Chapter 9.7: Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.)
Introduction
Licentiate in Sacred Theology
The Licentiate in Sacred Theology is a two-year Roman Catholic ecclesiastical degree in advanced theological study granted by the Jesuit School of Theology by virtue of its status as a pontifical faculty. The Licentiate is meant to further theological expertise for service in official capacities in religious communities and dioceses, and for teaching in higher education, diocesan schools and seminaries. In keeping with the intellectual tradition and apostolic priority of the Society of Jesus, the program cultivates a critical fidelity to the Roman Catholic tradition, in service of the faith that does justice. It enables students to understand the interplay between faith and culture, preparing them to address theological and pastoral issues that emerge in diverse cultural contexts. The STL has been designed according to the guidelines of Veritatis Gaudium (part VII, articles 47-50) and the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education.
Students’ progress through the STL degree is guided by the student’s academic advisor, who is usually also the thesis director, and the STL Program Director. Students are encouraged to meet regularly with their academic advisor to ensure that they are making satisfactory progress toward completing the degree. This handbook presents program requirements to earn the STL degree as well as protocols and forms. All forms for the STL program can be found at the end of this handbook or on the JST website at https://www.scu.edu/jst/academics/registrar/
Goals and Objectives
Goal I: Students will acquire a depth of knowledge and practical skills within a particular area of concentration, and hone these in light of assuming leadership roles within the Church.
Objectives:
A. Students will be able to employ the hermeneutical principles and research methods germane to their selected area of concentration.
B. Students will gain an advanced level of mastery with respect to their selected area of concentration.
C. Students will possess the linguistic skills appropriate to their field of study.
D. Students will be able to relate their academic studies to the advancement of the Church’s mission in the world.
Goal II: Students will develop a critical fidelity to the Roman Catholic tradition, in service of the faith that does justice.
Objectives:
A. Students will employ historically and philosophically informed knowledge of the tradition in assessing theological positions.
B. Students will integrate the perspective of the poor and the marginalized in their reflection on theological and pastoral issues.
Goal III: Students will recognize the interplay between faith and culture in addressing theological and/or pastoral issues that emerge in diverse cultural contexts.
Objectives:
A. Students will incorporate skillful socio-cultural analysis into their reflection on theological and pastoral issues.
B. Students will locate theological and pastoral issues in the cultural contexts in which they emerge.
Prerequisites, Advanced Standing, and Concurrent Th.M. Degree
Prerequisites for STL Degree
The prerequisites for enrollment in the STL program are the following:
24 credit hours of philosophy at the Bachelors level (strongly recommended prior to study).
An earned Master of Divinity or Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree.
Proficiency in ecclesiastical Latin (strongly recommended prior to study).
Advanced Standing
A student who has taken graduate courses in theology not longer than six years prior to starting the STL may petition for advanced standing in the STL program. This petition may be included with the Application for Admission or submitted during the first semester of study at JST.
Advanced standing is limited to nine (9) semester units.
Transferred units must fit within the student’s area of concentration.
Units must have been at the advanced graduate level (at least level 4000 or above) and not have been used to earn another academic degree.
Units must have been awarded by an accredited institution of higher learning. See FORMS – Petition for Advanced Standing.
Concurrent Master of Theology (Th.M.) Degree:
Students who complete an STL degree can also receive a Master of Theology degree concurrently. Requests to receive the Master of Theology concurrently can be made at the time of application or at least by the third semester of enrollment.
Application is made through a written request to the Associate Dean.
STL students admitted to the Th.M. degree will be required to take ST 3999, a one credit course, in the final year of their program to explore theological ‘publics’ for the Th.M. (civil) and STL (ecclesiastical) degrees, respectively.
Degree Requirements
To earn the STL degree, students must complete all of the requirements listed below:
Enroll at JST for four semesters as a full-time student.
Complete all degree requirements within four calendar years from the date of initial registration in the program.
Earn at least thirty-five (35) semester units, including 24 units of academic coursework; 9 units of STL 5500 or of STL 5501 and STL 5600 (see below); and 2 units of STL research practicum, FE 4400 (0.5 units for at least four semesters).
