Ecclesiastical Degree
Bachelor of Sacred Theology

Purpose
The degree of Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) provides the student with a solid, Thomistic, organic, and complete instruction in theology at the basic level. As a first-cycle ecclesiastical academic degree, it enables graduates to pursue further studies in the sacred sciences. The degree is a prerequisite for further pursuit of an ecclesiastical licentiate degree, and is also accepted for further study in universities of the European Union where the M.Div. is not recognized.

Admission Requirements
The following prerequisites for admission will be evaluated by the seminary academic dean who may, in individual cases, allow the student to remedy particular deficiencies during the first year of the program:

• A bachelor’s degree (BA/BS/or its equivalent) from an accredited college or university.
• Superior achievement and the ability to pursue graduate work as indicated by the transcript of previous studies (with a minimum GPA of 3.00). 
• An undergraduate foundation in philosophy, including a minimum of 30 credit hours. Titles should include: Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Contemporary, Logic, Ethics, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Natural Theology, and Philosophical Anthropology.
• A reading knowledge of Latin.

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Degree Requirements

• A minimum of 91 semester credit hours of coursework is required with the following distribution:

          minimum credits      course distribution area
                  15                         Foundational
                  15                         Systematic
                   8                          Sacramental
                   9                          Moral
                  18                         Scripture
                   3                         Church History
                  20                         Electives

• A demonstrated reading knowledge of New Testament Greek.
• A minimum 3.00 GPA in all coursework being applied toward the S.T.B. degree.
• Satisfactory completion of the two-part S.T.B. comprehensive examination (described in the Academic Norms section of the Seminary Student Handbook).  The subject matter is material covered in the courses in systematic and sacramental theology, moral theology, and Scripture.

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Residency and fees
The residency requirement for the S.T.B. degree is eight semesters. A $200.00 per year S.T.B. fee is charged.

Advanced Standing
Students may transfer up to thirty (30) credits taken from an ecclesiastical faculty or other institution granting canonical degrees through affiliation with an ecclesiastical faculty.

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