Faculty of Theology

a. 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.
b. The number of minimum class days including days of study leave and examinations shall be fixed by the Syndicate.
c. Courses are divided into Main and Subsidiary, Obligatory and Optional, Institutional and Special.
d. 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.
e. 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.

First cycle


f. In addition to the required main and subsidiary subjects each degree candidate shall take and pass during the Institutional Cycle at least four optionals in the first stage and six in the second stage. The Basic Course Students shall take and pass at least two optionals in the first stage and three in the second stage.
g. In order to train the students in methods of personal research and study, during the first and second year of the first stage of the institutional cycle, degree course students shall participate in seminars, at least one per year. 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.
h. Students of Ist and 2nd year philosophy and of Ist, 2nd and 3rd year theology shall present written reviews of two serious books connected with the subject and approved by a teacher.
i. 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.

Second cycle


The course for the second cycle is divided as follows: 15 basic subjects : 30 credits
10 optional subjects : 10 credits
8 book reviews
2 seminars out of which one should be presented and discussed in the class. Besides, they should have successfully attended the languages prescribed for them.
Note some specific details: a. At the beginning of the second cycle the candidate must select one of the special areas offered by the Faculty for specialization. One may not change it without serious reasons, subject to the judgement of the President.
b. There shall be a few courses common for all who follow the second cycle which are intended to prepare them for the specializatoin which the Faculty offers.
c. Besides these basic courses, students shall take and pass at least ten optional courses.
d. They shall also study and evaluate select literature in the field and other assignments for the scope of specialization.
e. Within these two years each student shall attend and pass two seminars, one lasting only for one semester and the other for two semesters and leading up to a written dissertation for M.Th. which shall be prepared under the direction of a Professor approved for it by the Syndicate. The written dissertation shall have a minimum of 15000 words.

Third cycle


The doctoral students should attend a prescribed number of subjects and pass in the examinations as given in the statutes and the Bye-laws. They should also do a research work, write a thesis and defend it. Some specific details may be noted here:
a. They should do 3 subjects if they have done their Master’s Degree course at the PV; others should do 5 subjects.
b. Two months after the registration at the institute, they should give in writing to the office the tentative programme on which they are going to make their research. This is subject to revision and final approval by the Syndicate later.
c. They should prepare a thesis under the direction of a professor approved for it by the Syndicate.
d. They should consult source books in at least one original language for the doctoral dissertation.
The scholarship is only for three years. If they do not submit the dissertation within five years, they should renew the registration of the theme at the PVP.
Class Attendance
a. Students shall be regular at all lectures prescibed for their courses. One who is absent from lectures and academic exercises for more than a third of the year, even for a legitimate reason, is liable to repeat the year.
b. Absence of less than a third of the number of classes for the same subject may be compensated by supplementary work at the discretion of the teacher concerned.
c. If the absence is more than a third of the total number of classes for the same subject, for a justifiable reason, the student may be permitted to appear for the examination with an alternative arrangement approved by the President /Dean.
Examinations
a. Examination will be conducted at the end of each semester in the courses that have been completed during this semester. Students will be examined not only on the basis of lectures given in the class as specified in the prospectus, but also based on the literature related to the subject assigned for private and personal study. b. No student shall be allowed to enroll: 1) for the examination of a subject if he has not attended the required number of classes and 2) for the examination for Certificate, Diploma and Degree if he has not been successful in all courses and exercises of the respective cycles. c. For special courses evaluation may be made immediately at the end of the course. 2. a. In the main subjects examination will be either written or oral as specified by the bye-laws. In the subsidiary subjects the examinations can be substituted by a paper submitted by the student according to the direction of the professor. b. The students shall be present for examinations at the appointed times. Postponement of examinations will be allowed by the president only for serious reasons and only on the recommendation of the teacher concerned.
Comprehensive Examination
a. At the end of the first cycle there will be comprehensive examination in Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, Scripture, Oriental studies including Church History, Patristics, Liturgy and Spirituality. This examination will be a ‘viva voce’ test for one hour before a board of examiners representing the four sections questioning the examinee for 15 minutes each. b. The themes for the comprehensive examinations shall be approved by the Syndicate. c. Apart from the Oral Examinations the B.Th. candidates should appear for a written examination on selected theses lasting for three hours. d. The Comprehensive final examinations for Basic Course students, not aspiring to the Degree, in Systematic Theology will be written and that in Moral Theology will be oral. e. There shall be comprehensive examination in philosophy at the end of the first stage of the institutional Cycle and it will be both oral lasting for one hour before a Board of 4 Examiners, and written on selected theses lasting for 3 hours.
Written Dissertation for B.Th.
At the beginning of the 5th Semester before the 30th of June of the second stage of the institutional Cycle, students aspiring for the Bachelor Degree in Theology have to select the topic for the Dissertation, and the Professor who will guide the work. The written dissertation must be submitted by the 6th semester before the final examination. It must have a minimum of 6000 words and maximum of 10000 words.
Written Dissertation for B.Ph
At the beginning of the 3rd semester before the 30th of June of the first stage of the institutional Cycle, students aspiring for the Bachelor Degree in Philosophy have to select the topic for the Dissertation and the Professor who will guide the work. The written dissertation must be submitted by the 4th semester before the final examination. It must have a minimum of 6000 words and a maximum of 10000 words.
Promotion
a. A minimum of 40% of marks is required to pass in any subject.
b. Marks will be awarded out of a total of 100 as follows:
Pass 40-49
Second class 50-59
First class 60-69
High first class 70-79
Distinction 80-100
NB: This marking system corresponds to the traditional Roman system: Pass 6, Second class 7-8, First class 9, Distinction 10.
c. In global evaluation the mark is the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of individual marks by the number of the examiners. In the final computation half a mark counts as one.
Repetition of Examinations
If anyone fails in a subject, the examination in the respective subject shall be repeated. Such examinations shall be conducted at the beginning of the following semester. The examinations that are deferred for other reasons shall be conducted at the time fixed by the President. Those who fail in Degree examinations may repeat the examination only once, at the end of the following semester.
Basic Course Students
Besides Degree Course students who aspire for an academic degree, the Institute admits also Basic Course students.
The Basic Course students are those who do not aspire for an academic degree, but are required to do the courses in the departments concerned. The Syndicate may exempt them from some of the electives prescribed for the Degree Course Students. Moreover they are neither required to take the comprehensive ‘viva voce’ examination nor to do the dissertation prescribed for the Degree Course Students. They may be awarded Diplomas or Certificates corresponding to the studies they have made in the Institute.


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