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MA Theology 4+1 Programs

The Graduate Theology Division of Franciscan University of Steubenville offers a 4+1 Program whereby a student can graduate with a MA theology degree one year after graduating with a bachelor’s degree with a major in Theology and/or Catechetics. The student must be accepted into the 4+1 Program by applying through the Admissions Office. Any Franciscan University undergraduate Theology or Catechetics major qualifies to apply in the semester before he or she will have met the following requirements:

  1. An overall QPA of 3.0 and completion of at least 60 credit hours;
  2. A 3.0 in the Philosophy core and in Theology courses or Theology and Catechetics courses for Catechetics majors;
  3. Completion of PHL 113, PHL 211, PHL 212; THE 101, THE 110 and THE 115 with the addition of 6 more credits of theology courses, and if a CAT major, completion of CAT 120, CAT 204, CAT 301 and CAT 302

Once accepted, the student may take a maximum of three (3) graduate courses in Theology in the on-campus program at a rate of no more than two (2) per semester, according to the following conditions:

  1. Students who have taken the Philosophy and Theology core (PHL 113, PHL 211, PHL 212; THE 101, THE 110, THE 115) and any other 6 credits of theology may take THE 616: Advanced Moral Theology.
  2. Students who have taken THE 211 and THE 212 in addition to the Philosophy and Theology core (PHL 113, PHL 211, PHL 212; THE 101, THE 110, THE 114) may take THE 619: Biblical Hermeneutics.
  3. Students who have taken the Philosophy and Theology core (PHL 113, PHL 211, PHL 212; THE 101, THE 110, THE 115) and THE 211, THE 212, THE 213, THE 214 and THE 314 may take any graduate Theology foundation course (THE 613, THE 614, THE 618, THE 619, THE 616).
  4. Undergraduate students cannot take any classes with a course code of 700 or above.
  5. Students registered for two graduate courses in a single semester are advised to carry no more than 13 credit hours.

Two of these graduate Theology courses will fulfill general elective requirements for the bachelor’s degree and one will count toward the elective course requirements for the undergraduate major in Theology or Catechetics (depending on the courses taken). When this distribution is not possible, one of these graduate Theology courses will fulfill general elective requirements and two will count toward the elective course requirements for the undergraduate major in Theology or Catechetics. All three are also counted toward a MA Theology degree at Franciscan University. If admitted, 4+1 students are normally admitted to the Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS). If a student would like to switch to the Master of Theological Science (MTS) upon the completion of the bachelor’s degree, they must submit an additional application to the admissions office including a GRE score and a writing sample. Course selection in the 4+1 program must be compatible with the different requirements of each MA theology degrees. If the student completes all three graduate courses with at least a “B” (3.0) in each course and has maintained at least 3.0 QPA overall as well as in Theology courses (and Catechetics courses, if a CAT major) automatic acceptance into the Graduate Theology Program would follow. If the student completes some but not all of the graduate courses, these courses would still count toward the MA Theology degree, but there would be no automatic acceptance.

THE 600 Philosophy for Theology, THE 606 Dogmatic Theology I, THE 607 Dogmatic Theology II, THE 608 Dogmatic Theology III, THE 611 Interpreting the Old Testament, THE 612 Interpreting the New Testament, and THE 615 Moral Theology do not count for the MATS or MTS degrees. If the student elects to postpone entrance to the MA Theology degree, he or she has up to four years before needing to reapply for admission in the MA Theology Program. Only upon completion of the undergraduate degree is a student allowed to proceed to the graduate Theology courses beyond nine (9) credits. 4+1 students can finish the MATCM or MATS by taking 27 credits of graduate courses over the course of Summer, Fall, and Spring terms following undergraduate graduation in May. MTS students will need to take 33 credit hours.

 

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