School of Theology Catalog 2021

Accommodations for Persons
with Disabilities:
In accordance with applicable Federal and
State laws, St. Mary's Seminary & University
does not discriminate against qualified
individuals with disabilities with respect to
admission or access to, or treatment or
employment in, its programs and activities.
The designated individual who is responsible
for coordinating St. Mary's efforts to comply
with these laws is: The University Registrar,
St. Mary's Seminary & University, 5400
Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210, 410-
864-3605, pthigpen@stmarys.edu. An individual
seeking accommodation(s) with respect to
a disability should contact Ms. Thigpen.
St. Mary's reserves the right to request
appropriate documentation to support a
request for accommodation(s).
Comprehensive Examinations:
Comprehensive examinations are required of
all students in concurrent School of Theology
and Ecclesiastical Faculty programs, as well
as all non-degree candidates for priestly
ordination. Comprehensive examinations take
place on the days indicated in the Spring
semester. The Dean of the School of
Theology meets with the 4T class early in the
Fall semester, in preparation for the examinations.
Comprehensive examinations have two
components. The written component consists
of three 90-minute examination periods,
responding to integrative questions. The oral
component consists of two 30-minute periods
with two different two-person faculty teams
based on the same set of questions. Grading
and preparation criteria are available from the
Dean. Comprehensive examinations for the
S.T.L. include a discussion of the submitted
thesis, plus questioning on a series of theological
theses. Students who fail to pass the
comprehensive examinations on the first
attempt are allowed to re-take the examinations
only once. Comprehensive grades are
recorded in the student’s transcript as a
numerical grade. The grade is not applied to
the student’s CGPA.
Credit for Previous Academic
Work: (Transfer for Credit
Policy)
Degree candidates must earn at least 30
credits toward the Master of Divinity degree
and 30 credits towards the Bachelor of Arts
degree at St. Mary’s. The Dean of the School
of Theology and the University Registrar
carefully assess the academic transcripts of
each transfer student to ascertain the appropriate
academic placement of students. In its
review of transcripts, the Dean and University
Registrar are guided by these specific
policies: No course with a grade below C-
fulfills any of the requirements for any
degree. Transfer students must submit original
official transcripts from all previous
undergraduate and graduate institutions.
They must also submit an official original high
school transcript. Copies of these transcripts
are not acceptable. Transfer work is recorded
on the St. Mary’s transcript as a “P” for passing.
Students earn the equivalent credits for
the transfer work but a 0.00 GPA which has
no impact on the term or cumulative
GPA.Graduate theological courses and undergraduate
philosophy and religious
studies courses taken at other institutions are
scrutinized for content. No undergraduate
courses are accepted as graduate theological
courses. Religious studies courses are
accepted only to fulfill requirements for the
undergraduate religious studies requirements
of Pre-Theology. Philosophy courses are
judged on a case-by-case basis. The 30
required credits in philosophy are considered
complete if those credits treat the following
specific topics: Logic, Philosophical Ethics,
Epistemology, Metaphysics, Philosophy of
God, Philosophy of Nature, Philosophical
Anthropology, Ancient Philosophy, Medieval
Philosophy, Modern Philosophy, as well as
Contemporary Issues in Philosophy.
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