The 30-credit-hour master’s degree can be completed either on campus or online.
More information regarding the total cost of attendance can be found here.
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The M.A. in Theology & Religious Studies provides the flexibility to focus on your interests and professional goals. An optional thesis provides excellent preparation for doctoral studies. Our students have been accepted to graduate programs at Harvard Divinity School, Boston College, St. Patrick’s College (Maynooth, Ireland), Florida State University, the University of Dayton, and the University of Notre Dame, among others.
In addition, the M.A. program offers concentrations in Chaplaincy, Theological Education, and Pastoral Ministry.
The 30-credit-hour master’s degree can be completed either on campus or online.
More information regarding the total cost of attendance can be found here.
M.A. Students may pursue a general program with maximum electives or concentrate in one of the following areas:
Applicants to the M.A. Degree Program should submit:
The Master of Arts in Theology & Religious Studies is a 30-hour degree typically completed through 10 semester-long courses. Several concentrations allows students to choose the pathway that best matches their goals.
All M.A. Students take one course in each of four required areas:
Those pursuing the General M.A. Track take an additional six electives.
The Chaplaincy Concentration fulfills all the requirements for the M.A. and the Certificate in Pastoral Ministry. As part of this track, students earn 6 of the 30 graduate credits by completing 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Spiritual Care. Three additional CPE Units are necessary to become a Board Certified Health Care Chaplain.
The Theological Education Concentration fulfills all the requirements for the M.A. andÌý³Ù³ó±ð Certificate in Theological Education, satisfying the academic requirements for high school religion certification in the Diocese of Cleveland.
The Pastoral Ministry Concentration fulfills all the requirements for the M.A. and the Certificate in Pastoral Ministry, satisfying the intellectual formation requirements needed to become a Certified Lay Ecclesial Minister in the Diocese of Cleveland.
*One of the electives may be a course in Canon Law taught at St. Mary's School of Theology, which is require for diocesan certification.
The Department of Theology & Religious Studies offers a remarkable breadth of faculty expertise, with notable scholars of the Bible and early Christianity, Judaism and rabbinics, Islamic Studies, contemporary Catholic theology, moral theology, and the sociology of religion.
All ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ TRS courses are offered in hyflex format, giving students the opportunity to choose each week whether to come to campus or to Zoom into class discussion. There is no residency requirement; the entire program can be completed remotely. This is not your typical online program. You will interact with classmates and faculty every week in real time, just as if you are in the room with the rest of the group. Synchronous-only online classes reflect our commitment to education as an ongoing conversation.
Students benefit from the programs and initiatives made possible by four major endowments within the Department of Theology & Religious Studies:
For a list of upcoming graduate courses and course descriptions, click here or visit the .
Our Jesuit, Catholic Mission inspires programs that serve the Catholic community of Cleveland and beyond.
Endowed Chairs in Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, and Interreligious Studies support a religiously diverse slate of courses and programs.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all see Abraham as in some way their founder or ancestor. Course engages in close readings of Genesis 12-25, which tell the story of this Patriarch, to understand how Abraham was understood in Ancient Israel. Examines texts from rabbinic literature, the New Testament, and the Qur'an to explore the ways in which three later traditions map onto Abraham their own visions of what it means to be a religious person.
An introduction to pedagogy for theological educators. Topics include the nature and goals of theological education, the vocation of the theology teacher, the sociological research relevant to religious education, the developmental needs of adolescents and young adults, diversity in the classroom, and concrete pedagogical strategies. Special attention given to practical implementation of the learning goals of the U.S. Catholic Bishops High School Curriculum Framework.
An exploration of Christian ethics in various parts of the world that maps how different cultures intersect in the construction of ethical paradigms which in turn can both foster and/or hinder cross-cultural analysis, respect and collaboration. Two historical novels set respectively in Africa (Achebe, Things Fall Apart) and Asia (Endo, Deep River) will be read, along with works on cultural anthropology, fundamental Christian ethics, inculturation and method.
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ University alumni live, work, teach and support communities throughout the region from Northeast Ohio to Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, New York City, Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.