Master of Catholic Thought

All applicants in all categories of admission (Degree, Non-degree Credit, or Non-degree Audit status) for the Master of Catholic Thought program must complete the online application form through the University of Waterloo Applying to Graduate School page. The following details the admissions requirements for each category of student:

Degree student

Students who are proceeding to completion of the Master of Catholic Thought program.

Credit

Students who are taking one or more graduate courses for credit in the Master of Catholic Thought program (for instance, to count toward another degree program), but are not proceeding to completion of the Master of Catholic Thought degree

Audit

Individuals who wish to continue their education, but do not care to earn academic credit, may be eligible to audit courses. Courses taken as an audit will not count towards a degree. These individuals must register as a non-degree student using the application form and include a personal statement with their uploaded documents, noting their desire to audit courses only. References are not required. To enroll in a particular course, permission of the instructor is required. Please contact the instructor.

Registration for students auditing courses is limited to 1/3 of the total enrolment for each Master of Catholic Thought course. Attendance and participation in class are expected.

The following minimum requirements must be met for your application to be considered for this program:

• A four-year Honours Bachelor's degree, in any discipline, with a minimum overall average of 75%. Applicants who do not meet these requirements may be considered for admission on an exceptional basis, provided they demonstrate equivalent qualifications. 
• Three references are required for consideration for the Master of Catholic Thought program.
  • Two references must be academics who can assess academic potential.
  • One reference must be from an employer, supervisor, or another professional or academic.
• Proof of proficiency in English (if applicable); accepted examinations, required minimum scores for graduate studies, and exemptions are listed on the Graduate Studies Undergrad Calendar's English Language Proficiencypage.
• Applicants must upload an official transcriptfrom each institution through which they have completed coursework. 
• Applications must include a Supplementary Information Form (SIF). Students should comment on their reasons for applying to the Master of Catholic Thought program, their academic record, their employment record, any special interest in the area of theological education, and their personal interests, activities and goals. The SIF can be accessed via Quest. Please refer to The Centre's directions on how to complete my supplementary information form for details.
• The Graduate Admissions Committee generally considers the applications only after reviewing all of the required documents. Material submitted in support of the application will not be returned.

• The MCT program accepts applications on a rolling basis, year-round, but we recommend a Fall start date. To ensure consideration for Fall admission, prospective students should submit their application by April of the year they wish to begin the program.

The chart below shows what is required to complete the Master of Catholic Thought program as a Degree student.

Five core curriculum courses are mandatory for the completion of the Master of Catholic Thought degree program. Each of these core MCT courses offers students the opportunity to gain a broad understanding of a key aspect of the Roman Catholic tradition: scripture, history, theological foundations, ethics, and spirituality.

CT 601: The Books of the Church

Examine the historical development of the Bible, the different types of writing found in the Bible, and the methods used to interpret the meaning of the scriptures.

CT 602: The History of Catholicism

Survey the development of Christianity from the time of Christ to the present, with a particular emphasis on the Roman Catholic tradition.

CT 603: Foundations of Theology

An examination of the fundamental aspects and categories of theological reflection including: the nature of faith, religious and theological language, the mystery of God, the meaning of the Incarnation, creation and redemption, the human person, the nature and mission of the church, the role of Mary.

*Note: Normally, this course will be completed prior to enrolling in other courses in the Master of Catholic Thought degree program.
*Note: Residency is normally required for this course.

CT 604: Catholic Moral Life and Thought

Explore the field of ethics in the context of Catholic Christian faith. Examine fundamental concepts in the Catholic moral tradition and look at the significance of those concepts when dealing with contemporary ethical issues.

CT 605: The Prayer Life of the Church: Spirituality and Liturgy

Deal with the essential aspects of Christian spirituality and Catholic liturgical life. Examine these aspects from biblical, historical and theological perspectives and explore their role in contemporary Catholicism.

In addition to the five core courses, two elective courses must be completed from a variety offered for degree students to complete the Master of Catholic Thought program.

CT 610: Catholic Sacramental Life

Biblical, historical, theological and pastoral perspectives on the sacramental life of the Catholic Church.

CT 611: Catholic Perspectives on Ecology

An examination of the ways in which Roman Catholic thinkers and communities are involved in the theology and ecology discourse. Historical background, recent debates, church teachings and contemporary approaches to the ethical issues will be explored. 

CT 612: Special Topics in Catholic Theology

In-depth examination of select topics in Catholic theology. Consult the MCT website or Graduate Studies calendar for current offerings. Examples include topics such as: The Papacy; Ecumenism and Interfaith Dialogue; the Bible and Peace.

CT 613: The Catholic Imagination in Art and Literature

An exploration of the role and significance of the Catholic imagination in a variety of art forms and literature.

CT 614: Catholicism and Education

A historical perspective on Catholic education in Canada and examination of contemporary issues regarding the role of Catholicism in education.

CT 615: Catholic Social Ethics

A study of the basic principles of Catholic social teaching through an examination of church documents and the rise of social movements. Exploration of contemporary applications of the basic principles to issues such as poverty, immigration, the market economy, women, agriculture, ecology, and work.

CT 616: Gender Ethics in Roman Catholicism

Examine historical and contemporary Roman Catholic approaches to ethical questions about human sexuality and relationships. Topics include: marriage, celibacy, single life, homosexuality, HIV/AIDS, sexual violence, gender roles, abortion, and sexuality and spirituality.

CT 617: Contemporary Bioethics: Issues of Life and Death

Examine the relevance of Catholic moral principles to discussions of contemporary issues in bioethics. Topics include: reproductive technologies, cloning and stem cell research, genetics, resource allocation, abortion, death and dying.

CT 618: The Catholic Church in Canada

An examination of the history of the Catholic Church in English and French-speaking Canada. The role, significance and contributions of the Catholic Church to Canadian society will be explored.

Other elective courses

Students in the Master of Catholic Thought program have the option to choose electives from appropriate graduate-level theology courses offered at another University or University College (including Conrad Grebel University College).

A maximum of two elective courses may be taken from another institution.

Registered Master of Catholic Thought students must complete a Master’s-level research paper 35-50 pages (8,750-12,500 words) in length and normally will also participate in an on-campus Integrative Seminar for the CT 606 course. The nature of the research project will be determined in consultation with the Director of the program.

*Note: Residency is required for the concluding Integrative Seminar.

The research paper will be evaluated by two St. Jerome’s University faculty members, including the supervisor and another faculty member who teaches in the core of the Master of Catholic Thought program. It will normally be the basis of a seminar presentation to peers and faculty and normally may be started only when the course work is completed.

Course work

• Students must obtain a minimum overall average of 75%, or B.
• Students must obtain a minimum grade of 75%, or B, for the Research Paper.

Students will normally take CT 603: Foundations of Theology, prior to taking other courses in the program. After CT 603, the other courses can be taken in any order provided that any course prerequisites have been met. Ideally at least one elective will be offered every term.

Non-credit Academic Integrity Workshop

• Students must complete a non-credit Academic Integrity Workshop for graduate students offered by the University of Waterloo within their first two terms of study. Once completed, this workshop will be shown on each student's academic record.

Check the Graduate Studies Academic Course Calendar for further details of our courses.