Theological Studies Graduate Programs

M.A. in Theological Studies Course Requirements

• The M.A. Theology Requirements  can be found by clicking on the link or it can be found below
• The MA Theology Checklist 2023-24 can be used to track your progress (especially during advisement sessions).

M.A. in Theological Studies Degree Requirements

All students must complete 42 semester hours, maintaining a minimum grade point average of "B" (3.0). All courses are 3 semester hours, unless otherwise noted.

Core Courses (21)

The following seven courses (21 semester hours) are required.

• THST 6010 Foundations of New Testament Theology or THST 6000 Foundations of Old Testament Theology
• THST 6020 Foundations of Historical Theology or any one course from 6020s
• THST 6030 Introduction to Systematic Theology
• THST 6060 Foundations of Theological Ethics
• THST 6090 Graduate Pro-Seminar (taken in the first semester)
• THST 6092 Comprehensive Exam Seminar (taken during final year in the Fall semester after 36 hours are completed)
• THST 6093 Directed Research and Writing Seminar (taken during final year in the Spring semester after 36 hours are completed)

Elective Courses (21)

Theology Students are to complete an additional 21 semester hours for a total of 42 semester hours. After 36 semester hours are completed, students may enroll in the Comprehensive Exam Seminar and the Directed Research Seminar.

Concentration in Comparative Theology

Theology students may choose to take elective courses that develop a concentration in Comparative Theology. The Concentration in Comparative Theology serves students who wish to focus their program more specifically around questions of religious diversity, interreligious dialogue, world religions, and comparative theology. The concentration is comprised of four courses (12 semester hours). Students who wish to do this concentration are required to take:

• THST 6080 Comparative Theology

In addition, students are required to take three (3) of the following (or other courses approved by the academic advisor in concert with the graduate director):

• THST 6033 Feminist Theology
• THST 6081 Comparative Religious Ethics
• THST 6082 Comparative Mysticism
• THST 6083 Hinduism, Vedanta, and Yoga
• THST 6084 Buddhism
• THST 6085 Classics of Chinese Philosophy
• THST 6086 Readings in Religious Literature
• THST 6087 Jainism

Capstone Experience

To complete the program, you must turn in various forms required by our Capstone Experience criteria.

START YOUR APPLICATION

All students must complete 42 semester hours, maintaining a minimum grade point average of "B" (3.0). All courses are 3 semester hours, unless otherwise noted.

Core Courses (24)

The following eight courses (24 semester hours) are required:

• THST 6010 Foundations of New Testament Theology or THST 6000 Foundations of Old Testament Theology
• THST 6030 Introduction to Systematic Theology
• THST 6060 Foundations of Theological Ethics or One Course from the Historical Area (6020s)
• THST 6070 Foundations of Pastoral Theology
• THST 6074 Spiritual Formation for Pastoral Ministry
• THST 6078 Supervised Pastoral Field Education
• THST 6090 Graduate Pro-Seminar (taken in the first semester)
• THST 6091 Pastoral Synthesis Project (taken after completion of 36 hours)

Elective Courses (18)

Pastoral Theology students are required to take one course (3 semester hours) 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 students to pursue general interests or a particular concentration. Concentrations are offered in two areas: (1) Pastoral Leadership and (2) Spiritual Direction. Under special circumstances, students may take up to two courses (6 semester hours) outside the department.

