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Jragzz123
Guest
Can someone explain to me the difference. And maybe differences in salary between the two?
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edward_george1
Guest
An STB is a Theology degree. It’s a Bachelor of Sacred Theology. I’m not sure what you mean by a “regular Theology degree.”
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Jragzz123
Guest
I’ve noticed that some schools have a BA in theology and a STB program and I don’t understand the difference.
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edward_george1
Guest
A Bachelor of Arts in theology is what you’re going to get at most universities.
An STB can only be gotten at a pontifical university or a university affiliated to one.
Both are entry-level credentials. They’re equivalent to each other. You’d be able to work in a parish or maybe teach in a Catholic elementary or middle school, very possibly a high school. You’d be better off going on for a Masters, the next step up from the BA, or the Licentiate, the next step up from the STB, to have any realistic shot at getting a decent job in the field.
An STB can only be gotten at a pontifical university or a university affiliated to one.
Both are entry-level credentials. They’re equivalent to each other. You’d be able to work in a parish or maybe teach in a Catholic elementary or middle school, very possibly a high school. You’d be better off going on for a Masters, the next step up from the BA, or the Licentiate, the next step up from the STB, to have any realistic shot at getting a decent job in the field.
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dochawk
Guest
There are plenty of these “equivalent” degrees.
In the US, a LLB (bachelor of laws) is the same thing as a JD (Juris Doctor, which has no real reason for existence than equivalence with medicine which produced the “MD” as a watered down PhD/DD for status).
There is another equivalent to DDS for dentists, though I don’t recall it at the moment.
And as for the difference in BA and BS . . . at my own university (Santa Clara), the BS was first introduced as a watered down BA, with equivalent requirements except that it reduced the greek and latin needed.
And there are more such things . .
You just have to look at degrees in context.
In the US, a LLB (bachelor of laws) is the same thing as a JD (Juris Doctor, which has no real reason for existence than equivalence with medicine which produced the “MD” as a watered down PhD/DD for status).
There is another equivalent to DDS for dentists, though I don’t recall it at the moment.
And as for the difference in BA and BS . . . at my own university (Santa Clara), the BS was first introduced as a watered down BA, with equivalent requirements except that it reduced the greek and latin needed.
And there are more such things . .
You just have to look at degrees in context.
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commenter
Guest
So, would the STD be equivalent to a PhD in Theology?
Are there any degrees that men studying for the priesthood get, that other laity can’t access?
It seems like our local seminary modified its curriculum, so as to grant a Master’s degree to those completing requirements for priesthood, and possibly the permanent diaconate.
Are there any degrees that men studying for the priesthood get, that other laity can’t access?
It seems like our local seminary modified its curriculum, so as to grant a Master’s degree to those completing requirements for priesthood, and possibly the permanent diaconate.
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dochawk
Guest
Take a step back, and realize what as “doctor” is: a person who has acquired great knowledge in a field and has contributed to that knowledge. This notion is ancient. Note that “doctor” is the latin verb “to teach.”
So doctors of the church were not merely very learned, but also contributed to that.
In time, the universities formalized this.
The use of the word for medical professionals is a modern usurpation. The MD was deliberately designed, at a time when contemporary medical care was often/typically more dangerous than not getting care, to borrow the respect for the doctors of the university.
It was a good trade; they got a title even though they only earn half (getting an MD doesn’t involve a contribution to knowledge), and we get far better medical care.
But it’s still hysterical when an MD refers to himself as a “real doctor” . . . the proper response to this is to ask what his research is about
. . . and when he gives you a blank look, respond with “you know, your dissertation, or your publications . . .what was your contribution to medical knowledge?” 
Ultimately, you emerge at the other end as a doctor when your committee of faculty accepts that you’ve made your contribution. When I noted what appeared to be a very short path I could take, and asked if it would cause problems, the professor who was advising me said that yes, some would be offended, but “just don’t put them on your committee” . . .
You become a doctor of whatever when you’re called back into the room, and your committee congratulates you and calls you that . . .
doc hawk
So doctors of the church were not merely very learned, but also contributed to that.
In time, the universities formalized this.
The use of the word for medical professionals is a modern usurpation. The MD was deliberately designed, at a time when contemporary medical care was often/typically more dangerous than not getting care, to borrow the respect for the doctors of the university.
It was a good trade; they got a title even though they only earn half (getting an MD doesn’t involve a contribution to knowledge), and we get far better medical care.
But it’s still hysterical when an MD refers to himself as a “real doctor” . . . the proper response to this is to ask what his research is about
. . . and when he gives you a blank look, respond with “you know, your dissertation, or your publications . . .what was your contribution to medical knowledge?” Ultimately, you emerge at the other end as a doctor when your committee of faculty accepts that you’ve made your contribution. When I noted what appeared to be a very short path I could take, and asked if it would cause problems, the professor who was advising me said that yes, some would be offended, but “just don’t put them on your committee” . . .
You become a doctor of whatever when you’re called back into the room, and your committee congratulates you and calls you that . . .
doc hawk
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meltzerboy2
Guest
And don’t forget that in the world of academe, doctorate is not the end of one’s studies; the post doc awaits those who wish to further specialize.
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dochawk
Guest
that depends upon field.
It tends to be more common in fields where the funding of the established researcher is necessary for research.
In others, such as mine (both Economics and Statistics), it’s far more common to go straight to an assistant professor spot and research something that doesn’t need a bunch of money.
Direct research positions (and even. career paths, such as Federal Reserve Bank Researchers) are also common, but they don’t tend to be in the nature of the postdoc of the lab-oriented branches of the physical sciences.
It tends to be more common in fields where the funding of the established researcher is necessary for research.
In others, such as mine (both Economics and Statistics), it’s far more common to go straight to an assistant professor spot and research something that doesn’t need a bunch of money.
Direct research positions (and even. career paths, such as Federal Reserve Bank Researchers) are also common, but they don’t tend to be in the nature of the postdoc of the lab-oriented branches of the physical sciences.
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nunsuch
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Actually, that is not what a post-doc is in many fields. The specialization is the dissertation and the subsequent research. In this day and age, it’s generally considered more significant to move directly into a tenure-track teaching post than to take a post-doc. At least, that is how I, my colleagues, and my doctoral students regard it. This may differ in the hard sciences, but not in the humanities and social sciences.
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PapyrusDouay
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My understanding was that the STB is the pontifical equivalent to an MDiv, not a BA/BS. Am I wrong? I’ll defer to your expertise.
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commenter
Guest
When I saw your word “favourite” my first thought, another typo. But STD:commenter:
my favourite CAF typo
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