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 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 (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:
| 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 XXXX | ||
| PTHO 6203 | Pastoral Psych. and Counseling | 3 |
| STHO 6203 | Christology | 3 |
| Required Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| 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 XXXX | 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 | 117 | |
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:
- For students choosing the research format: modern research 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 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.
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