Concentration in Spiritual Direction

This concentration is designed for anyone 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 electives in spiritual direction would take the following four courses in sequence:

• THST 6051 Theory and Practice of Spiritual Direction
• THST 6052 Ignatian Spirituality
• THST 6053 Psychological Foundations of Pastoral Ministry
• THST 6054 Practicum and Supervision in Spiritual Direction

Concentration in Pastoral Leadership

This concentration is designed to educate those who will serve (or who currently serve) as leaders in pastoral settings, either as leaders in specialized ministries or as leaders in general ministry positions. Examples of leaders in specialized ministry: Directors of Religious Education, Directors of Youth Ministry or Campus Ministry, Directors of Catechumenate/RCIA. The concentration is deliberately open to the students to design under the guidance of the academic advisor. In this way, students who find themselves actively engaged in, or aspiring to, leadership ministries within schools or parishes will choose courses for the concentration that fit their current or aspired ministry commitments. Students who choose to do this Concentration are required to take:

• THST 6070 Foundations of Pastoral Theology, and
• THST 6073 Theory and Practice of Pastoral Leadership

In addition, students are required to take two (2) of the following (or other courses approved by the academic advisor):

• THST 6040 Liturgical Theology: History and Interpretation
• THST 6041 The Rites
• THST 6071 Pastoral Approaches to Religious Education
• THST 6043 Faith and Culture: Catechesis in Southern California
• THST 6075 Pastoral Liturgy
• THST 6076 The Theology of the Parish
• THST 6077 Special Topics in Pastoral Theology
• THST 6053 Psychological Foundations of Pastoral Ministry

The MA Pastoral Theology Checklist 2023-24 can be used to track your progress (especially during advisement sessions).

Capstone Experience

Learn more about the capstone experience.

START YOUR APPLICATION

SEMESTER: Fall 2024

COURSE TITLE: Foundations of New Testament Theology 

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION:   THST 6010.01  

TIMES/DAYS: W 7:20pm-9:50pm

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Emanuel

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This graduate level course engages New Testament texts and contexts. While a primary focus will be on situating New Testament writings in their own historical settings—a traditional starting point within the field of New Testament Studies—the course will also examine how New Testament sources have been analyzed in contexts beyond their own times. Throughout the class, students will discuss the theological foundations of the early Jesus movement; the construction of the New Testament canon; the development of New Testament Studies as an academic field; and the relationship among text, context, and interpretation. No prior knowledge is needed.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Our main objective is to gain familiarity with the historical and theological complexities of the New Testament. This includes: 1) understanding how New Testament texts are in conversation with the ancient Jewish-Greco-Roman world; 2) identifying and analyzing New Testament writers’ foundational theological questions, including especially how they make sense of Jesus as their Christ; 3) exploring how New Testament texts are in conversation with extra-canonical writings; 4) understanding how the New Testament was canonized; and 4) examining how New Testament writers grapple with human existence and potential human-divine interaction. Students will also learn to address the relationship among biblical text, context, and interpretation, both in antiquity and today.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

None

REQUIRED TEXTS

The Jewish Annotated New Testament (JANT), ed. Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler (2^nd edition; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017).

Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings (7th edition; New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019).

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Oral Reading Responses                              

Check-In Quizzes

Talmud Project                

Final Essay with Presentation                        

SEMESTER: Fall 2024

COURSE TITLE: U.S. Latinx Theology

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6034

SECTION TIMES/DAYS: W 4:30-7:00 PM - Hybrid

INSTRUCTOR: Cecilia González-Andrieu, Ph.D.*

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This course examines the diverse origins and theological expressions of Latinx Christian communities in the U.S. with a special emphasis on the Catholic tradition.  The course develops and employs a Latinx theological methodology to travel from the question of “why do this?” (por qué?) to the final question of “toward what goal?” (hacia qué?).  Meant to problematize and contextualize the situation of Latinx Christianity in what is today the United States, the course aims to expose students to foundational theological developments in tandem with urgent contemporary questions.  Students are invited to inhabit the challenges posed by a Latinx focus by engaging in researching a local Latinx community in all its particularity and the complex communities that it represents and to develop original theological approaches to the challenges presented to the church and the nation by the many communities grouped under the terms Latinx, Latino/a or Hispanic.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The student will analyze and interpret primary foundational texts to contextualize the origins of U.S. Latinx theological reflection.

