Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.)

The S.T.L. degree program focuses on assisting the student in developing appropriate methods of scientific investigation in theology. The student specializes in one area of theological concentration, produces a thesis in that area, and completes written and oral comprehensive examinations. on a prescribed book list.

Admission Requirements:
1. Possession of the S.T.B. degree from an ecclesiastical university or faculty or a comparable degree with coursework that is equivalent to that required for the S.T.B. at the Catholic University of America (see above section on the S.T.B.) as determined by the Ecclesiastical Degrees Committee (E.D.C.). Such coursework must have been completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and within ten (10) years of the applicant’s matriculation into the S.T.L. program.
2. A reading knowledge of Latin.
3. A completed and Signed Application Form (submitted through the Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA) website.
4. A Statement of Purpose: in an essay of 500 to 700 words, applicants state their purpose in undertaking graduate study in theology and religious studies. The essay also includes the applicant's academic objectives, research interests, and career plans as well as related qualifications, such as e.g., collegiate activities, professional experience and community involvement, and any other substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form.
5. Official Transcripts: Applicants should contact the registrar of every post-secondary school previously attended and request an official transcript be sent directly to the OGA. Transcripts marked "Student Copy" or "Issued to the Student" will not be accepted. Official transcripts must be sent either in sealed envelopes with an official university stamp or signature across the seal to ensure confidentiality or electronically directly to the OGA. Please note: the OGA provisionally accepts Unofficial Transcripts to help complete the application process; however, a Provisional Admit hold will be placed on the applicant's record, which will prevent him or her from obtaining a copy of their Catholic University transcript or receiving their Catholic University diploma until the provision has been lifted. Transcripts should show: (a) receipt of a S.T.B. or equivalent degree (with such equivalency being decided on by the E.D.C.) from an accredited institution; (b) the courses completed toward the degree; (c) the grade in each course; and (d) the basis for grading in effect at the institution. Admission to Catholic University graduate programs for students completing their final year of undergraduate or prior graduate degree study is contingent upon receipt by the OGA of the final transcript showing the conferral of the degree.
  Note: All transcripts issued from outside the United States must be certified by a recognized evaluator of international education records (such as WES or AACRAO), even if the transcript is in English. Education completed at institutions outside of the United States, as shown by official documents, may be accepted as equivalent to academic work done in the United States. subject to the judgment of the E.D.C.
6. Three Letters of Recommendation: Submit three confidential letters of recommendation using the electronic form sent by the OGA. Along with the form, it is highly recommended to include a letter from the recommender. Recommendations should come from former or present college or university instructors, and/or employers or supervisors and give evidence of the applicant's personal aptitude for, as well as interest in and motivation for, the field of theology and religious studies.
7. Applicants to the degree programs of the School of Theology and Religious Studies (STRS) who are priests, deacons or members of religious communities are required to submit a letter of endorsement from their Bishop or Religious Superior (in addition to their three letters of recommendation) with their application. All applicants who will be funded for their studies by a diocese or religious community are required to submit a separate letter from their ecclesiastical superior attesting to this financial support.
8. Standardized Test Scores: applicants must submit GRE scores or MAT (Miller Analogies Test) scores dated within the last 5 years. The Catholic University of America code for the GRE is 5104.
9. Nonrefundable Application Fee.
10. International Students: Applicants from non-English speaking nations and some from nations where English is one of the official languages whose previous education has not been at institutions of higher education in the United States are required to certify their proficiency in English by submitting scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Duolingo Exam, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score on TOEFL of 92 (Internet - based) is required. On the IELTS an overall band score of 6.5 or higher is required.
11. Writing Sample: Students applying to the S.T.L. program must submit a sample of their academic writing.
12. Conditional Admission: The School may grant conditional admission to those applicants not meeting the above prerequisites. In such cases, the director of the academic area to which the student is applying will decide under what circumstances the conditions will be lifted, usually by assigning prerequisite courses that do not count toward the degree.
13. Provisional Admission: Students entering their sixth semester of theological study in the S.T.B. program who have obtained permission to delay their S.T.B. comprehensive exams until the scheduled dates may apply for provisional admission to the S.T.L. program, provided that their cumulative S.T.B. GPA is 3.0 or higher.
14. Please refer to the sections describing the admission requirements for the S.T.L. in the individual academic areas for more details.
Coursework Requirements:
1. Completion of the Pro-Seminar for Doctoral students (TRS 799) which is to be taken in the student's first fall semester in the S.T.L. program.
2. Each S.T.L. student must successfully complete 24 credit hours of coursework at the 700 or 800 level. Eighteen of these required credits must be taken in the student's chosen academic area of concentration, and normally all twenty-four credit hours are to be taken from the course offerings of STRS.
3. Students may take advantage of the offerings of the University in subjects useful for the student's specialization in theology by taking up to 6 credit hours in another school of the University. In each instance the written approvals of the STRS Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and of the Dean or Chair of the other school or department are required.
