The

 

Master of Divinity Program

 

at the

 

University of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Handbook 2007-08

 

Part One

 

 

General Information

Mission Statement for the Notre Dame M.Div. Program

 

The Master of Divinity program at the University of Notre Dame prepares professional ministers for service in the Roman Catholic Church. The program forms leaders who are grounded in Catholic tradition, faithful to the Church’s witness to Jesus Christ, pastorally skillful and wise.

 

The M.Div. at Notre Dame, initiated in 1968 as the primary formation venue for Holy Cross seminarians, has from early in its history maintained a commitment to both lay and ordained ministry. The program is designed as part of a comprehensive formation process for two distinct but complementary vocations. The educational experience of M.Div. students at Notre Dame is enriched by the interaction of seminarian, religious, and lay students of diverse backgrounds. The M.Div. remains vitally linked to the spirit and mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross as “educators in the faith.” [Constitutions of the Congregation of holy Cross 2, para. 12]

 

The M.Div. program is guided by documents published under the auspices of the national Conference of Catholic Bishops with regard to priestly formation and ecclesial lay ministry. The program also participates in the larger community and mission of the University of Notre Dame. The Catholic character, resources, liturgical life, and ethos of the university, especially the faculty of the Department of Theology, shape the context and content of the M.Div.

 

The program embraces concurrent studies in a broad range of theological disciplines indispensable for developing the art of pastoral ministry. Through appropriate spiritual formation, supervised field placements and mentoring, the student is assisted in integrating these studies into a ministerial identity attuned to the needs of the contemporary Church and world. Directed by the Second Vatican council, we seek to prepare men and women for collaborative ministry in a multicultural Church.

 

Passed unanimously by the M.Div. Committee on March 3, 2000, and approved by unanimous vote of the faculty of the Department of Theology on May 1, 2000.

The Master of Divinity Program at Notre Dame

 

Since September 1968, the Department of Theology and the Graduate School of the University of Notre Dame have offered a professional program in theological and ministerial studies on the graduate level.

 

The M.Div. Program is professional as well as academic since it is designed to prepare students for learned and effective ministry in today's Church. The program incorporates the study of Scripture, the history of Christian tradition, systematic theology and Christian ethics with field experience and ministerial skills courses. The Department of Theology has a full-time faculty of over fifty men and women and more than twenty part-time appointments.

 

The University of Notre Dame is a special setting for a M.Div. Program. The intellectual challenges of a university offer the right atmosphere for many students. Notre Dame is a crossroads for people and programs touching church life, attracting representative figures from dioceses and religious movements in all parts of the United States and beyond. There is an extensive, well-conceived campus ministry program with its spectrum of liturgical and pastoral opportunities. The Institute for Church Life offers programs in continuing education for bishops, priests and religious leaders, as well as national programs in liturgy and service learning opportunities for Notre Dame students.

 

The M.Div. Program at Notre Dame has from its inception included a variety of students: members of the Congregation of Holy Cross studying for the priesthood; students for the priesthood from various dioceses; laymen and laywomen; and members of religious congregations. Presently, the program includes students preparing for priesthood in the Congregation of Holy Cross and men and women preparing for lay ecclesial ministry. Through this community of students, the University furthers the expansion and diversification of ministry, presents a realistic and helpful context for ministerial education, and also offers a full preparation for the ministry of priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church.