The student will critically examine a range of theological concepts arising out of Latinx religious practices and experiences and assess their contribution to Christian Theology.

The student will analyze and judge pertinent contemporary issues and socio-economic data.

The student will formulate and articulate strategies to meet the challenge posed to the church by the needs and gifts of the community through their own particular area of interest (pastoral ministry, ecumenism, ethics, liturgical practices, immigration, education, ecology, anti-racism, etc.)

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

This is a graduate course and may be taken at any point during the program.

REQUIRED TEXTS (Partial list)

Elizondo, Virgil, The Future is Mestizo: Life Where Cultures Meet, University Press of Colorado, 2000. González, Justo L. Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective. Nashville : Abingdon Press, 1990.

Pope Francis, Let us Dream: The Path to A Better Future, Simon & Schuster, 2020.

Matovina, Timothy, Cecilia González-Andrieu, Steven P. Rodríguez, and Jaime R. Vidal. ¡Presente! : U.S. Latino Catholics from Colonial Origins to the Present. Edited by Timothy Matovina and Gerald Eugene Poyo. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock, 2015.

Matovina, Timothy. Latino Catholicism: Transformation in America’s Largest Church. 1st ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011.

Select texts, and other sources will be provided on Brightspace.

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Engagement with all course readings evidenced in active participation in discussion board, written work and presentations. 

Comprehensive field research about a local community.

Reading: All readings are to be done prior to the class meeting.

Writing and presentations: Several short papers, discussion questions prepared every week, several class presentations and a final research paper.

* indica un/a profesor/a hispanoparlante y con permiso estudiantes pueden escribir su tarea en español. 

COURSE TITLE: Graduate Proseminar

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION:   THST 6090

TIMES/DAYS: Mondays, 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

INSTRUCTOR:  Layla A. Karst

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This course prepares students for graduate study in Theology. Christian theology is disciplined reasoning, thinking, and analysis, shown through reading, writing, and speaking, that pursues the questions raised by human beings as a result of their experience of and faith in the triune God.  Studying theology is neither catechesis (lifelong and life-wide formation in Christian faith) nor apologetics (defending Christian faith and its “rightness”). Doing theology means joining an ongoing historical dialogue, occasionally an argument, that Christians call tradition.  In doing so, theologians analyze how and why diverse Christians from the past and present have expressed their faith as they have, but also continuing to seek adequate ways to do so today. This course will also explore some of the foundations of religious studies, that is, the discipline that considers religious traditions irrespective of one’s personal faith commitments. The Pro-seminar course prepares students for further graduate study in Theological Studies by introducing some of the vocabulary, background knowledge, methodologies, and skills necessary for such study, with special attention on building skills for theological reading, research, and writing.  The seminar includes input and exercises that will expose students to the basic subfields of theology (including biblical studies, historical theology, ethics, systematic or constructive theology, spirituality, pastoral theology, liturgy, and comparative theology).

Class will meet on campus 6 times during the semester; all other weeks we will meet on Zoom.

 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to…

• Articulate what Christian theology is and demonstrate the foundational mechanics of theological study at the graduate level (critical reading and writing, attention to context, research, and citation);
• Understand the structure and content of theological arguments, offer reasoned analysis and critique of theological arguments, and begin to develop their own theological arguments;
• Define and use the disciplinary vocabulary of Christian theology and religious studies;
• Recognize and interpret how theological ideas, practices, and methodologies occur in response to the questions and challenges of different historical eras and different cultures. 
• Responsibly read the primary sources of theology, including biblical, historical, doctrinal, and theological texts, as well as other artifacts and expressions from daily Christian life (e.g., liturgical practice, popular religion, and art), learning to honor the original context for these sources but also to connect them to contemporary theological questions, practices, and commitments;
• Explore the variety of theological methodologies from different sub-disciplines of Christian theology and religious studies
• Understand expectations and conventions for academic discourse and writing, including proper citation
• Build skills for theological research, including library, archival, and observational methodologies

