The Theology Programs at Pontifex University
The goal of our graduate programs is to produce scholars who have the responsibility to teach the next generation of students in their discipline, and to ensure our graduates will be able to contribute to their field of study through research and publication. Scholarship is of particular concern when the discipline is Theology, as this subject matter can have eternal repercussions. Consequently, careful study and precision are essential.
Doctoral candidates in Theology are evaluated individually on whether their transcripts indicate a sufficient Theological background. Normally, students may need to take one or more courses in Theology to round out their knowledge and prepare them to grapple with subtle Theological issues. In addition to any graduate coursework (if necessary), doctoral candidates normally take a 6-credit course in Academic Research and Writing and pass a Th.D. Qualifying Exam. Once these requirements have been either met or waived, the student is ready to begin the dissertation stage of the program.
Pontifex University's Doctorate in Theology (Th.D.) consists of a dissertation on a subject in academic Theology and approved by the Pontifex faculty. Candidates will demonstrate that they know how to do research and can contribute to the discipline through publication and/or teaching. The length of the dissertation is between 50,000 and 80,000 words. This is a research degree. It is 100% online and has no residential requirement. Even the dissertation defense can be done via video conferencing.
The following policies and procedures are effective as of November 1, 2024. Students who have applied or been admitted prior to this date will be grandfathered in under the previous policies.
Admission
Applicants to the Master’s of Theological Studies should hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
Applicants to the Doctorate of Theology should have earned an M.T.S., M.A. in Theology, or an S.T.L.. Applicants who hold graduate degrees in a related field such as Pastoral Studies are welcome to apply. Normally, those holding a MAPS degree or another Pastoral Studies degree need to take some graduate courses in Theology to bridge the gap between the two disciplines before beginning their Doctoral research.
To apply to the program, please complete the application:
Pontifex University Application for Graduate Studies
Once the application has been submitted, the Admissions Department will reply by email explaining the rest of the application process. Applicants will be asked to send the following (see below) - these materials must NOT be sent prior to Admissions’ acknowledgement of receipt of application.
- A brief formal letter of interest that explains your reasons for pursuing graduate theology/research.
- Academic CV.
- Official transcripts (undergraduate degree and any seminary or graduate classes you have completed) emailed or mailed.
- Two letters of recommendation (one from a professor or another person with a doctorate, preferably in Theology or Philosophy, who can speak to the applicant's suitability for graduate studies and one character reference from a priest, deacon, or other mentor). These should be emailed directly from the recommenders to Pontifex (Dr. J. Marianne Siegmund at msiegmund@pontifex.university)
- A 10-page writing sample.
All application materials including transcripts and letters of recommendation should be emailed to Dr. Marianne Siegmund msiegmund@pontifex.university.
Doctorate of Theology Language Requirements
Pontifex University encourages - but does not require - students in the Th.D. program to obtain a reading knowledge of Ecclesiastical Latin and Greek (Koine) by the end of the second year of their enrollment in the program. If a student is writing on a particular area where Latin and/or Greek would be particularly important, then the language would be required. Please contact the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Dr. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson, to discuss whether language requirements are appropriate to your area of expertise in research and writing the dissertation.
Students in the Th.D. program concentrating in Sacred Scripture should obtain a reading knowledge of Biblical Hebrew by the end of the second year of their program. Again, please contact the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Dr. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson, to discuss whether a Hebrew language requirement is appropriate to your area of expertise in research and writing the dissertation.
Evidence of mastery for any modern language needed to fulfill research requirements in one's area of expertise will be demonstrated in the dissertation itself and in the bibliography.
Master’s of Theological Studies
Candidates accepted to the Master’s of Theological Studies must complete nine areas of core studies. Through the coursework, the candidate will emerge with a broad overview of Catholic Theology faithful to the Magisterium as well as an understanding of critical and contemporary questions in Catholic Theology.
Pontifex University Master’s of Theological Studies
• Systematic Theology
• Moral Theology
• Dogmatic Theology
• Old Testament
• New Testament
• Ecclesiastical History
• Liturgy
• Catechetics
• Philosophy
These courses consist of asynchronous online lectures, and completion of written work (essays and exams) through the Pontifex online learning platform for assessment by the faculty.
After completing all required coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0, candidates must pass a capstone comprehensive exam and complete a 3,500-11,000 word paper.
