Baccalaureate in Theology

Three years

Presentation and Testimonial Letters (VG Norms of Application, Art. 26 § 1.1):

1. In the case of Diocesan seminarians and members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life residing in the Seminary the presentation letter by the Rector of the Seminary;
2. In the case of members of the study houses or the Institutes of Consecrated Life not residing in the Seminary, presentation letters by their respective superiors;
3. In the case of any other Catholic applicant, a testimonial letter of the applicant’s Hierarch.

1. A suitable knowledge of Latin and Syriac languages is required, so that the students can understand and use the sources of sacred sciences as well as the documents of the Church (VG Norms of Application, Art. 26 §§ 3-4).
2. For admission to the First Cycle of Theology, the applicant must have a fundamental philosophical formation of at least two years (VG, Art. 74a).

PVP may approve courses, partial or complete, conducted in other approved Ecclesiastical Faculties or Centers either directly or by means of an examination as the Syndicate may decide after considering the programme of studies followed, hours employed and examinations and tests passed.

For enrollment purposes of non-Catholic Students, PVP may approve certain courses taken at non-Catholic faculties, taking into account what is indicated by the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism

1. Studies done in the curriculum for an academic degree canonically valid in another theological Faculty, provided the examinations or other means of evaluation have been successfully undergone, are recognized. But an academic degree may be granted by this Faculty only to those who have attended courses and passed examinations at least for an entire semester in this Faculty.
2. Those who did part of their theological curriculum in Catholic seminaries may be granted dispensation only from those courses of the First Cycle which according to the judgement of the President are really equivalent in content to what has already been undergone by the student provided examinations or appropriate evaluations have been successfully done after the vote of the Syndicate.

1. The academic year is divided into two semesters. At the end of each semester there shall be some days of study leave to prepare for examinations.
2. The number of minimum class days including days of study leave and examinations shall be fixed by the Syndicate.
3. Courses are divided into Main and Subsidiary, Obligatory and Optional, Institutional and Special.
4. In the teaching of subjects the following methods may be used: lectures, seminars, reading and evaluation of books and articles, tutorials and research projects, the general programmes of which shall be approved by the Syndicate and determined in detail by the President.
5.  Besides the fundamental themes in main subjects, which may be offered as courses in common for all students, further elaborations may be offered according to special orientations like Biblical, Pastoral, Oriental, Patristic, Missiological and Comparative Religious studies.
6. In addition to the required main and subsidiary subjects each degree candidate shall take and pass during the Institutional Cycle at least six optionals in the second stage.
7. The Basic Course Students shall take and pass at least three optionals in the second stage.
   In the second stage of the institutional cycle they should participate every year in the work of one of the seminars and present an essay on a chosen subject under the direction of a teacher.
8. Students shall present written reviews of two serious books connected with the subject and approved by a teacher in each year.
9. Basic course students shall take and pass the subjects assigned for them in the programme of each academic year. Degree course students who fail to secure the required marks in more than two main subjects shall be assigned to the basic course.

Subjects are divided into Obligatory Basic Subjects (OBS), Supplementary Obligatory Subjects (SOS) and Optional Additional Subjects (OAS).

The obligatory courses are principal and auxiliary (VG Norms of Application, Art. 31).

1. Students of the First Cycles shall acquire a basic knowledge of Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, Latin and Sanskrit (Ancient Language Studies (ALS)), besides the mastery of English language.
2. Each year’s plan of studies will carry the list of obligatory and optional subjects prescribed for each Cycle as well as the details regarding the distribution of subjects.
3. The programme of studies presented has listed number of optional courses which may be replaced by others or new ones may be added at the discretion of the Syndicate.
4. The counting of courses: In accordance with the Bologna Process to which the Apostolic See adheres the Dicastery for Culture and Education has rendered obligatory the adoption of European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). One ECTS is equivalent of 25 study hours consisting of 45 minutes, of which 10 classes are for the teaching, 10 class hours are for the students’ personal work on the specific topic and 5 class hours are for the preparation of examinations.

The course on Baccalaureate in Theology consists of 229 ECTS. The divisions

A. Principal Courses – 174.5

B. Auxiliary Courses – 46.5

C. Obligatory Academic Requirements – 18

A special diploma of the Ministerial Year is awarded to the students for the priesthood, who have completed the prescribed Pastoral Courses in addition to the three-year basic cycle of Theology (cfr New Norms on Affiliation, Aggregation and Incorporation, 8 December 2020, Article 29§2; VG 76§2).