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Studies & Degrees in Catholic Theology

Catholic theology is the academic study of the Christian faith as the Catholic Church understands and teaches it. Students read the Bible in its historical context, follow the history of the Church and of its doctrine, and study systematic and moral theology, liturgy and canon law. Philosophy is part of the course from the start: under the Church's rules for its own faculties, the first two years of the basic cycle are mainly dedicated to philosophy.

The subject is taught in two kinds of institution. Ecclesiastical faculties award degrees in the name of the Holy See. Universities, both state and Catholic, teach theology within their own degree systems; the University of Scranton, a Jesuit university in the United States, says that it accents Catholic theology while also studying other Christian and religious traditions, including Judaism and Islam.

Qualifications and levels

  • Ecclesiastical degrees. The apostolic constitution Veritatis gaudium (2017) sets three degrees for ecclesiastical faculties: Baccalaureate, Licentiate and Doctorate. The first cycle lasts five years (ten semesters), or three years where a two-year philosophy course is an entrance requirement. The second cycle, a specialisation that leads to the Licentiate, lasts two years. The Licentiate is required for admission to the Doctorate, and the Doctorate is the degree that enables its holder to teach in a faculty.
  • Germany. At the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) the full course in Catholic theology leads to the Magister Theologiae: 300 ECTS credits over a standard period of ten semesters. It starts only in the winter semester, is taught in German and has no admission restriction beyond the university entrance qualification. Students must show knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. The faculty also offers Catholic theology in teacher-training degrees and as a minor subject within a bachelor's degree.
  • United States. Theology is usually a major within a bachelor's degree. At the University of Scranton the Theology / Religious Studies major requires 30 credits, including Old and New Testament, historical and systematic theology, moral theology and a non-Christian religion; the minor requires 18 credits.
  • Canada. The School of Religious Studies of McGill University lists a Bachelor of Theology, a Master of Divinity and a Master of Sacred Theology. These are not specifically Catholic programmes.
  • Spain: the DECA. Teachers of Catholic religion in Spanish schools need the Declaración Eclesiástica de Competencia Académica (DECA), issued by the Conferencia Episcopal Española. For infant and primary education it requires a teaching degree plus 24 ECTS credits (300 hours) in Catholic theology and its pedagogy, which CES Don Bosco in Madrid, a centre attached to the Universidad Complutense, offers as DECA courses. For secondary education the bishops' conference asks for an ecclesiastical degree in theology or religious sciences plus 18 ECTS credits in pedagogy and didactics of religious education.

Where to study Catholic theology

SpainExchange lists 11 active schools for Catholic theology: four in the United States, three in Germany and one each in Canada, Spain, Switzerland and Slovakia. The US schools are Catholic institutions: Fairfield University, the University of Scranton and Regis University are Jesuit universities, and Emmanuel College in Boston is a Catholic liberal arts college. In Germany the subject is taught at state universities: LMU in Munich, the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, which has a Faculty of Theology, and the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. The list also includes McGill University in Montreal, CES Don Bosco in Madrid and Comenius University in Bratislava.

The University of Bern is a special case. Its Institut für Christkatholische Theologie teaches the theology of the Old Catholic (Christkatholische) Church, which is a separate church from the Roman Catholic Church; the institute states that the subject has been taught at the university for 150 years.

The language of instruction follows the country: German in Germany, English in the United States, Spanish in Spain. Ancient languages matter as well. The Church's norms list Latin and the biblical languages among the first-cycle subjects, and LMU requires Latin, Greek and Hebrew before the later examinations.

Careers

Many students prepare for work in the Church. Veritatis gaudium gives faculties of theology the particular task of the theological formation of those preparing for the priesthood, and lay graduates also work in parishes, dioceses and Church organisations. A second route is teaching religion in schools, which in Spain requires the DECA and in Germany a teacher-training degree. A third is research and university teaching, for which ecclesiastical faculties require the Doctorate. The institute in Bern sums up the options as work in the Church, an academic career or a profession in culture and the humanities.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a degree in Catholic theology take?

The first ecclesiastical cycle lasts five years, or three years after a separate two-year philosophy course; the Licentiate adds two years. The Magister Theologiae at LMU in Munich has a standard length of ten semesters and 300 ECTS credits.

Do I need Latin, Greek or Hebrew?

For a full theology degree, usually yes. LMU requires proof of Latin, Greek and Hebrew during the course, and the Church's norms include Latin and the biblical languages in the first cycle. A theology major within a US bachelor's degree, such as the 30-credit major at the University of Scranton, has its own requirements.

What is the DECA in Spain?

It is the certificate of the Spanish bishops' conference that qualifies a person to teach Catholic religion in schools. For infant and primary teachers it requires a teaching degree and 24 ECTS credits in Catholic theology and its pedagogy.

Is an ecclesiastical degree the same as a state university degree?

Not automatically. Baccalaureate, Licentiate and Doctorate are degrees of the Catholic Church; whether and how they are recognised by the state depends on each country, so ask the faculty and the national education authority before enrolling.