People You Should Know

 

Department of Theology:

John Cavadini, Chair

631-6662, 130 Malloy Hall

Matthew Zyniewicz, Assistant Chair and Director, M.A. Program

631-7811, 130 Malloy Hall

Ellen Victory, Sr. Administrative Assistant

631-6662, 130 Malloy Hall

Dorothy Anderson, Administrative Assistant

631-7811, 130 Malloy Hall

J. Matthew Ashley, Director, Ph.D. Program

631-5732, 123 Malloy Hall

Carolyn Gamble, Administrative Assistant to the Ph.D. Program

631-5732, 121 Malloy Hall

Randall Zachman, Director, M.T.S. Program

631-4254, 130 Malloy Hall

Cheron Price, Administrative Assistant to M.A., M.T.S. and Summer Session

631-4254, 130 Malloy Hall

David Fagerberg, Director, Undergraduate Program

631-7811, 130 Malloy Hall

 

Master of Divinity Program:

Michael Connors, C.S.C., Director

631-5682, 133 Malloy Hall

Emily Hartzer, Administrative Assistant

631-4256, 131 Malloy Hall

Janice Poorman, Director of Field Education

631-6493, 127 Malloy Hall

 

Moreau Seminary:

Patrick Neary, C.S.C., Rector and Religious Superior

631-5577

Randy Rentner, C.S.C., Asst. Superior, Moreau Seminary

631-6155

Judy Kuzmich, Administrative Assistant

631-7735

Diane Welihan, Administrator

631-5571

Application and Admission to the Program

 

 

Requirements for application to the M.Div. program include:

 

1.         The completion of a bachelor's degree.

 

2.         Evidence of a capacity for independent study and scholarship. Such evidence is offered by:

 

        (a)        G.R.E. scores of at least 500 in verbal and 4.5 in analytical tests;

 

            (b)       a transcript of study for the bachelor's and any graduate degrees;

 

            (c)        recommendations from three instructors or professors.

 

3.         At least 18 semester credits in Philosophy and 12 credits in Theology or Religious Studies.

 

4.         Evidence of a mature personality capable of ministering to others. To this end, one recommendation supporting the candidate's ability for ministerial leadership is to be submitted.

 

5.         At least one year of full-time service work, preferably in ministry in the Catholic Church.

 

6.         An autobiographical statement written according to a form specified by the M.Div. director.

 

7.         A letter of intent specific to the M.Div. Program which sets forth, first, the goals of the candidate for the Christian ministry, and second, a view of how the M.Div. Program will attain the candidate's goals.

 

8.         A personal interview, normally held at the University, with the admissions committee.

Fall Orientation

 

 

At the start of each academic year M.Div. students participate in the following orientation meetings:

 

In mid-August the Holy Cross seminarian students spend several days together at the community’s facility near LaPorte, Indiana. These days provide an extensive orientation period for life at Moreau Seminary. The lay students have an overnight retreat during the week prior to classes in order to become familiar with each other and the program. General planning for the coming year also takes place.

 

On the Friday prior to classes a general orientation meeting is held at Notre Dame for all M.Div. students. This full-day session includes academic advising for first-year students.

 

[The Holy Cross Candidates, who are classified by the Graduate School as affiliated, non-degree-seeking M.Div. students, meet as a group with the M.Div. Director following their return from LaPorte. This meeting is to address general academic orientation and to receive their preliminary academic schedules, which have been formulated in consultation with the Rector and Director of the Candidate Program at Moreau Seminary.]

 

During the first week the Theology Department holds a meeting of all graduate students (M.Div., M.A., M.T.S., M.S.M., and Ph.D.), in which the faculty and departmental personnel are introduced to the students.

 

M.Div. Staff

 

The M.Div. Staff is composed of the M.Div. Director, the Director of Field Education, the Director of the Lay Ministry Formation Program, the Director of the Marten Program, and the Rector of Moreau Seminary. The Staff meets weekly throughout the academic year for purposes of planning and review of student progress in all dimensions of the program.

 

 

M.Div. Committee

 

The Master of Divinity Committee, similar to other departmental committees, is an advisory committee for the M.Div. Director and the Chair. It considers those matters that concern the M.Div. Program (e.g., curriculum, field education, recruitment and admissions policies). Since the Committee is advisory, not legislative, its decisions are generally reached by consensus, rather than by majority vote.