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

A willingness to pursue the questions and methods proper to theology, even when that pursuit feels new, uncomfortable, or even threatening to one’s preconceived ideas about theology, tradition, faith.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

• Gonzalez, Justo L. Essential Theological Terms.  Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 2005.
• Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. “They Say, I Say”: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. 6^th New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2024.
• Johnson, Elizabeth A. Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God. New York, NY: Continuum, 2008.
• Rausch, Thomas. I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles Creed. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2008.
• Yaghjian, Lucretia B. Writing Theology Well: A Rhetoric for Theological and Biblical Writers (New York: Continuum, 2006). 

SEMESTER: FALL 2024

COURSE TITLE: Comprehensive Exam Seminar

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6092.01

TIMES/DAYS: Wednesdays 7:20-9:50pm

INSTRUCTOR: Tiemeier

CORE AREA: N/A

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This is the required comprehensive exam seminar for all MA in Theology students. While drawing on students’ previous course work, the seminar also requires students to study additional sources that will help them integrate their theological education. The comprehensive exams are administered as a part of the course requirements, targeting the MA in Theology program learning outcomes (see student learning outcomes below). Assessment prompts will be given to students before the beginning of the semester so students can plan for the semester. This course has a hybrid format where some classes will meet on campus in person and other classes will meet online through Zoom.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

SLO 1: Perform biblical exegesis with attention to historical contexts, the history of interpretation, and contemporary theological developments; SLO 2: Engage in critical reflection on major theological themes, including the ability to articulate different perspectives and place them in dialogue, and the ability to engage such themes in real world contexts; SLO 3: Perform critical historical analysis, reading and interpreting primary sources of theology in their broader context; SLO 4: Situate contemporary theological developments in light of historical trajectories; SLO 5: Interpret the work of seminal thinkers in Christian ethics and analyze contemporary moral problems; SLO 6: Discern accurate and credible knowledge about diverse religious traditions and expressions; SLO 7: Engage the question of the theological significance of religious diversity; SLO 8: Articulate multiple methods in theological studies and apply them in appropriate scholarly ways and contexts; SLO 9: Engage critically with the Roman Catholic intellectual tradition, appreciating the internal diversity within Roman Catholic and wider Christian traditions, and articulating how an encounter with the Roman Catholic intellectual tradition enhances engagement with one’s own religious perspectives.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

36 units of course work completed.

Students with at least 30 units may petition the Graduate Curriculum Committee for permission to enroll.

REQUIRED TEXTS

[ALL TEXTS ARE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH THE LMU LIBRARY]

M. Shawn Copeland. Knowing Christ Crucified: The Witness of African American Religious Experience.

Gustavo Gutiérrez. On Job: God-talk and the Suffering of the Innocent.

Clara Sue Kidwell, Homer Noley, George E. “Tink” Tinker. A Native American Theology.

Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ. Religion and Faith in Africa: Confessions of an Animist.

Elizabeth A. Johnson. Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love.

Peter C. Phan. The Joy of Religious Pluralism: A Personal Journey.

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Bibliography Reading, Seminar Presentation, and Seminar Discussion (25%)

Bibliography Exam Assessing Outcomes 6-9 (25%)

Program Portfolio, Previous Paper Revisions for Outcomes 1-5, and Self-Assessment (25%)

Thesis Proposal Drafts (25%)

Brett Hoover* is offering this course as a tutorial. 

* indica un/a profesor/a hispanoparlante y con permiso estudiantes pueden escribir su tarea en español. 

