The 126-credit 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 (Fifth Edition, 2005). Students meeting the requirements of this program automatically fulfill the requirements of the M.Div. program.
The curriculum is as follows:
Additional Requirements
For all students in the Academic Program for Priestly Formation.
Electives: The four required electives shown above must consist of one course each in: moral theology (CETH); Church history (HSTD); spirituality (PTHO); and systematics (STHO).
Spanish Language: Seminarians for whom English is their primary language and who are studying for dioceses that require Spanish language proficiency also take PTHO 6017 /
PTHO 6018 in their third and/or fourth year of theological studies. (Students should complete Elementary Spanish prior to beginning Pastoral Spanish).
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.
- For students choosing the research format: language reading requirements, comprehensive examinations and thesis;
- 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 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.