Thomistic Studies
Program and Scholarship
THEOLOGICAL DEGREES
The Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception offers M.A., S.T.B., and S.T.L. degrees in Theology and, through the Thomistic Institute, an M.A., S.T.L, and Doctorate (S.T.D) in Thomistic Studies.
The Thomistic Institute is pleased to announce that it will offer at least one full-ride scholarship for a student to pursue their S.T.L or S.T.D. in Sacred Theology in Thomistic Studies at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception (Dominican House of Studies).
What does the scholarship include?
Full tuition
A living stipend of $20,000 per academic year
Additional funds to cover academic fees & books
Scholarship awardees work up to eight (8) hours weekly with the Thomistic Institute staff on TI projects or with the DHS faculty on research projects.
Applications for the scholarship will open on this page soon.
For questions regarding the Thomistic Institute scholarship, email Dr. Rebecca Marisseau at rmarisseau@dhs.edu
For questions regarding the degree program itself, including the degree application and course of study, please contact the PFIC registrar, Mrs. Elizabeth Kimes, at registrar@dhs.edu
MASTERS OF ARTS IN THOMISTIC STUDIES
The M.A. (Thomistic Studies) is a degree program offered by the Thomistic Institute of the PFIC, which specializes in the study of the theological synthesis of St. Thomas Aquinas. This 36 credit program is designed to be taken over four consecutive summers, with the possibility of a fifth summer for thesis development and defense. Students receive an intensive formation in Aquinas’s texts and ideas, and classical Thomistic thought is presented in the areas of systematic and moral theology. The course of studies also considers modern topics, highlighting the relevance of Thomistic studies for contemporary theological discourse. The degree prepares students for advanced study in the area of Thomistic thought and theology.
LICENTIATE IN SACRED THEOLOGY IN THOMISTIC STUDIES
The Thomistic Institute grants the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) in Thomistic Studies. The S.T.L. degree includes the composition of a License thesis that prepares directly for the composition of an ecclesiastical doctorate. The program consists principally of graduate seminars. It seeks to initiate students to the study of Thomistic thought on several fronts, each of which can become the basis for thesis research:
Major Themes in Classical Thomistic Philosophy, Dogmatic and Moral Theology
The Modern Thomistic Tradition within the context of Post-Enlightenment Theology
The Study of Aquinas in Historical Context
Historical Methods for the Study of Medieval Theology
The S.T.L. is the universally required degree for advancement to doctoral studies in an ecclesiastical faculty and is a canonical degree required for professors who will teach in ecclesiastical faculties, such as any major seminary. The program requires that students have previously obtained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.).
DOCTORATE IN SACRED THEOLOGY IN THOMISTIC STUDIES
The Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) is a specialized degree program in Thomistic studies. It offers a terminal degree (the ecclesiastical doctorate) that is granted by the authority and in the name of the Holy See. Candidates may specialize either in the domain of Thomistic systematic theology or Thomistic moral theology.
The program consists of two parts. First, the candidate must complete a specialized S.T.L. program consisting of 36 credits, a tesina, and a lectio coram. This program has specific course content that is historical and systematic in kind, and which is ordered toward doctoral research in Thomistic theology. This stage normally takes two years to complete. Second, the candidate must complete the official proposal, research and composition of the doctoral thesis, which are subject in various stages to both internal and external examination.