Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophical
Studies/Pre-Theology Program

Program Description
According to the Program of Priestly Formation, Fifth Edition (PPF), philosophical studies are fundamental and indispensable to theological studies and the formation of priesthood candidates. Saint Meinrad School of Theology offers a “balanced, comprehensive, integrated, and coherent” (PPF 155) two-year graduate-level pre-theology program, resulting in a Master of Arts degree in Catholic Philosophical Studies.

The degree consists of 48 credit hours and fulfills the PPF’s pre-theology requirement of 30 hours in philosophy and 12 hours in theology.

The goal of this degree is to prepare seminarians for entrance into a Master of Divinity program by providing a solid grounding in the philosophical thought that undergirds Catholic teaching.

The degree program consists of four semesters in approved course work. During the last semester, the seminarian participates in a concluding exercise in which he integrates his course of studies into a body of knowledge that will serve his continued work in theology.

Program Outcomes
Seminarians who successfully complete the degree will:

• understand the role and contribution of the Western philosophical tradition in the development and explication of Christian doctrine;
• read and interpret philosophical texts and materials critically;
• express arguments logically and concisely in written and oral form;
• analyze contemporary issues in light of the Catholic philosophical tradition;
• understand philosophical terms and theories that are found in the basic framework of Catholic theology.