Lourdes College to offer Master of Arts in Theology |
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Written by LAURIE STEVENS BERTKE, Chronicle Writer
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Wednesday, 22 July 2009 01:00 |
SYLVANIA—Lourdes College is adding a Master of Arts in Theology program to its graduate school this fall, giving residents of northwest Ohio their first opportunity to pursue the degree on a local campus.
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| Sylvania Franciscan Sister Shannon Schrein has been named director of the new Master of Arts in Theology program at Lourdes College. (Photo courtesy of Lourdes College) |
Sylvania Franciscan Sister Shannon Schrein, the program’s director, notes it is the only one of its kind within 60 miles of Toledo. She believes it will hold a particular appeal for those who, because of family or other commitments, are unable to attend schools with similar programs in cities such as Detroit, Dayton, Cleveland or South Bend, Ind.
“We’re just so thrilled to be offering this program,” says Sr. Schrein. “This has been a dream for a long time.”
According to Sr. Schrein, the master’s degree in theology was one of four graduate degrees that were requested in a survey of community needs that Lourdes College conducted two years ago.
It is also a natural follow-up to the bachelor’s degree in theological studies that the college has offered since 1985, she adds.
The master’s program is rooted in the Catholic and Franciscan tradition, and Sr. Schrein expects it to attract a wide variety of students.
“It will be individuals, first of all, who are interested in working in some form of ministry within the Catholic church or within a broader Christian tradition,” she says.
Examples she gives include people who want to work as Christian adult formation leaders, RCIA or religious education program directors, pastoral associates or hospital chaplains. Others benefited by the degree include high school religion teachers, campus and youth ministers, and individuals interested in doing mission integration for nonprofit organizations.
“There will be some that want to pursue a Ph.D. and others that are doing it because they love their faith and they’re interested in studying it in a deeper way,” Sr. Schrein adds. “So some will do it just for their own personal edification.”
Individuals who have “gotten the taste for studying their faith at a deeper level” through the lay ministry and diaconate programs of the Diocese of Toledo have also expressed interest, she says.
The 36-credit-hour master’s program consists of 11 courses and a capstone seminar focusing on the study of biblical, historical, moral and systematic theology.
It takes at least two and a half years to complete, with students meeting for class once a week. The program is to be offered on Monday evenings for the first cohort.
Each cohort ideally consists of between 18 to 20 students who move through the entire program together. This model gives them “an opportunity to form a community of faith,” Sr. Schrein notes.
“They’re studying with people that feel similarly about the discipline of theology as they do,” explains Sr. Schrein. “And so we’re hoping it will go deeper than just simply an academic cohort, but at the same time it will advance them in terms of their Christian spirituality and a deepening of their faith.”
Applications for the program beginning this fall are due in early August. Based on the high level of interest the program has generated, Sr. Schrein says she expects the next cohort to begin in fall 2010.
In addition to meeting the general graduate school requirements, candidates for the Master of Arts in Theology program are expected to have taken undergraduate courses in Old Testament, New Testament, moral theology and philosophy.
“We feel that they need some vocabulary and background experience in the tradition in order to be able to feel their way comfortably into the master’s degree,” explains Sr. Schrein.
Sr. Schrein is teaching in the program with two other faculty members and two adjunct faculty members, and she says the college plans to hire an additional instructor specializing in the Bible and biblical languages to start in 2010.
For more information visit gradschool.lourdes.edu, or contact Keith Ramsdell, director of graduate admissions, at 419-517-8881 or kramsdell@lourdes.edu.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 12 August 2009 10:00 |