 

The M.Div. Committee is composed of the M.Div. Director (chair), the Director of Field Education, the Director of the Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics, the Rector of Moreau Seminary, the Director of the Lay Ministry Formation Program, other members of the faculty, and M.Div. students elected by their peers. The Chair of the Theology Department appoints faculty.

 

 

 

Part Two

 

 

The Master of Divinity Program

 

 

 

Program Notes

 

Students will receive a copy of the current Graduate School Bulletin of Information at the beginning of each school year.  The academic policies and procedures governing graduate study at Notre Dame are contained in the Bulletin, and students are urged to familiarize themselves with them.  The Bulletin and other information can also be found on the Graduate School website, <http://graduateschool.nd.edu/>.

 

In particular, rigorous compliance with the Graduate School’s regulations regarding academic integrity is expected of M.Div. students.  Any violation of these regulations may be grounds for dismissal from the program.

 

Students will also receive a copy of the current Graduate and Professional Student Handbook, prepared by the Office of Student Affairs. The Graduate and Professional Student Handbook articulates the University’s standards for student conduct.

 

The following addenda to the above texts are related to particular expectations or procedures of the M.Div. Program.

 

Full-time study

 

All M.Div. students are expected to maintain full-time status in the University and to devote their full time to the demands of the program. Full-time status is defined by the Graduate School as registration for a minimum of nine credits per semester during the academic year. The normal course load is 12-14 credits per semester. With the permission of the academic advisor, M.Div. students in their final year of study who have accumulated at least 80 credits may retain their full-time status if they are registered for less than nine credits in a semester.

 

Ordinarily M.Div. students may not register for more than 14 credits in any semester. In the Summer Session a student ordinarily may not register for more than six credits. Exceptions must be approved by the academic advisor, the M.Div. Director, and the Graduate School.

 

No student may hold a job, on or off campus, without the express permission of the M.Div. Director and the Graduate School. Students who do hold jobs should keep the M.Div. Director informed as to the number of hours being demanded by the job.

 

Course levels

 

M.Div. students normally take courses in the Theology Department at the 6xxxx level (formerly 5xx). No graduate course credit is allowed for courses below the 4xxxx level. The advanced undergraduate courses numbered 40000 through 49999 may be taken to satisfy up to six credits of M.Div. credit requirements, with the approval of the academic advisor, the M.Div. Director, and the Graduate School.

 

For good reason in exceptional circumstances, M.Div. students may take courses at the doctoral level (8xxxx) with the approval of the academic advisor, the M.Div. Director, and the course instructor.

 

Advisors

 

Students affiliated with the M.Div. Program will be assigned a faculty advisor for each year of study. Students must meet with the advisor before registering for the following semester or Summer Session. The advisor must approve the student's proposed course selections.

 

Good standing in the program

 

Since the M.Div. is a professional degree aimed at public ministry, continuation in the program requires satisfactory progress in all the components of the program: theology courses in the five major departmental areas (Systematic Theology, History of Christianity, Moral Theology, Liturgical Studies and Scripture), Field Education, pastoral courses, and the formation process either at Moreau Seminary for the Congregation of Holy Cross or the Lay Ministry Formation Program. Satisfactory progress is indicated by all of the following:

1)    maintenance of at least a 3.0 [B] cumulative grade point average (GPA);

2)    satisfactory evaluations by the faculty (see following pages);

3)    grades of Satisfactory in all S/U graded courses, including Field Education and pastoral courses (see Part Three: Field Education for more information on satisfactory performance in Field Education);

4)    satisfactory progress in formation (see also Part Four: Formation).

 

A student may be dismissed from the program if his/her GPA is below 2.5 in any one semester, or if the GPA is below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters. Dismissal may result from a grade of “U” in any one semester of Field Education, or a grade of “U” or “F” in any pastoral course. Dismissal may also result from unsatisfactory participation in either formation program.

