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The Master of Sacred Theology (Latin : Sacrae Theologiae Magister; abbreviated STM) is a graduate-level, North American, academic degree in theology equivalent to ThM requiring two semesters of full time study. The Roman Catholic degree of Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) typically requires four semesters. An honorary title of STM is also awarded within the Dominican Order.
One must normally have a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree in a theological field before being admitted to study for the STM. The STM typically is designed to enhance a student's academic credentials for entrance to a doctoral program.
STM degrees are typically awarded after having completed twenty-four hours of study at the master's level beyond that required for the first theological degree. In some programs this degree may be awarded solely on the basis of taught academic courses. However, many STM programs require or permit the student to write a thesis as a part of the degree requirements. The thesis is especially helpful for those individuals who wish to use the STM to further their qualifications for doctoral study and who did not complete a thesis as a part of the first professional degree. Some seminaries will also credit part of the work done for the STM towards a student moving on to the Doctor of Philosophy in theology degree once the STM has been awarded.
In Roman Catholic universities with pontifical charters, the equivalent is the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL), the intermediate degree between the STB (bachelor's) and STD (doctorate). The STL is an additional two years of study beyond that required for the STB, often requiring comprehensive exams and a thesis. However, McGill University's graduate school of religious studies, considered partly a Catholic school of theology, offers the academic STM similar to the Protestant one.
In addition, the title Sacrae Theologiae Magister (STM) or Master of Sacred Theology is also the name given to an honorary title bestowed by the Roman Catholic Order of Preachers (Dominicans) on its most distinguished scholars. Thus it is a "master's degree" in the most ancient sense and thus can be likened to an honorary doctorate conferred only upon Dominicans who are already scholars of theology. The recipient must be a full-time professor for ten years and have published books and articles of international scholarly repute. The initial nomination is made by the friar's own province (local district) and then must be approved by the intellectual commission of the Generalate in Rome. The final decision is then made, after review, by the Master of this order and his council. The regalia of the STM is a four-finned black biretta today usually trimmed with scarlet, and a ring, which may be set with an amethyst. [1] [2] The STM has the perpetual right to the title "very reverend". The Dominican archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas, was famous for refusing to use DD (Doctor of Divinity) after his name; he insisted on using STM because it was the more distinguished academic title. [2] His STD, of course, is a yet more distinguished title than either DD or STM as the STD is an earned degree and not an honorary one.
The other degrees in use in the Dominican Order
STM may refer to:
STL may refer to:
A Doctor of Divinity is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divinity schools.
Licentiate in Sacred Theology is the second of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology which are conferred by a number of pontifical faculties around the world. The licentiate comes with attendant canonical effects in the Catholic Church, specifically granting the holder the right to teach in Catholic seminaries and schools of theology.
A licentiate is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin America, and Syria.
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies.
Master of Theology is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand-alone terminal degree depending on ones particular educational background and institution of study. In North America, the ThM typically requires at least 2–3 years of prerequisite graduate study for entrance into the program, typically a Master of Divinity or equivalent.
The ' Master of Arts in Theological Studies satisfies a variety of broad academic and vocational purposes. It can be suited to the pastor, layman or beginning academic as an entry-level master's degree in theology or the professional standard, the master of divinity. The MAT is often geared toward individuals seeking an introductory graduate degree in religion for service in a supportive role in their local congregation as lay ministers. Depending upon the school, the program can vary from as little as 32 to 40 semester/ hours. It may or may not include a thesis, capstone or summation. Frequently, it is a classwork-only degree.
A Master of Theological Studies (MTS) is a graduate degree, offered in theological seminary or graduate faculty of theology, which gives students lay training in theological studies. Under Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) standards, programs require graduates to have earned an accredited bachelor's degree or its equivalent. Programs usually require students to complete two years of full-time study or its equivalent to earn the degree. The degree can serve as preparation for entering a masters or doctoral program in theology (Th.D.), religion (Ph.D.), or a related subject, such as education, counseling, social sciences, or humanities.
The Doctor of Sacred Theology, also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology, is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Roman Catholic Church, being the ecclesiastical equivalent of the academic Doctor of Theology (ThD) degree.
The Very Reverend is an honorific style given to higher-ranking members of a clergy. The definite article "the" should always precede "Reverend" when used before a name, because "Reverend" is an honorific adjective, not a title.
The Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, not to be confused with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology, is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology which are conferred by a number of pontifical faculties around the world.
The Divine Word Seminary Tagaytay (DWST) is a Roman Catholic mission seminary located in Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines. Established in 1933, the seminary is owned and administered by the Society of the Divine Word. The primary purpose of the seminary is to prepare missionaries for both the Philippine and foreign missions. Its students are mostly seminarians preparing for the priesthood, and come from a cluster of around 14 autonomous affiliated houses of formation.
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law. Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The licentiate of canon law is the ordinary way for forming future canonists, according to Veritatis gaudium.
The Doctor of Pastoral Theology is a theological professional degree geared to provide higher academic training to those who have already entered the pastoral ministry and who seek to continue their work while pursuing further theological study.
Sacred theology is the name given to the theological degrees offered in a number of theological colleges, including the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church.
Ambrose MacDermott OP, STM, was an Irish Roman Catholic bishop. From Boyle Co. Roscommon the son of Cornelius MacDermott. He was educated at the Dominican monastery at Tulsk in Roscommon where he joined the dominicans in 1667 and continued his studies in Spain He lectured in theology in Spain, and in Rome at the college of Saints Sixtus and Clemente in Rome serving as prior from 1686 to 1689. Conferred with a STP – Sacrae theologiae praesentatus in 1699, and he was awarded a Master of Sacred Theology (STM) in 1701. He was nominated to the see of Elphin by that Catholic Stuart King James III, and he served as the Bishop of Elphin from 1707 to 1717.
José Arturo Cepeda Escobedo is a Mexican-American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit since 2011.