Grad School Masters Theology Programs

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BornAgainCatholic

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Augustine Inst., Holy Apostles College Seminary, Notre Dame

I am looking at a few others, but these are at the top of my list both for program and potential affordability.

Does anyone have any opinions? looking for people who have looked at these programs/studied here, or gotten a graduate degree in theology/divinity/pastoral studies.

I am not 100% sure what I want to do with my degree (some people have very specific interests) but I am thinking more about what I would want to study/what my interests are, and then I will figure out how to apply that knowledge to a job.

ALSO I am 24, have 0 debt, some savings, and if I did Holy Apostles (online) I could probably pay for it myself, whereas the other programs unless I got a scholarship, not be able to pay for completely on my own…

Thank you!
 
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Figure out what you want to do first and how you are going to pay for it. Then look at what it will take to get there.

Exploring is for high school children. It’s bad enough when undergrads do it.

Insane waste of time and money for a graduate student. You should have your career in mind before you sink thousands into it.
 
Thanks
Do you know anything specific about these programs?
I have done a lot of reading about different schools which is why I am specifically looking for any insight on these programs
Not planning on taking out thousands for a degree. I can pay for Holy Apostles on my own, possibly Augustine which also has some scholarship opportunities, Notre Dame is free is you get in for the 2 programs I am looking at there.
I am more interested in if anyone has further insights on these programs
thanks
 
Well, I think it’s wonderful you want a Masters in Theology. It’s a beautiful course of study. However…you won’t make a decent living, most likely.
I have a Masters and work in a parish. It has taken me a LONG time to find a parish willing to compensate me for my unique skillset (also a professional musician). They have created a combo position for me in order to make a living. For YEARS my ministry was “on the side” and I needed a totally different full-time job to support myself and my 2 children.
I had a friend who got her Masters in Spiritual Direction. She’s a wonderful Director. Problem is, not many people want a Lay Director. They don’t think lay people have any business giving advice, or leading them in spiritual matters.

Think about how you are going to live FIRST. I’ll never discourage anyone from theology classes. But a person’s gotta eat too.
 
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Where did you get your degree if I might ask?

I am aware that many people say you can’t make a living in it.

I know I want to go into ministry, but I am thinking about Catechesis or getting a Masters then maybe PhD to think of a professor track.

Thank you
 
BornAgainCatholic said:
I know I want to go into ministry, but I am thinking about Catechesis or getting a Masters then maybe PhD to think of a professor track.
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The advantage of the Augustine Institute & Franciscan University of Steubenville is that a lot of the “famous” people in Catholic ministry either work there or received a degree from there, so they have great networking.

Holy Apostles College also has a lot of “famous” alums and they also have some famous adjunct professors, and Catholic Distance University has some “famous” full time faculty and adjunct faculty too

University of Dallas and Christendom also have a very good reputations and a good networks too.

So I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them…

God Bless
 
goodcatholic said:
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Xanthippe_Voorhees:
Exploring is for high school children. It’s bad enough when undergrads do it.
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??? Is there something wrong with adults “exploring”?
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An adult has the tools to buy or borrow books, search the internet and even get advice professionally about their career. They don’t need to be in school to do it and by grad school should be free from undue parental influence and able to understand what it takes to support themselves.

College is for learning what they have figured out they want to learn. It’s not a playpen to try all the new toys.
 
pianistclare said:
Think about how you are going to live FIRST. I’ll never discourage anyone from theology classes. But a person’s gotta eat too.
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This. I considered doing graduate work in theology, and my priest advised against it. We both agreed it would be interesting and fun, but ultimately just a large expense with little reward. Instead I looked at what I wanted to have in a career, and then found an educational pursuit that would let me achieve that. We also recognized that I have the capacity to study topics on my own, without being in a formal education setting. So I’m taking a Masters in Law, and in my free time (which is admittedly fleeting) I study topics like moral theology, and the priest is happy to help me understand areas I find difficult. This approach also lets me take my faith into my professional world.
BornAgainCatholic said:
I know I want to go into ministry, but I am thinking about Catechesis or getting a Masters then maybe PhD to think of a professor track.
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If you’re considering a PhD or becoming a professor, you should talk to the supervisors at some nearby schools where you would be pursuing the doctorate and/or looking to teach. Not all Masters are regarded the same, and it may be that an online program (even if it is rigourous and thorough) is not well-regarded by hiring committees, etc.
 
A degree is a piece of paper that opens doors.

Figure out what door you want opened, and then figure out what key you need to get there.

So, find a job advertisement for your ideal job. What is it asking for?

Chances are, it’s requiring x degree, plus y years’ experience.

So— figure out how you can get the clock running on y years’ experience, and then juggle a degree while you do it. When I was pursuing my Master’s in the early 2000’s, about half the people in my field who pursued the same degree were people with day jobs who did their degree online. I think I had one mandatory-in-person class, and one elective that was cool enough to be worth the effort of driving to the campus. But I remember at the mandatory in-person class, there was at least one girl from Alaska who had to fly down to TX on those weekends in order to get that class under her belt. (Dedication!) So-- (a) see if an online degree (from a reputable school, that’s a given) is considered “normal” in your field, like it was in mine, or if it’s looked down on. And (b) see if there’s any mandatory-physical-attendance classes required that you need to take into account, so that you don’t end up like that girl from Alaska. 🙂

It’s fun to be a professional student. But it’s rough to work hard for a degree, and then realize you’re not able to use it because you lack enough experience to qualify for the jobs you want. A degree, and y years’ experience, are two tools HR uses to turn a 10-inch stack of resumes into a 2-inch stack of resumes.

So get your boots-on-the-ground experience running, just to get yourself looking good on paper and get that clock started, and then worry about what additional academic credentials are necessary to get you to where you really want to end up 5 or 10 years from now.
 
I have to agree with those who say to figure out what you want to do and what the requirements would be.

I have a master’s in theology. I basically treated the classes like a hobby, something I did outside of work for my own interest. I had – and still have – thoughts about working as a pastoral associate in a parish. The problem with that is that I have a job that pays well, and cutting my salary in half to work for a parish doesn’t work well. So I’m a very well educated volunteer who may think about a church job after I retire.
 
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