Lay Theology Degree

Students who take part in our online lay theology degree program benefit from both the rich tradition of Catholicism as well as the expertise of our instructors. When you join our program, you will appreciate the rigorous model we have in place, which includes the following:

• Students will read and discuss key texts of the Catholic Tradition, learning from the wisdom of saints, popes, and other Catholic leaders.

• Students will gain access to in-depth video lectures from our expert faculty members, presented from a professional studio with first-rate audio, video, and lighting.

• Students in our online lay theology courses will discuss and evaluate readings and lectures with professors and other students to participate in an exchange of ideas and facilitate ongoing education.

• Students synchronously will meet with the professor and other students in the course one day per week for class discussions.

• For one Saturday every semester, students will be invited to come for an optional visit to the seminary grounds where they take part in hands-on theology work that will enhance their progress, while meeting with professors and fellow students. Activities include the celebration of Mass and eucharistic adoration, along with intellectual, ministerial, and spiritual formation. Workshops will also be held to cover practical issues such as budgeting and administrative responsibilities.

The M.A. in Pastoral Ministry’s curriculum is grounded in the 2005 document from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord.  Students within our online lay theology training program will take courses that include:

• The Old Testament and Its Interpretation
• The New Testament and Its Interpretation
• Dogmatic Theology
• Church History
• Moral Theology
• Catholic Social Teaching
• Pastoral Ministry in Theory and Practice
• Liturgical and Sacramental Theology
• Spiritual Theology and Practice
• The Nature and Order of the Church
• Pastoral Care for Marriage and Families
• Practicum

These 12 online lay theology courses total 36 hours and students choose the timeframe for their coursework.

Click here for the entire list of the curriculum

Our M.A. in Pastoral Ministry is an online lay theology degree designed to prepare students for effective ministry in the Church. Within the coursework of our lay theology degree program, students learn and master how to do the following:

• Convey the Catholic intellectual tradition clearly and coherently to people with little or no prior Catholic formation
• Form the hearts, minds, and souls of K-12 students
• Develop youth, young adult, and college ministry programs
• Run a RCIA Program
• Prepare couples for Pre-Cana
• Guide parents on the baptism of their children
• Run a campus ministry program 
• Lead a Bible study
• Network new and returning volunteers
• Develop administrative skills

Students called to pursue their Catholic lay theology degree can expect the following program features:

• Students may join the program full time (three courses per semester) and complete the program in two years.
• Students may join the program part time (one or two courses per semester) and complete the program at a pace suitable to them.
• Students may take courses without pursuing the entire graduate program.

The Catholic lay theology degree will offer a first round of eleven full-tuition fellowships to young Hispanic lay ministers.  Students will also benefit from our Haciendo Caminos partnership, which provides generous fellowships to cover urgent financial needs.

The primary criterion for evaluation of nominations is the demonstrated capacity of the Hispanic student to engage in pastoral theological education and employ that education in pastoral leadership, particularly within Hispanic communities.

Fellowships are to be distributed to U.S.-born or U.S.-reared Hispanic Catholic young adult students who show great promise of contributing important ministerial leadership within their communities.

All eligibility requirements to receive these fellowships were written by the University of Notre Dame and Boston College, not St. John’s Seminary.

For more information on the Haciendo Caminos partnership, visit: https://haciendocaminos.nd.edu/

To Apply for the Online M.A. for Catholic lay theology degree for the Laity and Permanent Deacons: Click Here!

St. John’s Seminary is proud to play a part in shaping the next generation of religious leaders, and we look forward to giving you the tools you need to succeed within our lay theology program.

For more information, email [email protected]

At St. John’s Seminary, we are blessed with a dedicated faculty and staff who have devoted their lives to the Church, so students considering the Catholic lay theology degree can trust they are in the hands of men and women called to form the next generation of lay ministers.

It is also important to note that our Catholic lay theology degree is a program that can completed 100% online, giving students the freedom to pursue and achieve their degree at their own desired pace. This means lay theology master’s students can complete their degree in as little as two years or extend their studies and finish the program in six years.

When choosing our seminary for your Catholic lay theology degree, our mission is to help our students improve their ministerial and leadership skills—as well as their knowledge of the wisdom of the Church— in order to be evangelists for the 21st century.