SEMESTER: FALL 2024

COURSE TITLE: Bernard of Clairvaux

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: SS 42548 THST 6998

TIMES/DAYS: 42548 THST 6998

INSTRUCTOR: Harrison                       

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This is a course on the life and thought of Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Among the most influential people in twelfth-century western Europe, Bernard was involved in many of the most important ecclesiastical disputes of his time, played a major role in contemporary monastic life, challenged dominant intellectual players (e.g., Abelard) and thought associated with scholasticism (e.g., the place of reason and love in religious thought) and introduced spiritual themes and practices (imitation of Christ, devotion to the humanity of Mary and Jesus, including meditation on the infant Jesus and crucified Christ) that characterized the Middle Ages and have come to be associated with modern Catholic thought and practice, and he exercised enormous influence the spirituality and mysticism (esp. bridal mysticism) of the later Middle Ages. Part one of this class is an introduction to Bernard’s life in the context of twelfth-century Cistercian monasticism, which he helped to shape, and to his major writings. Part two focuses on his treatise On Loving God, with a focus on Bernard’s understanding of love and spiritual development.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who complete this class successfully will learn to read complex religious texts from the distant past and to write intelligently about the spirituality of the Western Christian Middle Ages, including on themes that have shaped modern Christianity.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

Students should be prepared to work hard!

REQUIRED TEXTS

Students will purchase a course reader and Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works, tr. G. R. Evans (New York: Paulist Press, 1987).

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Students will write short papers (approximately 3-5pp) almost every week. They will complete a final, longer paper (about 10pp) that will focus on a close reading of one of Bernard’s texts and take up a question about a topic of central importance to Bernard.

COURSE TITLE: Theory and Practice of Spiritual Direction

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6051

TIMES/DAYS: Tuesdays 7:20-9:50pm (hybrid)

INSTRUCTOR: Wil Hernandez

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This course seeks to further the student’s understanding of spiritual direction as a form of pastoral care and as a helping relationship. Among the topics to be considered are: various forms of spiritual guidance within the Christian tradition, the distinctive nature of spiritual direction, the qualities and skills required to be an effective spiritual director, and the role of spiritual direction in facilitating spiritual growth and development. Utilizing the vast enterprise of soul care as a backdrop (with Henri Nouwen as a model), this introductory course focuses on the more contemporary art and ministry of spiritual direction with emphases on its primary thrust, distinctive approach, and companioning dynamics. The course advocates a decidedly contemplative-evocative stance and skills.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: (1) Inventory their current spiritual journey reality via the use of the Grand Examen tool as starting point for understanding the inward/outward focus of soul care; (2) Acquaint themselves with the broad spectrum of spiritual companionship approaches and gain a high appreciation of the distinctiveness of the ministry of spiritual direction as the crown jewel of the entire soul care enterprise; (3) Engage in a reflective preliminary evaluation of their own suitability either as a potential receiver or giver of spiritual direction or both by carefully examining the characteristic roles/traits of a spiritual director and directee; and (4) Synthesize and integrate their understanding of the theory and practice of spiritual direction and articulate them both philosophically and methodologically with corresponding personal appropriation and practical application to their own respective context and setting.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

None.

REQUIRED TEXTS (Subject to Change)

William A. Barry & William J. Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction. Revised and Updated (New York, NY: HarperOne, 1982, 2009).

Sue Pickering, Spiritual Direction (London, UK: Canterbury Press Norwich, 2008, 2011).

Thomas H. Green, S.J., The Friend of the Bridegroom: Spiritual Direction and the Encounter with Christ (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2000.

Wil Hernandez, Henri Nouwen and Soul Care: A Ministry of Integration (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2008).

Teresa Blythe, Spiritual Direction 101: The Basics of Spiritual Guidance. (Berkeley, CA: Apocryphile Press, 2018).

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

This is a hybrid class by design (combination of face-to-face and virtual sessions via Zoom). There will be a mixture of class presentations (both on-ground and online via videos), offline/online praxis exercises (both role-plays and real-plays), and class discussions/interactions. Requirements include short reflection essays, an interactive book analysis/response and a Focused Integration Paper.

To see examples of courses offered in the past, view the Course Offerings Archive.

