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Master of Divinity (MDiv)

The MDiv program prepares students for various faith-based ministries in the church and society. The MDiv program is composed of four degree components: religious heritage, cultural context, personal and spiritual formation and capacity for ministerial and public leadership. The degree is awarded conjointly with the University of Toronto.

Goals

To appropriate and integrate Catholic intellectual heritage and its significance and relevance for understanding the current cultural context (ecumenism, interfaith, ecology, etc.).

To develop and apply the pastoral skills required for inclusive ministerial leadership to assist in identifying current social issues (local and global) from a faith perspective.

To foster a sustainable and authentic spirituality that appreciates the diversity of the Church and world to communicate the Gospel.

Degree outcomes

Program goals are aligned with seven degree outcomes that correspond to the curricular areas of bible, history, theology, ethics, pastoral theology, ministry leadership and spiritual/personal formation.

Bible

Students shall be able to conduct informed and disciplined biblical interpretation/ analysis and know how the Church interprets scripture.

History

Students shall understand the historical development of the church in society/culture and how this contextualizes its teachings.

Theology

Students shall be able to think theologically in order to articulate the relationship of historical, doctrinal and systematic aspects of Catholic theology.

Ethics

Students shall be able to give reasoned responses to contemporary ethical and social justice issues based on the Church’s teachings.

Pastoral

Students shall appropriate theoretical knowledge to provide effective faith-based pastoral care and leadership.

Ministry Leadership

Students shall develop the skills to analyze a pastoral situation, name core theological issues at stake and respond in an appropriate pastoral manner.

Spiritual and Personal Formation

Students shall exhibit values and dispositions that demonstrate an integration of theological theory and praxis.

Prerequisites

Fifteen semester hours (five courses) of philosophy are required, especially metaphysics, philosophical anthropology, ethics and some aspects of the history of philosophy.

Those who lack the full requirements in philosophy are required to take additional courses in philosophy during their first year of study in the MDiv program. These courses do not count as credits towards the degree.

Program requirements (in-Person and Hybrid M.Div. options)

Thirty courses (or their equivalent in the case of transfer students) are required for the MDiv degree. Students must maintain an average of B- (2.7 GPA), with no mark below B-, in order to be awarded the degree.

Students enrolled in the In-Person M.Div. may take up to 33% of their course online. Students enrolled in the Hybrid M.Div. must take between 33% to 49% of their courses online.

Note that the minimum requirements for the MDiv degree do not necessarily fulfill all the academic and pastoral training needs of those preparing for ministry in today’s Church. Students are encouraged to complete additional courses in which they have a special interest or which might be necessary for achieving their personal ministerial goals. Candidates for ordination may be required to supplement the degree requirements with an additional year of full or part-time study.

Duration of studies and course load

A minimum of two semesters must be devoted to full-time study. A minimum residency of one year of full-time study is required or, for transfer students, 10 units of study. TST work must be completed within a 12-month period.

The degree may not be completed in less than three years or six semesters of study.

Curriculum

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Foundational Courses (5 units)

Historical Courses (2 units)

Biblical Courses (3 units)

Pastoral Courses (3 units)

Systematic Theology (6 units)

Ecclesiology

Theological Field Education (4 units)

Theological Field Education and Pastoral Formation

Theological education for ministry includes sound academic studies, some experience of supervised practice in ministry and opportunities for spiritual and pastoral formation.

Spiritual and pastoral formation includes: liturgical practice and opportunities for guided spiritual reflection Theological Field Education (TFE), Pastoral Skills Units (PSU, a Learning Portfolio, and a Summative Evaluation for Ministry (SEM).

Theological Field Education

Theological Field Education begins with an orientation to field-based learning in the course SMP2600: Theology of Ministry. It continues in an approved field placement where students engage in pastoral action and supervised theological and pastoral reflection on their learning. Upon completion of the Supervised Field Placement, students participate on campus in the course SMP3010: Theological Reflection Seminar, a guided group experience focused on identifying their operative theology in pastoral practice and on articulating their self-understanding as pastoral ministers.

Students should consult with the Director of Field Education by the end of their participation in the course SMP2600: Theology of Ministry, for assistance with developing their field-based learning goals and the placement suitable for pursuing these goals.

The Field Education Cycle includes:

Theology of Ministry
A Supervised Field Placement (SFP) of 250 hours, where students engage in forms of pastoral practice that challenge them to grow in theological integration and self-identity as pastoral ministers. The students and supervisors articulate this learning experience in a Learning Agreement. The Director of Field Education approves both the placement site and the learning agreement.
Theological Reflection Seminar (upon completion of Theological Field Education)

Students need to consult with the Programs Coordinator and the Director of Field Education regarding the timing to complete the three components in the Theological Field Education program, as the full sequence of Theology of Ministry, Field Placement and Theological Reflection Seminar requires a minimum of three semesters. Upon completing the latter two requirements, two units of credit in Theological Field Education are granted.

Field Education timelines:

For September Field Education: notify Director of Field Education by last Friday in June

For January Field Education: notify Director of Field Education by last Friday in November

For summer Field Education: notify Director of Field Education by third Friday in March

Placement possibilities include already approved St. Michael’s/TST sites, Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E.) and Supervised Pastoral Education (S.P.E.), as well as new sites to be approved in accordance with the student’s learning goals.

Evaluation of students in Theological Field Education is an ongoing process, and involves a learning log, supervisory sessions, and written reports at the completion of the supervised field placement. The Theological Reflection Seminar also entails written work on pastoral practice and a concluding interview with the Director of Field Education.

MDiv Portfolio

The portfolio process encourages and supports students’ self-awareness of and commitment to personal, spiritual and ministerial growth in the context of the M.Div. program.

Students generally meet twice a year with the Director of Pastoral Formation to discuss portfolio submissions, to reflect upon ongoing development and to identify relevant opportunities for further growth. The Director typically offers suggestions and guidance but does not directly evaluate the quality of the student’s continuing formation.

The portfolio process fosters personal responsibility and accountability for cultivating the attitudes, qualities, skills and knowledge essential for a well-rounded and integrated pastoral identity.

Contents of the portfolio are kept by the Director and are returned to the student at the end of the program. For more details about the portfolio’s various components, contact the Director of Field Education.

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