Program Overview

Master of Sacred Theology

Program Summary

The Master of Sacred Theology offers students a unique opportunity to study at an Ecclesiastical Faculty recognised by the Holy See. The STM program is a two-year full-time (or equivalent part-time) program that is the civil counterpart to the ecclesiastical Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) delivered at the Catholic Institute of Sydney.

Why Study This Degree?

The Master of Sacred Theology provides students with a unique opportunity to study at an Ecclesiastical Faculty recognised by the Holy See. The program is designed for students who have excellent results from a bachelor's degree in theology/divinity or a Master of Divinity and want to delve deeper into a theological question of interest.

Program Requirements

To be eligible for the award of Master of Sacred Theology, students must complete a minimum of 400 Units of Credit chosen from the courses listed in Appendix C, comprising:

• 100 units of credit from four (4) courses in discipline of specialisation
• 50 units of credit from two (2) courses outside discipline of specialisation
• 50 units of credit from two (2) courses in or outside discipline of specialisation
• 25 units of credit from one (1) course in research methods and thesis proposal
• 175 units of credit in one researched thesis of 25,000-30,000 words

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for admission to The University of Notre Dame Australia, all applicants must meet the University’s minimum requirements for admission. The requirements for admission are detailed in the University’s Policy.

Applications must also meet the following requirements:

• AQF 7 in Theology, or BDiv or MDiv or Equivalent, with a GPA of at least 2.5 overall and 3 in discipline of specialization
• For students without the prior study in the English language, IELTS of 7.0 in all bands

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Master of Sacred Theology, graduates will be able to:

1. Apply an advanced knowledge of Catholic theology achieved through detailed study of one of the theological disciplines
2. Apply, in the light of Catholic faith, theological perspectives and methods and research principles, evident in honed cognitive and technical skills, in one of the theological disciplines
3. Exercise cognitive, technical and creative skills to analyse and synthesise complex information, methods, and theories in a manner that demonstrates advanced theological competence
4. Communicate complex theological positions, as developed in the production of a substantial thesis, in a succinct, contextualised and doctrinally coherent way, to specialist and non-specialist audiences
5. Integrate knowledge and skills to act with competence, creativity, autonomy, and ethical responsibility in their Christian living in the world

Partnership with the Catholic Institute of Sydney

This program is offered through an exclusive partnership with the Catholic Institute of Sydney (CIS) and provides the option to participate in this program externally, at one of the eligible CIS campuses or through Notre Dame, at the Fremantle or Sydney campus.

Career Opportunities

A Master of Sacred Theology can lead to careers in religious education (with additional training), academia, writing, communications, advertising, ministry, pastoral counselling, Church leadership roles, spiritual direction, or research.

Fees and Costs

This Program has the following loan scheme(s) available for eligible students:

• Domestic Fee-Paying: A domestic fee-paying place is a place at university where the student is responsible for the full cost the program
• FEE-HELP loan scheme: Eligible domestic fee-paying students may apply for the FEE-HELP loan scheme which assists eligible fee-paying students with the payment of all, or part, of their tuition fees, not including additional study costs such as accommodation or textbooks

For indicative fees and information on how to pay, including Government loan schemes and our online calculator, visit our Fees, costs and scholarships page.