REQUIREMENTS for students admitted prior to August 2009

MASTER OF ARTS IN PASTORAL THEOLOGY

Requirements for Degree in Pastoral Theology

All students must complete 36 semester hours, maintaining a minimum grade point average of "B" (3.0).

CORE COURSES (Six Courses - 18 sem. hrs.)

• THST 600--Foundations of New Testament Theology
  (OR THST 603--Foundations of Old Testament Theology) 
• THST 630--Introduction to Systematic Theology
• THST 660--Foundations of Christian Moral Life
  (OR one course from the Historical area (THST 620s)
• THST 670--Foundations of Pastoral Theology
• THST 698—Spiritual Integration for Pastoral Ministers
• THST 692--Graduate Pro-Seminar (3 sem. hrs. taken during the first semester)

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Click here to view our Course Descriptions according to our Graduate Bulletin.


PASTORAL THEOLOGY ELECTIVES (18 sem. hrs.)
Pastoral Theology students are required to take one three unit course in either Liturgy, Religious Education, or Spirituality and select other elective courses offered by the Department of Theological Studies after consultation with their advisor. The program is designed to allow a student to develop a track in a particular area of interest, for example, liturgy, spirituality, religious education, faith and culture, or pastoral ministry. Under special circumstances, students may take up to two courses (six semester hours) outside the department.


CONCENTRATION IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
This concentration is designed for anyone enrolled in the Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology who would like to acquire the art of Spiritual Direction, a ministry of accompanying others in their spiritual journey.
The  purpose of the concentration is to provide a course of studies that integrates Theology, Scripture, Psychology, Spirituality, skills acquisition and supervision in the art of Spiritual Direction.
Students who wish to concentrate their elective in a spiritual direction would take the following four courses:

• Theory and Practice of Spiritual Direction (3 units)
• Psychological Foundations of Ministry (3 units)
• Ignatian Spirituality and Discernment (3 units)
• Practicum and Supervision (3 units)

This is not a certificate program. Upon successful completion of the four required courses participants will be able to designate that their Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology included a concentration in Spiritual Direction training.
For more information contact Wilkie Au, Ph.D., Professor of Theological Studies: 310-338-7364, wau@lmu.edu.

PASTORAL SYNTHESIS PROJECT
The Pastoral Synthesis Project is the required capstone experience for all Pastoral Theology students. The project is designed to elicit familiarity with scholarly sources and pastoral analysis of issues that impact the contemporary practice of ministry. The project is not solely a research paper nor a reflection paper, but a synthesis of both. The project is typically done in the last semester of the Pastoral Theology program. Students who enrolled before Fall 2009: Please see the Capstone Experience page.