Specialize in one of the following concentration areas:
Biblical Studies
Systematic Theology and Church History
Moral Theology and Ethics
Pastoral and Liturgical Theology
Christian Spirituality
Complete twenty-four (24) semester units of academic coursework at the 4000 level or above in the concentration area identified.
At least three credits must be a methodology course appropriate for the student’s concentration.
To meet program Goal III, Objective A (see page 5), three credits must be RS 2092: Culture, Context, and Lived Religion, upgraded to the 4000 level, or some other course that teaches the same content as approved by the Associate Dean.
Students may upgrade the course content and assignments of a 2000 or 3000 level course to meet the STL advanced course requirements. (Generally, a research paper of 15 pages or more is required.) See FORMS - SRC 8888 - Special Reading Course/Upgrade Form.
Engage in pastoral work for the duration of their program and enroll in the Research Practicum, FE 4400 every semester. All students will participate in a ministry placement each semester. International students in F-1 status must complete a Curricular Practical Training Cooperative Agreement. FE-4400 provides a forum for theological reflection on this practical experience, as students deepen their understanding of how faith is inculturated in real-world contexts and how culture shapes one’s approach to ministry and theology. The 8 course also supports and guides students through the research and writing process as they move towards completion of their capstone project (see Degree Requirement number 9).
Demonstrate foreign language proficiency through transcripted coursework, or by taking the language exams provided for the M.A. and GTU doctoral students, provided by the University of California (Berkeley) or individually created by JST faculty, where necessary. Oral language exams are not permitted to demonstrate proficiency. Students must be proficient in the following languages:
Latin, with a working reading knowledge of the language sufficient to use ecclesiastical documents, if this was not completed prior to enrollment in the STL. See FORMS – Latin Petition.
One modern language other than the student’s native language, as approved by the academic advisor and the STL Program Director. See FORMS – STL Petition for Language Certification. The modern language must be:
One that has sufficient primary/secondary sources related to theological/religious studies.
Relevant to the student’s research area.
For specialization in Biblical studies, students must also demonstrate a suitable knowledge of one of the Biblical languages.
All language requirements must be completed before students submit their thesis proposals.
Achieve at least a B- or better in each course taken for a grade and at least a 3.0 Cumulative GPA. Students may not opt for a pass/no pass grade.
Earn nine (9) credits for the capstone project by completing either a thesis or comprehensive exams plus an extended research paper. Please see the Thesis and Comprehensive Exam/Extended Paper Requirements in the next section.
FOR THE THESIS: To complete the thesis, students must:
Register for 9 semester units of research work in STL 5500.
Complete a thesis of at least 75 pages in length under the direction of a thesis committee.
Defend the thesis in a one-hour oral examination.
FOR THE EXAM AND EXTENDED RESEARCH PAPER: To complete the comprehensive exam and extended research paper, students must:
Register for 6 units of comps preparation in STL 5600 and 3 units of preparation for the extended research paper in STL 5501
Pass a written comprehensive examination with a one-hour oral defense in the following three areas: a general examination (closed book exam), a topical examination (closed book exam), and a specialization examination (extended research paper).
Complete an extended research paper of 25 to 30 pages, representing the development of a paper written in an advanced- level course. It must present and defend a clear thesis as well as demonstrate the student’s familiarity with the relevant methods and scholarly literature in the discipline.
Satisfactory Academic Progress While in Continuing Registration Status
Generally, Satisfactory Academic Progress for STL and STD students is governed by the Academic Policies and Procedures, posted on JST’s website. This policy pertains only to students who are in continuing registration status.
While a student is in continuing registration for the STL and STD program, the thesis or dissertation director must certify by the last week of classes in each semester that the student is making satisfactory academic progress. This determination will be based on:
(a) the depth of contact between the student and his/her director;
(b) the student's adherence to a research plan, if applicable; and/or
(c) the student's progress in drafting, editing and finalizing the thesis or dissertation.
