M.A. in Pastoral Ministry

The professional degree program has the following areas of specialization:

a.) Family Ministries and Counseling

b.) Spirituality and Retreat Direction

c.) Religious Education

d.) Pastoral Ministry, with further concentration on any of the following:

Scripture, Systematic and Sacramental Theology, Moral Theology, Pastoral Theology

Academic Prerequisites

To get accepted to the MA in Pastoral Ministry program, the applicants must have a government-recognized (civil) bachelor’s degree with at least 12 units of undergraduate (college) theology courses. Moreover, they must have attained at least a general undergraduate average of B (2.5 or 85) with no grade of “failure” or “condition”.

The MA-PM Family Ministries and Counseling program is jointly run by Loyola School of Theology and the Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM). Hence, to get accepted to this program, the applicants must be accepted as well by CEFAM which has its own admission requirements.

MA-PM Course Work

This program requires at least four semesters of course work in which the student must complete successfully fifteen (15) master’s level courses. In the MA-PM Spirituality and Retreat Direction, MA-PM Religious Education, and MA-PM Pastoral Ministry, the fifteen courses must belong to the following categories:

a) Foundation Courses (15 units): The five core courses: [1] Revelation-Faith (3 units); [2] Christology (3 units); [3] Ecclesiology (3 units); [4] Fundamental Moral Theology (3 units); and [5] Christian Worship (3 units).

b) Professional Courses (15 units): Five courses or seminars in the student’s area of specialization or concentration.

c) Electives (15 units): Five electives courses chosen from outside the student’s area of concentration. Courses in excess of the minimum requirements under Professional Courses may count as electives.

The MA-PM Family Ministries and Counseling program requires that the professional courses be taken in their proper sequence, and that two of the five elective courses must be practicum courses in the area of family ministries and counseling.

MA-PM Spirituality and Retreat Direction program: The modular courses of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality (CIS), if duly registered for MA credit in LST, can count as professional courses in this program.

MA-PM Comprehensive Examination

After completing his/her course work, the student must pass a written comprehensive examination. The students must be registered with the Ateneo de Manila University to take the comprehensive examination. Note: one cannot register for comprehensive examination while still on course work or still have an incomplete grade (INC) in his/her course work.

The comprehensive examinations are scheduled once each semester and in the summer. Students who cannot take the comprehensive examination during the regular schedule must wait until the next examination period. Those who cannot complete the two parts of the examination at the schedule must repeat the entire comprehensive at the next examination period.

The two-part written examination is given on two successive Saturdays: Part I covers the foundation courses (Revelation-Faith; Christology; Ecclesiology; Fundamental Moral Theology; and Christian Worship); and Part II covers the courses the student has taken in his/her area of concentration.

The two parts of the exams are graded separately. The passing grade for the comprehensive examination is 2.5 (B). In case of failure, only one retake is allowed. Students who fail the retake are dropped from the program unless, for special reason, the Standards and Degrees Committee recommends a second retake. In retake comprehensive examinations, students need to repeat only the parts failed.

The STB dogma comprehensive examination may serve as the MA comprehensive examination for students taking both STB and MA-PM programs simultaneously. In this case, the student must be registered with both LST and the Ateneo to be able to take the comprehensive exam.