4. The normal course load for S.T.L. work is 9 hours per semester.
5. In addition to the 24 credit hours of coursework, each student must write a thesis. The candidate must register for S.T.L. Thesis Guidance (TRS 696A) for 3 successive semesters, beginning with the second semester of enrollment in the S.T.L. program. The purposes of thesis guidance include: (a) to direct the student to readings pertinent to the student’s chosen areas of concentration; (b) help the student prepare a thesis proposal; and (c) guide the student in the writing of the thesis. Comprehensive exams and the thesis must be completed within two years from the completion of coursework.
6. S.T.L. students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher to remain in good standing. The student must obtain a cumulative grade (derived from the combined average of coursework, thesis, and the comprehensive examination) of 3.0 or higher to earn the S.T.L. degree. To be eligible for acceptance into the S.T.D. program, a student must receive a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher for all S.T.L. work.
7. Please refer to the sections describing S.T.L. coursework requirements in individual academic area degree programs for more details.
Language Requirements:
1. A reading knowledge of Latin. This prerequisite must be satisfied by the end of the student’s first fall semester in the program.
2. Demonstration of proficiency in Biblical or Patristic Greek.
3. Demonstrated reading proficiency in either French or German. Full-time students must satisfy at least two of the above language requirements by the beginning of their second year of study in the S.T.L. program. With the agreement of the student's thesis director and subject to the approval of the area faculty, a modern language other than French or German may be substituted to fulfill the modern language requirement if the student's thesis research involves that language to a significant extent.
4. Please refer to the sections describing the S.T.L. language requirements for the individual academic areas and the STRS Policies & Procedures Manual for more details.
Comprehensive Examination:
1. The student must successfully complete written and oral comprehensive examinations which demonstrate appropriate mastery of the student's chosen area of concentration.
2. Though the norm is for S.T.L. students to take comprehensive examinations only after their thesis is approved, S.T.L. students may take these exams earlier by agreement with their academic advisor and with the area director.
3. The student must have maintained at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to qualify to take the comprehensive examinations.
4. The student must have completed all language requirements to qualify to take the comprehensive examinations.
5. Students must have had their theses approved in writing by their director and reader before the comprehensives can be scheduled. Comprehensives may not be taken before the midpoint of the final semester of residency.
6. The written comprehensive examination is based on a prescribed list of books in the student's area of concentration. The allotted time for the written examination and the number of questions to be asked on it will be determined by the faculty of the student’s area of concentration. The examination will be graded by the director and reader of the thesis plus 1 additional faculty member assigned by the academic area director. The student must receive a passing grade (3.0) on the written comprehensives in order to proceed to the oral comprehensives.
7. The oral examination is 1 hour in duration and will take place before the same examiners who grade the written comprehensives.
8. The oral examination will be graded on a 4.0 scale. The final result will be the average of the scores given by each of the 3 examiners in a secret vote. An average grade of 3.0 is needed to pass.
9. A candidate for the S.T.L. degree may not continue in the program after two failures on the comprehensive examinations.
10. Please refer to the sections describing the S.T.L. comprehensive exams in the individual academic areas and the STRS Policies & Procedures Manual for more details.
Thesis:
1. Each candidate for the S.T.L. degree must write a thesis of 75 to 100 pages (approximately 20,000 to 25,000 words) which demonstrates the ability to proceed further in scientific theological research.
2. The thesis should give evidence of training in research and make a contribution to theological knowledge involving a limited, yet significant, problem of investigation. It must give evidence of the following: (a) familiarity with basic methods and techniques of research; (b) technical mastery of a limited subject matter; and (c) ability to exercise sound theological judgment and to formulate accurate conclusions.
3. The student’s thesis proposal must be approved by the director and reader, as well as by the faculty of the student’s area of concentration and the E.D.C.
4. Normally, the proposal should be presented to the above parties before the end of the student’s first year of residency (i.e., the first semester of thesis guidance).
5. STL students enroll in TRS 696A STL Thesis Research beginning in the second semester of their program for a total of three semesters. This course confers full-time status and bills at the equivalent of 1 credit. Once the student deposits and passes the thesis, the student is retroactively enrolled in TRS 699CR course for their final semester, and the “grade” of DEP is posted. The 699CR course is worth 9 academic credits but carries no tuition charge (since the student would have already paid tuition through enrollment in the 696A course), the DEP grade does not factor into GPA—but the record of the DEP grade on the student’s transcript does confer the 9 credits.
6. The director and the reader signify their approval in writing on the STRS "Final Approval of Thesis" form. A student may not take the comprehensive examinations until such approval has been secured).
7. After the student has successfully passed the written and oral comprehensive examination, he or she must deposit the original exemplar of the final form of the thesis in the office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies.
8. Please refer to the sections describing the S.T.L. thesis in the individual academic areas for more details.
Final Grade:
1. The 3 components of the S.T.L. degree program (course work, thesis and comprehensive examinations) are graded on a 4.0 scale.
2. The average of the grades for courses, the average of the two grades for the thesis awarded (by the director and the reader), and the combined average of the final grades for the written and oral comprehensive exams by the 3 examiners will each count as one 1/3 of the grade.
3. A student must obtain an overall 3.0 average for the above three components in order to receive the S.T.L. degree.
4. Please refer to the sections describing the S.T.L. final grade in the individual academic area degrees for more details.
Residency Requirements: The residency requirement for the S.T.L. degree is 4 semesters of full-time enrollment or the equivalent.