Curriculum • Practicum• Academic Areas • Concentrations • Courses • Languages • Credit Transfer
The program combines academic studies in Theology, Counseling, and Lay Ministry with practical training in campus ministry. Please see the Program Requirements Checklist for specifics.
Curriculum
Choose 10 courses (30 credit hours) in Theology on the basis of your interests and professional objectives, but meet the following course distribution requirement.
Required Courses:
- 1 course (3 credit hours), Foundation in Theology (THL 8000; offered every fall semester)
- 1 course (3 credit hours), Texts in Contexts (THL 8480; offered every spring semester)
Elective Courses:
- 1 course (3 credit hours) in Systematic Theology
- 2 courses (6 credit hours) in Biblical Studies
- 2 course (6 credit hours) in Christian Spirituality
- 2 courses (6 credit hours) in Christian Ethics
- 1 courses (3 credit hours) – free elective
Required Courses in Lay Ministry and Counseling Practice:
- 4 courses (the equivalent of six credit hours) in Pastoral Ministry and Counseling Practice – required of all students in the program:
- THL 8800 Ministry and Counseling Practice I
- THL 8801 Ministry and Counseling Practice II
- THL 8810 Ministry and Counseling Practice III
- THL 8811 Ministry and Counseling Practice IV
Required Courses in Counseling:
- 2 courses (6 credit hours) in Counseling (CHR 8679 and CHR 8605 or CHR 8655) – required of all students in the program
Practicum
A two-year supervised Field Practicum (minimum of 10 hours per week, that is, 150 hours per semester or 600 hours in total).
Academic Areas and Concentrations
The combined program introduces you to the academic study of Biblical Literature, Systematic Theology, Historical Studies and Historical Theology, Christian Ethics, Spirituality, and Lay Ministry and permits you to develop concentrations in these areas.
Study Full-time and Part-time
You may enroll as a full-time student and complete the program in two years. If you plan to study part-time you may enroll in as little as 1 course per semester and take up to 6 years to complete all degree requirements. To permit part-time students to work during the day, most courses meet in the evening.
Design your Program
You may choose required and elective courses based on your academic and interdisciplinary interests. For example, you may enroll in one course (elective) in another graduate program at Villanova. Also, you may develop an additional concentration of 4 courses in any academic area , or take 1 course to write a thesis under the direction of a graduate faculty that enhances your academic portfolio when you apply for doctoral studies.
Language Requirement
Our master's program requires you to pass a Language Examination that demonstrates reading comprehension in a foreign language. In some circumstances, the Language Examination requirement may be waived; please inquire with our graduate program director.
If your are interested in improving language proficiency, there are opportunities to study ancient and modern languages at Villanova. In general, the theology graduate program does not offer language courses, but the Classical Studies Program and the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures do.
Please keep in mind that language instruction courses per se do not count toward fulfilling your theology degree requirements. Still, there is one exception. We permit all students to enroll in up to two courses (electives) in other graduate programs at Villanova. Therefore, you may enroll in classical or modern languages courses that also investigate philosophical, theological or anthropological questions, and such courses will count toward fulfilling your degree requirements. Before you make any plans, though, please contact our program director.
In addition, every academic year the Graduate Dean makes limited scholarships available to full-time theology and philosophy graduate students. Again, please contact our program director to inquire about the availability of funding.
Other Requirements
You are also required to attend a Research Proseminar in the fall semester of your first year of studies, and pass a Comprehensive Examination.
Transfer of Credits
At the time of program application you may request the transfer of up to 6 credits from another institution.
