1. A biennium in philosophy is required for admission.

2. A minimum of 90 credit hours must be earned through completion of the course of study.

3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 is required. The final GPA is calculated based 80% on academic coursework and 20% on the comprehensive examination.

4. A maximum of 40 hours may be applied to the program from other institutions or from other credit earning options.

5. The program must be completed in six years from time of matriculation. Under extenuating circumstance, a student may request an extension in writing to the dean of studies.

6. Reading ability in Latin must be shown during the first year of the program, and reading ability in a modern language pertinent to the student’s course of studies must be done before completion of half of the degree program. Language competency can be demonstrated by the following:

a. SHMS provides a course called Latin for Graduate Students that satisfies the Latin language requirement.

b. Students can demonstrate competency in a language requirement through successful completion of a three credit hour undergraduate course with a pass grade of ‘C’ or better, or a two credit hour graduate course with a ‘pass’ or grade of ‘C’ or better. Courses must be taken for credit from an accredited institution of higher learning.

c. Students may also study a language on their own. The student should contact the dean of studies when ready to be tested. The dean of studies will arrange with an instructor to conduct the examination.

The language examination will consist of a written translation of a theological text. The student will have 90 minutes and may use a dictionary to translate the pages. The student will also compose a paragraph summary of the two pages to demonstrate comprehension. Judgment of pass/fail will be based primarily on comprehension. An examination fee applies.

7. Comprehensive Examination: At the end of the course of study, the student must complete a written and oral comprehensive examination spanning two days earning a grade of a C (2.0) or better. If a student receives a grade lower than a 2.0 on the exam, he/she is permitted to re-take the STB exam once more. The examination is normally held in April, and students are required to register for the exam with the Office of the Dean of Studies at least a semester in advance. A study guide will be given to all students who register for the exam. Students must enroll in IS 898, the STB Integrating Seminar, during the semester in which they plan to take the STB exam. An examination fee applies.

8. Students must complete a one credit course in graduate theological research, IS 505 Theological Research and Writing. This course must be done in conjunction with ST 500 Theological Methodology, and should be done within the student’s first year of study. The course is graded pass/fail; this one credit does not count toward the 48 credits required in total for the degree.

9. Students must participate in a program assessment, including completion of a Graduating Student Questionnaire during the final year of study.

*The course of study for the STB normally takes four years. Because the STB degree is offered through aggregation by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, the course work required for the program is not subject to dual degree status. At the end of the course of study, a student must successfully pass written and oral examinations. 

The courses of the MDiv program fulfill the program requirements for the STB provided a biennium in philosophy has been completed as well (please see the curriculum for the MDiv). At the end of the course of study, the student must successfully pass STB written and oral examinations.

For lay students without an MDiv, the above courses are required for the STB.