If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress, the Associate Dean will place the student on academic probation, informing the registrar, the director and the student of this change in status. Students on academic probation will not be eligible for institutional aid from the school.
Students who are on academic probation will be permitted to enroll in one additional semester of continuing registration in order to make progress toward their degree. If any student does not make satisfactory progress during the semester on academic probation, the Associate Dean will consult with the student's director to determine whether to dismiss the student for academic reasons or to allow the student to continue, and on what terms. The student, the director, and the registrar will be informed of the outcome of the determination.
Thesis and Comprehensive Exam/Extended Paper Requirements
This section describes in greater detail the process and requirements for completing the Thesis or the Comprehensive Exam/Extended Paper for the STL degree. Together the final requirements will be referred to as the capstone assignment in this handbook. The major steps are the formation of the committee, the submission of the proposal for the capstone assignment, the completion and defense of the capstone assignment, and submission of the graded work.
Forming the Committee: The STL capstone assignment will be directed by a committee of at least two scholars.
The Director must be a member of the JST full-time permanent faculty. S/he also serves as the academic advisor for most of the student’s degree program, including the coursework.
With the advice of the Director, the student will choose one other committee member, who has expertise in the proposal subject matter. Ordinarily this is a faculty member of JST or the GTU.
Where the content of the thesis requires deeper expertise, the Director may appoint a third member to the committee, after consulting the STL Program Director.
Capstone Assignment Proposal: All students must submit a proposal for their capstone assignment for approval from the Associate Dean before beginning this thesis work. See FORMS - Proposal for STL Thesis/Extended Research Paper.
The proposal should be 5-7 double-spaced pages (excluding the bibliography) with one- inch margins and 12 point readable type. Footnotes should appear at the bottom of the appropriate page(s). The proposal should include the following sections and accompanying headings in the following order:
Title page: (Should include not only student name and proposed title of the capstone assignment but also the name of the director, readers, and the date the proposal is being submitted). Names of director and that of readers may only appear if they have read and given their approval to the proposal in its present form.
Introduction: Introduce topic and why/how you became interested in it.
Scope and Nature: Situate the topic in the field of discourse in which it is located, give its context/background (internal boundaries); indicate the history of this topic in prior literature, i.e., to what conversation are you trying to make a contribution? Indicate the limits of your work, things that will not be covered that might be expected (external boundaries).
Thesis Statement: In one or two sentences, state what the work will attempt to demonstrate or accomplish (that is, if not accomplished, the project changes drastically). Put another way, indicate the question (a gap, a problem, a puzzle to be solved) that your thesis will attempt to answer. Then state the claim you will defend, using your argument/thesis as an answer to the question.
Methodology: Explain the theoretical frameworks and specific methodological tools that will be used for research and/or analysis. This is not a question about how the text/research will be organized.
Significance: Discuss the significance of the work within the discipline and possibly other communities (religious, local, political, national, etc.) and possibly for the scholar. That is, why is this work important? What difference will it make and to whom?
Chapter Outline: Give a clear indication of what each chapter of the thesis will include. (NOTE: the chapter outline must comply with the spacing requirements of the proposal, i.e. that it is double- and not single-spaced text.)
Short Bibliography: In addition to the 5-7 page proposal, the student must include a short bibliography (no more than 4-6 pages) consisting of the most significant works/materials that will be used in the research/work, preferably arranged by topical heading. Students should include references in languages other than English when appropriate.
The proposal must be written in English, although the thesis may be redacted in other languages familiar to the director and committee.
A proposal for the comprehensive exam and extended research paper must identify the area of concentration specifically, as well as the general examination focus, the topical examination focus, and the research paper topic.
Proposals must be approved by the Director and submitted to the Associate Dean no later than the final day of classes in the penultimate semester (one semester before the students anticipate completing their work). If a student does not file a thesis/extended research paper proposal by the stated deadline, s/he may petition the Associate Dean for an exception to this filing date.
NOTE: STL students who are writing a thesis should refer to the Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Submission guidelines.
Registration during the Capstone Assignment work:
During thesis work, students must register for a total of 9 semester units in STL 5500.
