Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley: M. Div. Requirements

The Master of Divinity degree requires the completion of 72 semester units of course work (24 three-unit courses or the equivalent), plus 6 units of Field Education and one 3 unit program in cultural awareness, immersion, and analysis, totaling a minimum of 81 semester units. No more than one-third of the course work may be taken on a pass-fail basis.

A student may expect to complete the Master of Divinity degree in three academic years, but must complete the program within six calendar years from the date of initial registration in the program. The normal full-time course load is 12 units per semester; in addition, up to 3 units may be taken each year during the January intersessions.

Each Department at the Jesuit School offers a spectrum of course offerings enabling the student to develop a solid theological foundation for future ministry. In the selection of courses, the role of the academic advisor is crucial. The student-advisor dialogue must arrive at an academic plan balancing the theological experiences specific to the student's needs and broad enough for the development of diverse knowledge and awareness necessary for ministry in today's Church.

The Master of Divinity curriculum is constructed around three theological syntheses. The first is comprised of foundations in the history of Christianity, Christian ethics, systematic theology and Scripture. The second emphasizes the application of theories and methods of theology in ministry by means of field education and pastoral theology. The third involves the preparation for and the taking of the Comprehensive Examination.

Credit Distribution for Course Work
Eighty-one hours of credit must be completed according to the following course distribution:

Year One
Foundation Courses (24 units total)

Bible (6)
Society and Christian Ethics (6)
Systematics (6)
History (6)

Cultural Awareness, Immersion, Analysis (3 units):
During the intersession of the first year, students are required to participate in an immersion experience either locally or internationally. The Immersion Program will be coordinated by the Director of Field Education and the Academic Dean and is part of a two-semester course.

Years Two and Three
Foundation Courses (12 units total)

Bible (6)
Systematics (6)

Contextualized/Praxis Courses (12 units total)
These four courses are designed to assist students in honing pastoral skills and in reflecting on their experiences as ministers in a multicultural church. Students will be required to directly observe and/or draw upon various social contexts as part of their coursework in

Bible (3)
Society and Christian Ethics (3)
Religion and Society (3)
History/Systematics (3)

Pastoral Courses (12 units total)
Candidates for ordination will be required to take:

Canon Law (3)
Preaching (3)
Celebrational Style (3)
Confessional Counseling (3)

Other students will be required to take:

Canon Law (3)
Preaching or Lay Presiding (3)
Pastoral Counseling or Spiritual Direction (3)
A pastoral elective (3)

Field Education (6 units)
The field education program is designed to help students develop expertise in the practice of Christian ministry, and to work with their ministerial location as a practical framework for a critical appropriation of the Roman Catholic tradition.

Electives (6 units total)
One elective must be taken from:

Contextualized/Praxis Courses (3)

One free elective (3)

Interreligious Dialogue or Ecumenism (3 units)

Integration Seminar (3 units)
This is a requirement in the third year of the program, coordinated by the Academic Dean. Meeting in the Spring semester, the principal focus of the Integration Seminar will be to apply theological topics (ethics, systematics, biblical studies, liturgy, etc.) to various case studies.

Faith Formation in Community
This component of the Master of Divinity program is comprised of two elements:

The first consists of three to four sessions each year planned by the Student Services personnel in consultation with the Director of Field Education and the Rector of the Jesuit Community. These sessions focus on complementing students' academic formation with opportunities for input, reflection and group discussion on such topics as ministerial ethics, collaborative ministry, prayer, and Ignatian Spirituality.
The second element of Faith Formation in Community is the student's participation in the formation opportunities at the Jesuit School and/or the student's religious community, which should include spiritual direction, regular faith-sharing in a small group, days of prayer and an annual retreat.

The Comprehensive Examination
At the conclusion of their program, students will be required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination comprised of both written and oral components. It will employ the same case method as developed in the Integration Seminar in that students will be expected to bring their academic and pastoral knowledge to bear in thinking through hypothetical ministerial situations.

Spiritual Preparation
In pursuit of its mission to help candidates prepare for ordained and non-ordained ministry in the Church, it is a goal of the school to facilitate students' development for building up the Church as a community of faith, of worship, of justice, and of love.

The attainment of this goal means:

That they be men and women of faith, familiar with the Word of God in Scripture and with the Catholic tradition in interpreting and understanding that Word; contemplative in their personal assimilation of this faith in a life of prayer.
That they be prepared to exercise leadership in Christian worship, through planning liturgies, preaching, administering Sacraments, and presiding at Eucharist and other community liturgical celebrations, according to the gifts each has received.
That they be prepared to counsel, guide, encourage and instruct in the Christian way of life, with special attention to issues of justice and human dignity, to lead in the formation of the just society and to exercise ministries of reconciliation, according to their gifts.

An important dimension of preparation for pastoral ministry consists of theological reflection upon contemporary human concerns, a contemplative reflection requiring time, disciplined training, communal experience, study, dialogue, and prayer. The Faith Formation in Community component of the Master of Divinity program provides opportunities for growth in this process.

The Program for Priestly Formation
The Program for Priestly Formation of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops requires that all candidates for ordained ministry complete four full years of theological study. This normally entails one year of study beyond completion of the Master of Divinity degree. For Jesuits of the United States, the Jesuit Conference stipulates that this fourth year will generally include the completion of eight graduate level semester-long courses in theological study, the completion of an Advanced Master's degree in theology, or the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.).

Special Examinations for those to be Ordained
Since canonical faculties for preaching and celebration of the Sacraments are granted by the ordinand's religious and ecclesiastical superiors, ultimate responsibility for the certification of the individual's readiness in these areas lies with the relevant superiors. As an aid in this aspect of ministerial preparation, however, regular courses, designed to prepare students for the pastoral administration of the Sacraments, are offered both at the Jesuit School and other schools in the Graduate Theological Union. The normal means by which competency is certified in the pastoral administration of the Sacraments will be through successful completion of courses which focus on preaching, celebrational style, and confessional counseling. For exceptional circumstances, please see the Protocols for Ordination Examinations, adopted by the Department of Pastoral Theology and Ministry.