Tuition for the Master of Theological Studies
Placement Exam for the Master of Theological Studies, $125
Tuition for all M.T.S. courses is $10, 800 ($300 per credit hour, 36 credits): Candidates are expected to enroll in one course at a time. The deadline for completing a three-credit course is 4 months.
Tuition for the M.T.S. Capstone is $900: Candidates have 4 months to complete the comprehensive exam and paper.
Doctorate in Theology (Th.D.)
In the Doctorate of Theology program, the candidate will gain an in-depth understanding on one aspect of Theology of their choice. The candidate will also develop research, reading and writing skills suitable for academic Theology at the Doctoral level.
The candidate’s research and writing will culminate in the production of a dissertation of approximately 50,000 – 80,000 words which will be produced under the guidance of a Director who is approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Theology. The Director must hold a terminal degree in Theology (S.T.D., Ph.D., Th.D.), and have expertise in the area in which the candidate will be writing. Once the Director is satisfied with the candidate's dissertation, he or she will contact the Academic Dean that the dissertation is ready to be defended. The Dean will then work with the candidate and the Director to find three professors with expertise in the area, and set the date for the oral defense.
Candidature
The maximum period of candidature (absent approval of an extension) is five years. The minimum period of candidature before the defense of the dissertation is:
a) For candidates with a Pontifical Licentiate – 12 months
b) For candidates with an M.Th. – 18 months
c) For all other candidates – 24 months
Once admitted to candidature, and before proceeding to the dissertation writing process, the candidate must:
· Pass the Doctorate of Theological Studies Qualifying Exam
· Secure a Director who must be approved by the Dean: The role of the Director is to advise and mentor the student throughout the dissertation process and as such, they will only be approved if they have themselves successfully completed a thesis or dissertation process at a post-graduate level and are Catholic. The Director is compensated by the candidate, not by Pontifex.
· Complete a dissertation proposal that details the argument and proposed structure of the dissertation and obtain approval of it from their Director and the Dean. The proposal must provide:
o A clear thesis statement/ research question
o A summary of the history of research
o The significance of the thesis for the field of study
o A detailed outline of the dissertation
o A timeline for completion
o A bibliography
Order of the Th.D. Stages and Corresponding Fees
Doctorate of Theological Studies Qualifying Exam, $125
Required Courses, $300 per credit: Number of courses required depends on exemptions for prior credits or qualifications. Courses may come from the M.T.S. or may be directed readings.
Doctorate of Theological Studies Qualifying Exam, $125: The Qualifying Exam is a 3 hour essay exam composed of twelve randomly selected questions taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The results of the exam will determine whether the candidate is ready to write the Th.D. Dissertation.
THE 610 Foundations of Academic Theological Writing, 6 credits, $1800: This class guides candidates through the project of researching and writing a graduate-level theology dissertation project. Using The Craft of Research, 4th Edition as a starting point, students work through chapters with exercises that help apply the material to their own research interests and dissertation topic. Through this hands-on method, students learn how to select an appropriate topic, find and distinguish suitable sources, write a compelling thesis statement, put together a thorough proposal and make a relevant bibliography. This course assumes prior theological studies and a graduate level understanding of the discipline of theology. Exemptions from this course are rare.
THE 700 Dissertation Proposal, $3,000: Using the skills developed in THE 610, the candidate will write a 15-25 page dissertation proposal, an initial bibliography, under the guidance of their Director. The final proposal shall be submitted to the Dean of the Faculty of Theology for approval.
THE 800 Dissertation Registration, $2,000: Once the proposal has been approved, the candidate may begin writing their dissertation. Research, writing, drafts, and edits will be primarily conducted between the candidate and their Director. The completed dissertation must be within 50,000-80,000 words and within the style guide outlined by Pontifex, and shall be submitted to: the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, the Dissertation Director, the Defense Committee, and the Provost of Pontifex University.
THE 900 Defense, $1000: After the final draft of the dissertation has been approved by both the Director and the Dean, a date will be set for the defense.
At each stage candidates may pay the fees in a single payment or in monthly installments. Candidates may not proceed to the next stage until the fees from all prior stages have been paid. This fee structure applies to all students (lay, clergy, and religious).
The Dissertation Defense
Once the Director has approved the candidate’s dissertation and informed the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, a Defense Committee, composed of the Director and three other faculty members chosen by the Dean, will be selected and a date and time for the defense set. The Director of the dissertation is the Director of the Defense.
At this point, the candidate must enroll in THE 900.
