TRL - Theology & Religious Studies
Program Title
College
Department(s)
Program Level
Program Type
Degree Designation
Theology & Religious Studies M.A.
Students seeking to enroll in the Theology & Religious Studies (TRS) Master of Arts program typically should have completed at least six undergraduate courses in theology or religious studies. Since few undergraduates major in theology or religious studies per se, the department offers introductory courses in biblical interpretation (TRS 5100 or TRS 5102) and theological methods (TRS 5300) to acquaint students with the basic themes and methods in the field, and to introduce students to standard research procedures and tools in the discipline.
Program Learning Goals
The successful Master of Arts graduate will achieve the following Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):
Critically analyze the religious dimensions of human experience as expressed in sacred texts, art, ritual practice, ethical commitments, philosophy/ theology, and social structures.
Identify ways in which religious or ethical traditions and the critical study thereof provide resources for responding to injustice and living ethically.
Achievement of these two TRS learning goals will be measured according to the following performance standards:
Student uses pertinent, appropriately documented, primary and secondary sources to demonstrate sophisticated critical engagement with a religious expression in its context and from an explicit, well-defined disciplinary perspective; takes into account diverse contexts, alternative explanations, assumptions, and implications, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of those interpretations.
Student uses pertinent, appropriately documented, primary and secondary sources adeptly and insightfully to analyze an ethical question or injustice in light of diverse religious resources or ethical theories; identifies strengths and possible critiques of the various resources or theories; and articulates own response, including an explanation of the assumptions behind, objections to, and implications of this position.
TRS M.A. Application Requirements
Applicants to the M.A. program are required to submit the following:
The online graduate application form.
Official academic transcript(s) of the baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year institution.
Two letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with the applicant’s academic qualifications. If appropriate, one letter may be from someone familiar with the applicant’s professional work.
A personal statement indicating the applicant’s aims and goals in pursuing the TRS M.A. program.
In addition, applicants may submit in support of the application:
A research writing sample; and/or
Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
TRS M.A. Degree Requirements
30 credit hours of graduate study, including:
Four required courses (12 credit hours):
TRS 5100, Scripture & Revelation or TRS 5102, Intro to Biblical Studies
TRS 5300, Theological Methods
One course in Ethics & Justice (5500-5999)
One course in Non-Christian Religions (5400-5499)
Six elective courses (18 credits).
A culminating assessment portfolio and oral defense (= the comprehensive examination).
Note: Students accepted under the degree requirements listed in previous Graduate School and Graduate Studies bulletins normally should fulfill those requirements, but they may petition for permission to follow the requirements introduced in this Bulletin instead.
Course of Studies
Ordinarily graduate courses are three semester hours; no more than nine semester hours toward the degree may be taken in one- or two-credit courses. No more than six semester hours or the equivalent of two comparable John Carroll University courses may be transferred from another institution. A student’s program typically may include no more than two independent studies. Students may petition to write an independent MA essay or thesis as part of their 5000-level coursework; consult the department for details.
Financial Assistance
Students enrolled in the Theology & Religious Studies M.A. program are eligible for a limited number of Graduate Assistantships. In exchange for working 20 hours weekly in the department, the Graduate Assistantship provides a monthly living stipend and a tuition scholarship for 15 credit hours per academic year. The University’s Office of Financial Aid provides assistance with student loans.
Professional Credentialing
Since the Master of Arts degree in Theology & Religious Studies is designed to provide students with the necessary background for diverse careers and ministries or for further graduate or professional study, the student and advisor will work out a program of study best suited to the student’s particular needs and goals. When desirable, this program may include a concentration in a particular area.
M.A. Concentrations
Students accepted into the M.A. program have the option of concentrating in one of the following areas
Concentration in Chaplaincy: An articulation agreement between John Carroll University and the Cleveland Clinic allows students to earn 6 credit hours toward their JCU M.A. degree by completing 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Spiritual Care. Students must apply separately and be accepted into the CPE training program to take advantage of this concentration.
Concentration in Pastoral Ministry: Meets the intellectual formation requirements necessary to become a Certified Lay Ecclesial Minister in the Diocese of Cleveland.
Concentration in Theological Education: Designed for teachers (or those intending to become teachers) in Catholic secondary schools.
All M.A. concentrations require 30 credit hours of graduate study and the culminating assessment portfolio and oral defense. In addition, the following concentration specific requirements apply:
Concentration in Chaplaincy
Four required courses (12 credit hours):
TRS 5100, Scripture & Revelation or TRS 5102 Intro to Biblical Studies
TRS 5300, Theological Methods
One course in Ethics & Justice (5500-5999)
One course in Non-Christian Religions (5400-5499)
TRS 5897, Clinical Pastoral Education (satisfied by completing CPE Unit 1)
Four elective courses (12 credit hours)
Concentration in Pastoral Ministry
Eight required courses (24 credit hours):
TRS 5100, Scripture & Revelation or TRS 5102, Intro to Biblical Studies
TRS 5300, Theological Methods
TRS 5320, Christ & the Paschal Mystery
TRS 5340, Church & Sacrament
TRS 5530, Catholic Moral Theology
One course in Sacred Texts (5100-5199)
One course in Non-Christian Religions (5400-5499)
One course in Pastoral Theology (5800-5899) or Interreligious Studies (5400-5499)
Two elective courses (6 credit hours)
Concentration in Theological Education
Seven required courses (21 credit hours)
TRS 5100, Scripture & Revelation or TRS 5102, Intro to Biblical Studies
TRS 5300, Theological Methods
TRS 5320, Christ & the Paschal Mystery
TRS 5340, Church & Sacrament
TRS 5530, Catholic Moral Theology
TRS 5380, Teaching Theology
One course in Non-Christian Religions (5400-5499)
Three elective courses (9 credit hours)
Graduate Certificate Programs
The TRS department sponsors two post-baccalaureate certificate programs that can be pursued independently or as a concentration within the TRS Master of Arts degree program.
The Certificate in Pastoral Ministry (CPM) meets the intellectual formation requirements necessary to become a Certified Lay Ecclesial Minister in the Diocese of Cleveland.
The Certificate in Theological Education (CTE) is designed for teachers (or those intending to become teachers) in Catholic secondary schools.
Accelerated Dual Degree Program
The Accelerated Dual Degree Program in Theology & Religious Studies is designed for undergraduate students who wish to earn the Master of Arts degree with an additional year of study beyond the baccalaureate degree. Undergraduates may apply for admission to program in the junior year. For students who are accepted, up to 9 credits of graduate coursework may be taken during the senior year and applied toward both the TRS major and the TRS Master of Arts degree. Students complete the 30-credit M.A. by taking the remaining 21 graduate credits before the end of their fifth year. Students in the Accelerated Dual Degree Program also have the opportunity to earn the Certificate in Theological Education by the end of the fifth year, qualifying them to teach high school theology within the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.