During comprehensive exam and extended research paper work, students must register for 6 units of comps preparation in STL 5600 and for 3 units of preparation for the extended research paper in STL 5501.
If students have completed 9 units in STL 5500 or 9 total units in STL 5501 and STL 5600, but have not yet completed the capstone work, they must register for continuing registration. The continuing registration fee is equivalent to 6.5 units of the current tuition each semester. Such students will be considered fully registered students, and will have library privileges commensurate with that status.
Oral Defense and Grading of the Capstone Assignment:
All capstone assignments require a one-hour oral defense or examination to be administered by the committee. See FORMS – STL Oral Defense Certification and STL Grade Report Form. The student must complete the forms and provide them to each member of the committee prior to the oral defense.
Passing the Oral Defense: Upon the completion of the oral defense of the capstone assignment, all members of will have input into evaluation and grading. Grade options are:
Pass with No Revisions.
Pass with Minor Revisions. If the capstone assignment has been approved with minor corrections, the thesis Director must approve corrections before students hand the capstone assignment into the Registrar’s Office.
Returned for Major Revisions. When the revised thesis is submitted, the major revisions must be approved by all readers. The thesis advisor is responsible to assure that all readers approve. Grade sheets should be submitted to the Registrar's Office only after the capstone assignment is deemed acceptable.
Does not pass.
Each committee member must select the appropriate grade, sign the form, and return it directly to the Registrar’s Office.
NOTE: Major revisions of the thesis must be approved by the whole committee. Minor revisions need to be approved by the Director only.
Honors for the Capstone Assignment: The granting of honors (if any) will be considered after the thesis is satisfactorily defended as determined by the thesis committee. The decision to confer honors must be agreed unanimously by the whole committee, based on the quality and creativity of the written work and the quality of performance at the oral defense, and does not take into account the student’s GPA.
Each committee member must select the appropriate level of distinction, sign the form and return it directly to the Associate Dean’s Office. In cases where there is disagreement over the level of distinction, the Director will be expected to bring the committee members to a consensus.
Filing of the Capstone Assignment:
For style, formatting, copies and other requirements for submission of STL capstone assignment, please see the MASTER'S THESIS AND DOCTORAL DISSERTATION GUIDELINES. These guidelines and associated forms are available online on the Registrar’s page: https://www.scu.edu/jst/academics/office-of-the-registrar/
STL Extended Research Papers: The student is responsible for submitting one bound copy of the final, signed STL extended research paper to the JST Registrar’s Office. The copy should be prepared in accordance with the GTU Library guidelines regarding paper, pagination, and style requirements, found in the Submission Guidelines.
STL Thesis: Students are responsible for submitting two (2) archival quality copies of their thesis (for the GTU library), and one additional copy (for SCU) in electronic format to the JST Registrar’s Office. Note: For those students writing theses focusing on matters pertaining to African nations, an electronic format copy will be sent to the two Jesuit African theologates by the Registrar. The copies should be prepared in accordance to the GTU Library guidelines regarding paper, pagination, and other guidelines, found in the Submission Guidelines.
Filing Deadline: STL theses must be defended, graded, corrected, signed, approved by the GTU Library, and submitted to the Registrar for May graduation by the first Monday in May and for Fall graduates by the late registration deadline for Fall Semester registration.
Granting the STL to Candidates Possessing an Earned PhD
Candidates/Applicants with an earned Ph.D. or equivalent degree in theology or a related discipline may petition to be awarded the STL by meeting the degree requirements as follows:
Submission of the completed FORM – Petition for Award of STL that includes the below attachments:
I. Official PhD Transcript
II. Statement of applicable coursework, including courses taught and thesis committee service.
III. Candidate’s article or paper
The STL Program Director and the Associate Dean will sign the Petition signaling their recommendation to the Dean to approve the conferral of the STL degree upon the candidate; the final decision to confer the degree rests with the Dean.
The STL will be conferred in either October or May, according to the timing of the process.
Note: See ALL FORMS – Petition for Award of the Licentiate in Sacred Theology; and Confirmation of Thesis Equivalence Form.
Last updated