Master of Arts in Ecclesial Ministry

• Students will appropriate the doctrinal heritage of the Roman Catholic Church and acquire the capacity to communicate this heritage through academic courses in systematic theology, Sacred Scripture, and pastoral studies. 
• Students will develop pastoral and leadership skills required by the diverse contexts and cultural dimensions of Roman Catholic parish ministry by acquiring the academic and professional competency needed to begin ecclesial ministry. 
• Candidates for the permanent diaconate will acquire the competency requisite to preach homilies which are biblically grounded, doctrinally sound, pastorally focused and rhetorically effective. 
• Students will develop a commitment to lifelong learning, rooted in the Word of God and integrated with their spiritual lives.

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
2. Completed Application
3. Transcripts: Undergraduate and Graduate 
4. 12 (minimum) undergraduate or graduate credits in theology or religious studies. 
5. 3 Letters of Recommendation (except for permanent diaconate candidates)
6. Diocesan Letter of Sponsorship (permanent diaconate candidates only)
7. Background Checks* (International Students: Background checks are waived for students who reside out of the U.S.)


*If you are a Priest or Deacon, a Letter of Suitability from your diocese will suffice for your background checks.

Core Curriculum 
Systematic Theology: 21 credits
Sacred Scripture: 12 credits 
Integration Seminar: 3 credits

Diaconal Ministry 
Homiletics: 6 credits

Lay Ministry 
Electives: 6 credits 

Degree Total: 42 Credits 

• A grade point average of 3.0 
• Successful completion of a Comprehensive Capstone Assessment Project

Field Work (only applies to permanent diaconate candidates):

Oversight for the field work placements will be the responsibility of an assigned diocesan official with the objective of fostering “a general integration in the formational process, forging a close link between the human, spiritual, and intellectual dimensions in formation” (NDFMLPD2, §135). Field work is also to include content on ecumenism and interreligious dialogue along with principles, norms, and dimensions in pastoral ministry (NDFMLPD2, §133j).   

Integration Seminar: 

This course will ask each student to produce a 5,000-word paper (circa 20 pages) that addresses general integration in the formation process and displays the student’s command of overall course content and its application to pastoral. This work should reflect an understanding of the theological principles guiding the Catholic faith tradition and how they are experienced in the practical order of a person’s and a community’s life of faith. Students are expected to articulate their role as ordained deacons or lay ministers in this description. A bibliography of theological and pastoral sources with appropriate citations in the text is expected to support the presentation.