Theological Studies

This program engages students in a rigorous encounter with the disciplines of biblical, theological, and pastoral studies in an interdisciplinary setting. The program focuses on the essential methodologies of biblical and theological inquiry and the core concepts and patterns of thought that characterize these disciplines.

Students with primarily professional interests will be expected to bring the theological disciplines to bear on their field experience in ministry. Courses in the program are primarily seminars in which students regularly prepare and present material in the classroom.

The program is open to both full-time and part-time students. Full-time status is three courses in each Fall or Winter term and two courses in the Spring-Summer term. Full-time students should plan to complete the program within two years.  All students should plan to complete the program within fifteen "active" terms (terms in which they are registered for at lest one course) over a period of no longer than eight calendar years.

Students can complement their studies at the Conrad Grebel University College (CGUC) with courses taken at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, McMaster Divinity School, the Toronto School of Theology and other graduate schools. 

Admission Requirements

Following are minimum admission requirements for the MTS program:

• The minimum academic requirement for admission to the MTS program is a four-year baccalaureate degree with an overall B (75%) average, or its equivalent. Applicants who do not meet these requirements but who demonstrate aptitude for such graduate studies may be admitted after meeting the requirements of probationary or transitional admission or completing a qualifying program as deemed appropriate by the Admission Committee.
• Applicants to the thesis option will be expected to have successfully completed considerable previous undergraduate or graduate study in religion and theology, in areas related to their proposed thesis research. Applicants to the thesis option whose previous academic study has been in other disciplines may be admitted to the thesis option as transitional students. Additional requirements will be specified at the time of admission.
• All applicants in all categories must complete the online application form through the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC). There is a $75.00 application fee and applications will not be processed until the payment is received.
• All applicants whose primary or first language is not English must provide a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) certificate or other satisfactory evidence of English proficiency. A minimum score of 550 is required for the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); a minimum score of 213 is required on the computer-based TOEFL; a minimum score of 90 is required on the 1b-TOEFL.
• All application packages must include a "Statement of Interest" as described on the University website.
• Three letters of reference. are required. Two of these should be  from people competent to assess the candidate's academic capacities and potential.
• Degree and Non-Degree students must include in their application package an official transcript (i.e. bearing the seal of the institution) from each institution through which they have completed coursework.
• Students wishing to audit courses should apply as non-degree students and should include the "Statement of Interest" as well as a note indicating their desire to audit the courses only. Transcripts and references are not necessary.

The Graduate Admissions committee will normally consider the applications only after receiving all the required documents.

Application material submitted in support of the application will not be returned. Complete Application packages must be mailed to

    Conrad Grebel University College
    140 Westmount Road N
    Waterloo, ON  N2L 3G6

Application Deadline: May 31 (Fall), Sept 30 (Winter)

Once admitted to the program, students will consult with their faculty advisors to select an option and design a plan of study appropriate to their academic and professional backgrounds, interests, and goals.

There are three program options - thesis, applied studies, and coursework. All options require the completion of equivalent of 8.0 unit weight graduate level (0.50 unit weight) credits.

Core course must be taken at CGUC. Core Course requirements are 

• TS 600 Thinking Theologically
• TS 610 Reading and Teaching the Old Testament
• TS 611 Reading and Teaching the New Testament
• TS 640 The Mennonite Tradition in Historical Context

Courses Taken in Other Departments
At least 50% of the courses required for the degree must be taken in the TS program. Transfer credits will be specified at the time of admission. After admission, courses may be taken in other departments or institutions, with the approval of the student's faculty advisor.

Students may request permission to enrol in senior level undergraduate courses for graduate credit. Such arrangements must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and will require a separate graduate course syllabus which specifies research and writing requirements commensurate with graduate standards. Credit for such courses will normally be recorded as TS 601 Special Topics: xxx.

Course Schedule
Courses are normally offered in weekly three-hour daytime or evening time slots, with occasional classes offered on a three or four weekend-per-term schedule. In Spring and Summer there will be intensive courses offered over one or two weeks, with substantial preparatory work required before the first class and major research assignments due after the conclusion of the class schedule.

The four core courses and the internships will be scheduled annually during the Fall and Winter terms. Another four to six graduate courses will be offered each Fall and Winter term, with an additional two to three offered in the Spring-Summer. Thus in an annual cycle there will normally be sixteen or more courses available.

Full-time faculty do most of their teaching in the Fall and Winter terms. Two of the Spring courses taught by full-time faculty are travel courses, one in Germany and the other in Greece and Turkey. Full-time faculty will also provide Reading Courses for students during the Spring-Summer term.

Research Paper and Research Seminar Requirement

A student in the Coursework Option will choose one of the papers written for a course taken during the second year of full-time studies, or within the last four terms of part-time studies. In consultation with the professor for whom the original paper was written, the student will make any revisions required to qualify the paper as a Research Paper. Length will normally be 25-30 pages (7,500 words). The paper will be presented and defended in the Research Seminar. After the presentation in the Research Seminar the student will make revisions to the paper under the supervision of the professor. The Research Paper will then be filed with the department.

The Research Seminar is a colloquium chaired by the Program Director in which Research Papers are presented to TS faculty and graduate students. Students are required to participate in this Seminar in the academic year in which they present their Research Paper. In addition to presenting their own Research Paper they will be expected to read and present an oral evaluation of one of the other Research Papers presented in the Seminar.

The Research Paper and Research Seminar are milestone requirements without course credit and will be graded CR/NCR. Milestones are non-course degree requirements that are automatically added to student academic records by the UW Graduate Studies Office.

Thesis

A thesis is approximately 120 pages in length and is considered to be the equivalent of 50% of the student's program. It consists of five stages:

a. Preliminary Stage : Consulting with the Program Director and faculty advisor to identify a research area and select a thesis supervisor. This stage should be completed by early in the second term of full time studies.

b. Thesis Proposal : Writing a proposal under the guidance of the thesis supervisor, for approval by the Graduate Studies Committee. Two readers will be chosen once the proposal has been accepted. This stage should be completed by the end of the second term of full time studies.

c. Thesis Research : Thesis research begins during the formulation of the thesis proposal. Some of the research can often be integrated into coursework. A significant period of focused research will also be required. Students whose research requires specific language skills (e.g. Hebrew, Greek) will be required to demonstrate competency in that language.

d. Thesis Writing : Writing the thesis under the direction of the thesis supervisor normally occurs when coursework is complete.

e. Thesis Defence : When the thesis supervisor confirms that the thesis is ready for defence, it will be sent to the two readers for their assessment. If they agree that it is ready for defence a date for the defence will be confirmed. The defence will be chaired by the Program Director and involve the student, thesis supervisor and the two readers. It will be open to other faculty and students.

f. Thesis Completion : After the thesis has been successfully defended it will be revised or corrected, approved by the thesis supervisor, and then filed with the College and University in the form and according to procedures in force at that time. Students will be responsible for the costs of this stage.

Internships - Applied Studies Option

The internships that are part of the Applied Studies option are integrated into two courses (TS 678 and TS 679) that include supervised field experience and a seminar for theological reflection and professional formation. While most of the internships are likely to be in congregations and chaplaincy settings, other options will be available, as they have been in the previous program.