 

To maintain good standing in the program, a student must evince:

a)     Progress toward the goals of personal maturity, ministerial identity, theological acumen, spirituality, leadership, and pastoral skill outlined by either the U.S. bishops’ Program for Priestly Formation and the Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, or by the U.S. bishops’ documents on Lay Ecclesial Ministry[1]; these qualities are further elaborated in the M.Div. Mission Statement (p. 2 of this handbook) and the Learning Goals (pp. 23-31 of this handbook)

b)    A commitment to ongoing growth in human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation

c)     A mature openness to guidance, feedback and appropriate accountability

d)    Genuine pastoral zeal coupled with demonstrated aptitude for a life of professional ministry, as confirmed by teachers, formators and mentors

e)     A sense of appropriate personal and professional boundaries

f)     A commitment to building collaborative and constructive relationships with one’s peers in the program while assisting them in their own growth as ministers

 

A student must maintain good standing in the University and in the M.Div. Program to be eligible for continued financial support.

 

Degree eligibility

 

A student must complete all requirements for the Master of Divinity degree within five years. Tuition and/or stipend funding may not be available for a student who does not complete the degree within three years.

 

Grievances

 

Grade changes are governed by the policies articulated in the Academic Articles of the University. To request alteration of a course grade, a student should first make the request to the faculty member assigning the grade.

 

For all other types of grievances, the student may approach either the Chair of the Theology Department, or the chair of the departmental Grievance Committee. Once the department has completed its grievance process, the student may appeal any decisions to the Graduate School.

 

University of Notre Dame

Medical Separation from Academic Duties

for Students in the Graduate School

A policy statement of the Graduate School

 

Students enrolled in the Notre Dame Graduate School who wish to temporarily interrupt their programs for medical reasons must apply to the Graduate School. Students are eligible under this policy if they have a “serious medical condition.” For purposes of this policy, “serious medical condition” means a medical condition that (1) requires multiple day hospitalization OR (2) renders the student unable to engage in coursework and all other Graduate School-related duties for a period of at least ten (10) calendar days. Certification by a physician that the student has a serious medical condition as defined in this policy must be submitted to the Graduate School no less than three months prior to the separation period (for childbirth and other predictable requests) or as soon as the need is foreseen (for emergency requests). In situations involving childbirth, the separation period will generally begin on the actual date of childbirth; in all cases, regardless of the nature of the medical condition, the duration of the separation will be as certified by the physician up to a maximum of 6 weeks. Students may utilize this medical separation policy two non-consecutive times during their graduate studies. Should students need more than 6 weeks at any one time, they must withdraw from the University. Leaves of absence for one semester or more for medical or other reasons are governed by the Graduate School Leave of Absence policy.

 

Full-time degree-seeking students in their 6^th year of study or less who are receiving financial aid from the Graduate School or external funds will receive a stipend equal to their normal stipend during their period of separation, for a maximum of 6 weeks paid by the Graduate School. Students will retain their tuition scholarships, access to on-campus medical facilities, and all other resources available to students during the entire separation period (up to 6 weeks). Students also will be deemed “continuously enrolled” at the University during the entire period of separation.

 

Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant duties will cease at least during the period of separation. Students are responsible for making arrangements, through their departments, to cover their duties. Students taking classes will be required to make arrangements with individual course instructors for completion of any courses in progress during the leave. Students will be granted the option to re-schedule exams, extend candidacy deadlines or other deadlines not discussed herein. Students are responsible for making arrangements to reschedule exams, extend deadlines and to make up other work not discussed herein. Unlike a regular one-semester leave, time off in conjunction with this policy will count towards the students’ degree time limit of 8 years and university-sponsored funding cap of 6 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Support

 

Ordinarily, all full-time degree-seeking students admitted to the M.Div. receive a full tuition scholarship. This scholarship is renewable for a total of three academic years, based on satisfactory progress in the program. No service is required of the student in exchange for this tuition scholarship. A small stipend for living expenses may also be available. For those who qualify, a number of approved financial aid jobs and placements exist on campus.