Prior to the scheduled date of the defense, the candidate should email a copy of the dissertation in accordance with the University’s style guide to: The Dean, the members of the Defense Committee, and the Provost of Pontifex University.
The Procedure for the Dissertation Defense:
- The Dean will offer opening remarks. – 5 -10 minutes.
- The candidate will give a presentation about the dissertation. He or she will present his or her arguments and summarize the main points of the study – 20 minutes.
- Each member of the Defense Committee will ask questions of the candidate and/or make remarks about the dissertation. Each will have 15 – 20 minutes.
- The Dean will excuse the student, in order that the members of the Defense Committee may have a private discussion to assess the defense and vote on the outcome. The candidate’s Dissertation Director participates in the discussion but does not vote on the outcome. – 5 -10 minutes.
- The Dean will call the student back into Zoom and announce the results.
- The candidate can pass, high pass, or fail.
- If the candidate fails, another defense will be scheduled no earlier than six months from the time of the first defense.
- If the candidate passes or obtains a high pass, the Dean will secure the signatures of members of the committee on the approval page.
Following a successful defense, the candidate must submit a final review copy of the dissertation with any required revisions made. The revisions must be acceptable to all members of the committee. Upon notification of approval of the revisions, the candidate will submit five (5) unbound copies of the dissertation, on white, (at least) 20 pound, 25% rag, acid-free bond paper to:
Pontifex University
Faculty of Theology
4465 Northside Drive, NW
Atlanta, GA 30327
Policy Updates Effective as of July 1, 2023
All core areas of study must have been completed at a Roman Catholic institution of higher education with a minimum GPA of 3.0 to transfer credit. All core studies must be 3-credit courses, reflecting a minimum of 112.5 hours of engagement per course. The courses must be completed by direct instruction in the classroom or online, directed reading, or research and report methods.
Any appropriate 3-credit philosophy course conducted by a Catholic university may be used for transfer credit but students Philosophy credit earned through Pontifex University will require completion of a directed reading program on The Summa Theologiæ of St. Thomas Aquinas. For degree awards, at least 25% of the credits applied to the degree must be completed through Pontifex University.
Rubric for Capstone Paper and Dissertations: Updated 10/14/2024
- The research statement must be precisely stated and the goal should be to contribute more information to the discipline.
- The literature review must be accurate, complete, and professional.
- The data must be collected ethically and recorded accurately.
- The data analysis must be as comprehensive as possible.
- The capstone paper or dissertation must produce new knowledge, or a different way of approaching a topic.
- The writing of the capstone paper or dissertation must follow Pontifex’s style.
Master of Theological Studies: Updated July 1, 2023
Traditional - Seven Concentrations; Dogmatic Theology, Moral Theology, Theological Anthropology, Sacred Scripture, and General Theology.
In addition to the courses below, at the end of the program the student will be required to complete a Capstone course consisting of a comprehensive exam and a final paper.
Eight Required Courses for Dogmatic Theology, Moral Theology, Pastoral Studies, Theological Anthropology, Sacred Scripture, and General Studies in Theology
THE 500 Philosophy for Theology
THE 515 Introduction to Theology
THE 510 Introduction to Scripture
THE 550 Fundamental Moral Theology
THE 570 One and Triune God
THE 570 Christology
THE 570 Pneumatology
THE 670 Research Practicum
Three Required Courses for Dogmatic Theology Concentration
THE 520 Introduction to Systematic Theology
THE 550 Theology of Creation and Eschatology
THE 600 Liturgy and the Sacraments
Three Required Courses for Moral Theology Concentration
THE 650 Virtue and Grace: An Introduction to Moral Theology
THE 610 Canon Law
THE 675 Catholic Bioethics
Three Required Courses for Pastoral Studies
To Be announced
Three Required Courses for Theological Anthropology Concentration
THE 550 Theology of Creation and Eschatology
THE 560 Theological Anthropology
THE 500 The Theology of Nature
Three Required Courses for Sacred Scripture Concentration
THE 511 The Old Testament in Words and Images
THE 512 The New Testament in Words and Images
THE 514 The Psalms in Word, Images, and Prayer
One Elective Course for Dogmatic Theology Concentration
Select any one course
One Elective Course for Moral Theology Concentration
Select any one course
One Elective Course For Pastoral Studies Concentration
Select any one course
One Elective Course for Theological Anthropology Concentration
Select any one course
One Elective Sacred Scripture Concentration
Select any one course
Four Elective Courses for General Studies in Theology
Select any four courses