3
STHO 6207	Ecclesiology	3
STHO 6540	Introduction to Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue	3
	Hours	17
Third Year
First Semester
BIBL 6505	Pauline Literature	3
CETH 6205	Health Care Ethics	3
HSTD 6807	American Christianity	3
PTHO 6112	Preaching Pract I	2
PTHO 6501	Teaching, Catechist-Apologetic	3
STHO 6204	The Trinity	3
	Hours	17
Second Semester
BIBL 6205	Wisdom Literature-Psalms	3
PTHO 6401	General Canon Law	3
PTHO 6503	Liturgical Practicum	2
Required Pastoral Theology Elective		3
STHO 6509	Christian Marriage	3
	Hours	14
Fourth Year
First Semester
CETH  6407
PTHO 6113	Preaching Pract II	2
PTHO 6405	Canon Law Marriage	3
STHO 6740	Priesthood and Ministry	3
STHO 6505	Eucharist	3
	Hours	11
Second Semester
PTHO 6726	History of Spirituality	3
STHO 6507	Reconciliation-Anointing	3
STHO 6740	Priesthood and Ministry	3
Required Elective		3
	Hours	12
	Total Hours	120

Additional Requirements

All students preparing for ordination may matriculate into the M.Div. degree program only upon completion of an ecclesially approved propaedeutic experience of at least one calendar year.

Spiritual and Pastoral Requirements: In addition to the academic courses noted above, all seminarians must successfully complete the spiritual and pastoral requirements prescribed in the ICSST Seminarian Handbook or equivalent from their religious community.

Joint M.Div./M.A. Option

In the course of complying with the Academic Program for  Priesthood Candidates, a student meets all requirements for the M.Div. degree. Because there are “surplus” credits in the  Academic Program for Priesthood Candidates beyond what is applied toward the M.Div., a student may apply these additional credits toward the M.A. in Theology, either in the  research or general format. Credits cannot serve “double-duty.” That is, once credits have been applied toward one degree, they cannot be used toward the other. Assuming that a student has met all the requirements of the Academic Program for Priesthood Candidates, including successful completion of the four required electives, he needs the following additional credits in his concentration area to meet credit requirements of the M.A.:

• Systematic Theology – 6;
• Moral Theology – 6;
• Church History – 15;
• Biblical Studies – 15 (plus the Greek and Hebrew requirements).  

Remaining Requirements

For students who are pursuing the M.Div. and M.A. simultaneously:

1. For students choosing the research format: modern research language reading requirements, comprehensive examinations and thesis;
2. For students choosing the general format: the M.A. Seminar also must be completed successfully. In the four  years of preparation for the priesthood, it is possible to complete all coursework requirements (in either degree format) and, where applicable, language requirements. Students choosing the research option often complete comprehensives and thesis after ordination. The M.A. is usually conferred one semester after the M.Div. For more information on the joint degree option, contact the Office of the Associate Dean at (973) 761-9633.