Theology Schools and Programs in Costa Rica

Theology Studies in Costa Rica

Theology in Costa Rica can be studied at a state university, from a diploma (diplomado) up to a doctorate, and largely online. The programmes are taught in Spanish and take an academic, ecumenical approach: theology is studied in dialogue with cultures, the sciences and the religious situation of Central America, not as training for the ministry of one church.

Our directory lists 1 university in Costa Rica that teaches Theology: the Universidad Nacional (UNA), whose central campus is in Heredia.

How the studies are organised

At the UNA, theology belongs to the Escuela Ecuménica de Ciencias de la Religión (EECR), a school of the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras on the Campus Omar Dengo. The school dates from the foundation of the university in 1973. The Diplomado en Teología was approved in 1996, and since 2011 the school has taught in virtual mode, so that students can follow courses remotely.

Costa Rican university studies are built in steps, and the school covers all of them:

• Diplomado and Bachillerato en Teología: the diplomado is an intermediate qualification on the way to the bachillerato, the first university degree
• Bachillerato and Licenciatura en Enseñanza de la Religión, for teachers of religious education
• Maestría en Estudios Teológicos
• Maestría en Estudios Sociorreligiosos, Géneros y Diversidades
• Doctorado Interdisciplinario en Estudios Sociorreligiosos

The Diplomado en Teología is taught online, with no classroom sessions planned: students work with lecturers, classmates and course content on a virtual platform, after a week of training in the learning tools. The degree in the teaching of religion is also virtual; it is run jointly with the university's División de Educología, which provides the teacher-training part.

Students who entered a UNA degree from 2022 onwards must also take one general studies course in each of four areas (art, science and technology, social sciences, and philosophy and letters) in order to graduate.

Master's and doctorate

The Maestría en Estudios Teológicos is a joint programme of the EECR and the Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana. It is a professional master's degree taught online in three-month courses, and it is open to graduates of any university discipline, in particular the social sciences, philosophy, letters, the arts and education. Its plan of study centres on theoretical courses on theological questions linked to ethics, the social sciences and religious experience.

The doctorate is research-based and also offered in virtual format. Applicants need at least a master's degree in theology, religious studies, religious education, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychology or a related field, and must submit a written research proposal of between 5,000 and 8,000 words.

Admission

There are three ways into the theology programme at the UNA:

• passing the university's admission exam
• holding a university degree in any field
• having 60 university credits in any field, after having them recognised

For the exam route, the UNA admission score combines the result of the Prueba de Aptitud Académica (60%) with the average grades of the last cycle of secondary school (40%). Applicants to theology then register with the school itself, presenting their university degree or secondary school certificate, an identity document, a passport photo and proof of payment of the admission fee.

A university degree obtained outside Costa Rica has to go through recognition (reconocimiento y equiparación), a procedure run by the state universities together with CONARE's Oficina de Reconocimiento y Equiparación. It is compulsory for anyone who wants to practise a profession in Costa Rica with a foreign degree.

Careers

According to the UNA, theology graduates can work for the Ministerio de Educación Pública, governmental and non-governmental institutions, universities, foundations and private religious institutes. Graduates in the teaching of religion work as secondary school teachers in public or private schools, as advisers and consultants on religious education programmes, and in research. The school also publishes its own theology journal, Revista SIWO, and runs a research observatory on religion (Observatorio de lo Religioso).

Frequently asked questions

Can I study Theology in Costa Rica online?

Yes. The Universidad Nacional teaches its Diplomado en Teología without classroom sessions, and its master's in theological studies and its doctorate in socio-religious studies are also offered in virtual mode.

Do I need to sit an entrance exam?

Not always. Besides the admission exam, the UNA admits applicants to theology who already hold a university degree in any field or have 60 recognised university credits.

Is the theology degree tied to one church?

No. It is taught by the Escuela Ecuménica de Ciencias de la Religión of a state university, which describes itself as a Latin American space for academic training in theology in dialogue with cultures and the sciences.

What can I study after a first degree?

The school has two master's degrees, in theological studies and in socio-religious studies, gender and diversity, and an interdisciplinary doctorate in socio-religious studies.