MTS Degree Requirements
Master of Theological Studies - General Track Degree Requirements
Language
Students will take the equivalent of two semesters of Latin, Greek, or Hebrew. These will be taught by Loyola’s Classics department or, in the case of Hebrew, through affiliate faculty. Students with prior background in an ancient language can substitute another language with the permission of the Graduate Program Director. Students may also fulfill their language requirements by passing the Language Proficiency Exam in an approved language.
Required Courses (6 Courses)
- Old Testament Survey (TH 600)
- New Testament Survey (TH 601)
- Historical Theology I (Patristic-Medieval) (TH 621)
- Historical Theology II (Early Modern-Modern) (TH 622)
- Survey of Systematic Theology (TH 640)
- Doing Lived Theology (TH 691)
Distribution Requirements (2 courses)
Take one course in Comparative Theology (TH 660-669) and one course in Ethics & Culture (TH 670-690).
Elective Courses (5 Courses)
Students should work with the Graduate Program Director to choose courses that fit with their long term goals. Most elective courses are co-listed as upper level undergraduate theology seminars. In such courses, MTS students will have extra requirements beyond those required of undergraduates.
Thesis (1 Course)
Students register for TH 800 to write a thesis in consultation with a faculty advisor.
Master of Theological Studies - Research Track Degree Requirements
Language
Students will take the equivalent of four semesters of Latin, Greek, or Hebrew. These will be taught by Loyola’s Classics department or, in the case of Hebrew, through affiliate faculty. Students with prior background in an ancient language can substitute another language with the permission of the Graduate Program Director. Students may also fulfill their language requirements by passing the Language Proficiency Exam in an approved language.
Required Courses (5 Courses)
- Old Testament Survey (TH 600)
- New Testament Survey (TH 601)
- Historical Theology I (Patristic-Medieval) (TH 621)
- Historical Theology II (Early Modern-Modern) (TH 622)
- Survey of Systematic Theology (TH 640)
Distribution Requirements (2 courses)
Take one course in Comparative Theology (TH 660-669) and one course in Ethics & Culture (TH 670-690).
Elective Courses (3 Courses)
Students should work with the Graduate Program Director to choose courses that fit with their long term goals. Most elective courses are co-listed as upper level undergraduate theology seminar. In such courses, MTS students will have extra requirements beyond those required of undergraduates.
Thesis (2 Courses)
Students register for TH 800 and TH 801. They will engage in directed research with a faculty advisor in order to write a thesis.
Master of Theological Studies - Education Concentration Degree Requirements
Required courses (5 courses)
- Old Testament Survey (TH 600)
- New Testament Survey (TH 601)
- Historical Theology I (Patristic-Medieval) (TH 621)
- Historical Theology II (Reformation-Modern) (TH 622)
- Survey of Systematic Theology (TH 640)
- Ignatian Pedagogy Capstone (TH 803)
Distribution Requirements (2 courses)
Take one course in Comparative Theology (TH 600-TH669) and one Ethics & Culture course (TH 670-690).
Elective Courses in Theology (4 courses)
Students should work with the Program Director to choose courses that fit with their long-term goals. Most elective courses are co-listed as upper level undergraduate theology seminars. In such courses, MTS students will have extra requirements beyond those required of undergraduates.
Education Concentration Courses (4 courses)
Choose four courses from the following:
- Designing Inclusive and Engaging Learning Environments (ED 602)
- Social Justice and Educational Technology (ED 609)
- Philosophy, History, and Reforms in Education (ED 612)
- Designing Effective Learning with Technology (ET 605)
- Introduction to Special Education (SE 761)
- Foundations of Education (TE 600)
- Learning Sciences (TE 603)
- Secondary Methods of Teaching (TE 612)
Comparing the Paths
| General Track | Research Track | Education Concentration | |
| Old Testament Survey (TH 600) |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
| New Testament Survey (TH 601) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Historical Theology I (TH 621) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Historical Theology II (TH 622) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Survey of Systematic Theology (TH 640) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| One course in Comparative Theology (TH 600-669) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| One course in Ethics & Culture (TH 670-690) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Elective #1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Elective #2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Elective #3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Elective #4 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Elective #5 | ✓ | ||
| Two semesters of language | ✓ | ||
| Four semesters of language | ✓ | ||
| Thesis I (TH 800) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Thesis II (TH 801) | ✓ | ||
| Doing Lived Theology (TH 691) | ✓ | ||
| Ignatian Pedagogy (TH 803) | ✓ | ||
| Four Education Courses | ✓ |
Please note that the Accelerated MTS (the 4+1 program) is available only to current Loyola undergraduates. It is a modified version of the MTS-Research track. For more information, see the Accelerated MTS page.