There are many sources and types of assistance available to help finance your graduate education. This page offers guidance with respect to two primary types of financial assistance – Departmental Scholarships and University Scholarships – both accessible through a single application process. Additional information is provided below regarding Graduate Assistantship positions and Fellowship opportunities.

Graduate Theological Studies Scholarship Application

Department Scholarship

The Graduate Theological Studies Department offers a Department Scholarship on the basis of demonstrated financial need and merit.

Students who wish to be considered for a Theological Studies Department Scholarship must file a Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), in addition to filling out the current year's Graduate Theological Studies Scholarship Application. This Scholarship Application will need to be filled out and submitted for every semester that the student wishes to receive scholarship aid. FAFSA will need to be filed annually.

When filing your FAFSA, LMU's Federal School Code is #001234. The FAFSA is not required for international students.

For questions about the Departmental Scholarship, please contact the Theological Studies Program Administrator at 310.338.7772 or Jennifer.Scott@lmu.edu.

University Scholarships

In addition to the Department Scholarship offered by Theological Studies, LMU's Graduate Division offers the following scholarships to graduate student applicants across the University:

Catholic Teacher / Ministry Scholarship

• Award Amount: $1000 per 3-unit class (*for up to 2 courses per semester in Fall and Spring, and 1 course in Summer sessions)
• Eligibility: Applicants must teach full-time in Catholic Elementary or Secondary Education or work full-time in Catholic Ministry.
• Additional Materials: Applicants should include employment verification in the form of a signed statement from your employer on official letterhead along with their scholarship application.

Developing Countries Scholarship

• Award Amount: 100% of tuition
• Eligibility: Available to priests or members of a religious order (non U.S. citizens) who come from developing countries.
• Additional Materials: Applicants should include a copy of their R-1 visa and a one-page statement of intent along with their scholarship application.

Religious Scholarship

• Award Amount: 25% of tuition
• Eligibility: Applicant must be a member of the Catholic Clergy or Catholic religious orders.
• Additional Materials: Applicants should provide evidence of membership in a Catholic religious order or proof of Clergy along with their scholarship application.

For questions about any of these University Scholarships, contact the Graduate Division at 310.338.2721 or graduatescholarship@lmu.edu.

Financial Aid General Information

• Financial Aid Office
• Graduate Financial Aid
• Student Accounts Department

T‌he Capstone Experience for the M.A. in Theology consists of the Comprehensive Exam Seminar and Research and Writing Seminar/Thesis. For the M.A. in Pastoral Theology, the Pastoral Synthesis Project serves as the Capstone Experience.
 

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SEMINAR (FOR M.A. IN THEOLOGY)

COURSE TAKEN DURING FALL SEMESTER:
This is the required comprehensive exam seminar for all M.A. in Theology students enrolled in the 42-unit program. While drawing on previous course work, the seminar also requires participants to study additional sources that will help them integrate their theological education and provide a foundation for their research projects. The comprehensive exams will be administered as a part of the course requirements. Students are required to take two exams and produce a proposal for a Master’s thesis. The first exam covers general themes in systematic theology. The second exam is based on a bibliography reflecting a specific interest of the student. This exam is administered by a faculty member who has agreed to serve in this capacity with the consent of the course instructor. The research proposal is supervised by the faculty member who will eventually serve as the student’s thesis-director. This faculty member must be approved by the course instructor.

Comprehensive Exam Seminar Course Descriptions

Chicago Manual of Style

RESEARCH AND WRITING SEMINAR/THESIS (PRE-REQUISITE: COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SEMINAR)

COURSE TAKEN DURING SPRING SEMESTER:
This graduate capstone course is open to students who have completed the Comprehensive Exam Seminar. Building on the research proposal crafted in that course, students will develop a Master’s level thesis through careful research and analysis, rigorous argumentation, and creative theological reflection. Students will drive the class in terms of presenting their own work, working constructively to assess their colleagues’ writing, and discussing the theological, ethical, pastoral, and cultural implications of their collective work. The instructor will facilitate class discussions and establish milestones for the progression of the thesis. The instructor will also work with the external reader of the thesis, who will be assigned in consultation with the student, instructor, and Graduate Director. Thesis paper is approximately 30-40 pages in length.