 

The Graduate School also awards tuition scholarships for two three-credit course during the Summer Session. The student applies directly to the Graduate School for this assistance during the spring semester preceding the Summer Session.

 

 

 

 

 

The Program of Studies

 

The program of studies leading to the Master of Divinity degree encompasses a minimum of 83 semester credits and normally extends over six semesters and one summer. Minimum credit requirements are allocated in the following way:

 

 

 

Biblical Studies	12 credits
Historical Studies	6 credits
Systematic Theology	15 credits
Christian Ethics	6 credits
Canon Law	3 credits
Liturgy	6 credits
Field Education	10 credits
Pastoral Studies	14 credits
Elective	9 credits
Synthesis Seminar	2 credits
Total:	83 credits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suggested Sequence of the Curriculum

 

The Master of Divinity Program

83 Semester Credits

Six Semesters & One Summer Session

 

 

 

Fall	Credits		Spring	Credits
Semester #1	13/13		Semester #2	12/25
Scripture: Intro to Hebrew Bible	3		Orders & Ministry	3
History: Early Christianity	3		History or Scripture	3
Fundamentals of Systematic Theology	3		Ethics	3
Field Education	2		Field Education	2
Fundamentals of Pastoral Care	1		Pastoral Elective [or Elective]	1 [or 3]
Pastoral Elective	1
Summer Session	6/31
Scripture or History or ST elective	3
Elective	3
Semester #3	14/45		Semester #4	12/57
Scripture	3		Scripture	3
Christology	3		Ecclesiology	3
Ethics	3		Initiation	3
Field Education	2		Field Education	2
Pastoral Administration	1		Pastoral Elective [or Elective]	1 [or 3]
Preaching I	2
Semester #5	13/70		Semester #6	13/83
Canon Law	3		Systematics Elective	3
Eucharist	3		Synthesis Seminar	2
Field Education	2		Preaching III	2
Preaching II	2		Liturgical Celebration II	2
Liturgical Celebration I	2		Elective	3
[Pastoral Elective]	[1]		[Pastoral Elective]	[1]

 

The Pastoral Studies Requirements

 

In addition to 10 credits of Field Education, students are required to take 14 credits in pastoral courses. These include the following required courses:

 

Theo 60952 Fundamentals of Pastoral Care and Counseling (1)

Theo 60945 Pastoral Administration (1)

Theo 60948 Preaching I (2)

Theo 60949 Preaching II (2)

Theo 60946 Liturgical Celebration I (2)

 

The remaining 6 credits are electives which are taken from among the following courses:

 

Theo 60947 Liturgical Celebration II (2) required for seminarians

Theo 60950 Preaching III (2) required for seminarians

Theo 60951 Reconciliation Ministry (1) required for seminarians

 

Theo 60934-60938 Series: Pastoral Skills Courses (.5 or 1.0)

 

Theo 60939-60941 Series: Fall Workshops (.5 or 1.0)

 

Theo 60942-60943 Series: Spring Workshops (.5 or 1.0)

 

Directed Readings/Special Studies

 

In certain circumstances students may have the option of arranging directed readings courses with regular faculty of the Department of Theology. Directed readings courses are intended to supplement the curriculum; they are usually undertaken as elective courses to address particular needs or interests of students in an area of theology or pastoral skill not regularly offered in the curriculum. Directed readings are normally not permitted in place of a regularly offered, required course.

 

After first securing the approval of the academic advisor, the student approaches the faculty member with the request for a directed readings course. The student and the instructor then define the intended area of study and agree on the required reading, meetings, and written work. A written agreement between the student and the instructor, with a copy submitted to the M.Div. Director, is required. Forms for this are available in the M.Div. Office.

 

Directed Readings/Special Studies Form:

Sample

Student:

 

Area of Special Studies or Directed Readings:

List of Readings:

Research, Written Work and Grading:

Comments:

 

Signature of Professor                               &n