The Master of Theological Studies (MTS) thoroughly embodies the University's mission, encapsulated by the Jesuit motto ad maioram dei gloriam. The MTS is a rigorous program designed to give students a broad exposure to the Christian tradition and a variety of theological specialties, and to allow students to explore a topic in depth through the preparation of a thesis. The program is staffed by faculty internationally recognized for their scholarly excellence. The department includes Catholic and non-Catholic faculty who together nurture a collegial atmosphere within a community in which rigorous, lively debate and intellectual generosity flourish.

The MTS aims to help form future generations of theologians through a program of study that covers Scripture, historical and systematic theology, comparative theology, and ethics. Rather than treating these as isolated areas of technical expertise, the program considers each of them as a crucial element of an integrated theological vision. Loyola's MTS can be excellent preparation for beginning a PhD, or it can lead into further work in other fields such as library science, social work, law, or publishing. The aim is that whether MTS graduates go on to work in the academy, churches, or any other realm of society, they will be equipped to think and respond theologically with depth, precision, and charity.

Learning Goals

Graduates of the MTS General Track and MTS Research Track programs should:

• Demonstrate the skills, methods, and knowledge constitutive of the academic discipline of theology so that they might be able to move successfully on to a PhD. This will include the ability to undertake original research and to describe the results of that research in an appropriate manner.
• Describe and analyze Christian theology in its historical, cultural, and comparative expressions including attention to non-Western and/or traditionally marginalized Christian communities.
• Demonstrate a level of expertise in a theological subdiscipline such as Scripture, historical theology, systematic theology, moral theology, or comparative theology.
• Be able to appropriately evaluate scholarly work in theology.
• Be able to read, translate, and understand a language that is original to some of the primary texts of the discipline.

Admission Criteria

The program is designed to be completed in two years for full-time students and four years for part-time students. Applicants for the MTS program must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. This need not be a degree in theology or religious studies. For information on preparing a successful application, visit the department's website. Detailed admission information (application procedures, required documents, deadlines, etc.) can be found under Admission .

Loyola undergraduate students may apply for the Accelerated MTS program which allows them to take up to four MTS classes during their senior years and then complete the MTS in one additional year of full-time study.