• Thesis Preliminary Proposal
• Thesis Cover Page Sample
• Thesis - Notice of Successful Completion Form

Students submitting a Thesis or Pastoral Synthesis Project to fulfill their Capstone Experience are also encouraged to submit their research projects to the William H. Hannon Library - Digital Commons Library. Please fill out the library's online form in order to submit your thesis/PSP:

• Project Submission Form for Hannon Library – Digital Commons Library

The library provides instructions for any students who may need assistance filling out the form:

• Instructions for Submitting to Digital Commons

Binding your Thesis: While students are no longer required to bind their Thesis or Pastoral Synthesis Projects, they are welcomed to do so and printing guidelines can be found in the attachment below. Students are encouraged to print a copy for themselves as well as a copy to be donated to the Graduate Theological Studies Department Library (where future students can read and reference your excellent binding!):

• Pastoral Synthesis Project & Thesis- Printing & Binding Your Pastoral Synthesis

Need Further Assistance with your Thesis? Additional research tips and library resources can be found here:

• Hannon Library Resources

PASTORAL SYNTHESIS PROJECT (FOR M.A. IN PASTORAL THEOLOGY)

• Student Proposal Form PSP
• Pastoral Synthesis Project Cover Page
• PSP Completion Form
• PSP Requirements

 
Students submitting a Thesis or Pastoral Synthesis Project to fulfill their Capstone Experience are also encouraged to submit their research projects to the William H. Hannon Library - Digital Commons Library. Please fill out the library's online form in order to submit your thesis/PSP:

• Project Submission Form for Hannon Library – Digital Commons Library

The library provides instructions for any students who may need assistance filling out the form:

• Instructions for Submitting to Digital Commons

Binding your Pastoral Synthesis Project: While students are no longer required to bind their Thesis or Pastoral Synthesis Projects, they are welcomed to do so and printing guidelines can be found in the attachment below. Students are encouraged to print a copy for themselves as well as a copy to be donated to the Graduate Theological Studies Department Library (where future students can read and reference your excellent binding!):

• Printing and Binding your Capstone Project

Need Further Assistance with your Pastoral Synthesis Project? Additional research tips and library resources can be found here:

• Hannon Library Resources

Theological Studies Reference Librarian

Theological Studies has a dedicated reference librarian, Alexander Justice, who is located in Room 126 of Hannon Library. The reference librarian is available to answer any questions you have regarding the library's resources and can even consult with you to find sources for your research papers. You may contact Alexander at 310.338.5947, or by email: Alexander.Justice@lmu.edu

Graduate Theological Studies LibGuide

Theology and Pastoral Theology students will find many helpful reference, research, and biblical studies tools on the Graduate Theology LibGuide website. Library call numbers, expert lists and directories, collections of theological texts by title and author, writing and citation guidelines, and information on various religious organizations are available. Video tutorials and research strategy guides can also be accessed from this page.

• Grad Theology LibGuide

Capstone Project Library Submission

Students submitting a Thesis or Pastoral Synthesis Project to fulfill their Capstone Experience are also encouraged to submit their research projects to the William H. Hannon Library - Digital Commons Library. Please fill out the library's online form in order to submit your thesis/PSP:

• Project Submission Form for Hannon Library – Digital Commons Library

The library provides further instructions for any students who may need assistance filling out the form:

• Instructions for Submitting to Digital Commons

‌Learn about the following grants we offer and see if you qualify:

• Graduate Theological Studies Scholarship Application 2023-2024

FINANCIAL AID GENERAL INFORMATION

• Financial Aid Office
• Graduate Financial Aid
• Student Accounts Department

Below you will find a variety of information and forms pertaining to course checklists and requirements, transfer course approvals, independent study procedures, graduate assistantships, departmental scholarships, and filing an application for degree. Simply click the desired link and the form will be displayed in a different window.

COURSE CHECKLISTS AND REQUIREMENTS
Below are course checklists and requirements for both the M.A. in Theological Studies and M.A. in Pastoral Theology. Course checklists and requirements are applicable to each student based on the program in which they are enrolled:

• Theology MA Checklist 2023-24
• MA Pastoral Theology Checklist 2023-24

CHANGING YOUR PROGRAM, ADJUSTING TRANSCRIPT INFORMATION, APPLYING FOR TRANSFER COURSE CREDIT(S), AND COURSE WAIVERS
Below are forms needed to be filed with the Office of the Registrar (located in the Von der Ahe building, suite 150), if you wish to make a change of program  (i.e. changing from an M.A. in Theology to an M.A. in Pastoral Theology), petition an adjustment of your transcript information (i.e. adding or dropping courses), apply for transfer course credit for courses taken at institutions other than Loyola Marymount University, and/or degree audit adjustments (i.e. for course substitutions and/or course waivers):

• Change of Program
• Transfer Course Approval
• Petition for Degree Audit Adjustment
• How to View & Print Your Degree Audit

INDEPENDENT OR TUTORIAL STUDY COURSE
If you are planning to take, or wish to take, an Independent or Tutorial Study Course, please download and fill out the Independent and Tutorial Studies form with the professor you will be partnering with. Together you will need to prepare a syllabus with planned meeting times and assignments.

• Independent and Tutorial Studies

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP
The Graduate Theological Studies Department offers several part-time, Graduate Assistantship positions. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. To be eligible, you must be enrolled full-time (6 units or more) in both the Fall and Spring semesters. More information can be found through the link below:

• Graduate Assistantships

GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL STUDIES GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
The Graduate Theological Studies Department offers several different departmental grants based on factors such as financial need, merit, evidence of membership in a Catholic religious order, and employment verification for full-time teachers or ministers at a Catholic institution. Additional information regarding eligibility can be found here. You can download the general scholarship application below which can be used for one or more (dependent on eligibility) of the departmental grants offered. ‌

• Graduate Theological Studies Scholarship Application

APPLICATION FOR DEGREE
Graduate students who plan to graduate and participate in the May Commencement ceremony are required to file an application for degree with the Office of the Registrar (located in the Von der Ahe building, Suite 150). This application should be filed no later than the first week of the spring semester:
Application for Degree

Click on the following links to obtain information about the dates and process of registration.

NOTE: To register, you will need to log in to PROWL, so make sure to have your login and password. If you do not have them, please contact the Office of the Registrar. If you have forgotten your PIN, you can have it reset by presenting valid identification at the Office of the Registrar in the Charles Von der Ahe Building, Suite 150. You can also visit the Registrar's web page by clicking here.

• PROWL Login Website
• Real Time Schedule of Classes
• Current Course Descriptions

For both current and prospective students, this section provides you with additional information regarding Graduate-life resources available on our campus:

• On-Campus Housing
• Graduate Student Campus Ministry
• Graduate Students of Loyola Marymount University
• Graduate Theological Studies Journal and Newsletter, Fall 2024 ​

To listen, please click on the reflection below:

• A Pentecost Message of Hope
  Kim Harris, Ph.D

• Connections Between the Book of Lamentations and the Blues
  Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, Ph.D

• Connections Between the Three Traditions, All Focusing on Community
  Amir Hussain, Ph.D

• Optimism or Hope: A Theological Question
  Brett Hoover, Ph.D

• Reflection on Public Theology
  Cecilia González-Andrieu, Ph.D

• Reflection on the Metaphysics of Optimism vs Hope
  Matthew Petrusek, Ph.D