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Pontifical Faculty of Theology

The international academic degrees of the Catholic Church are the baccalaureate, the licentiate, and the doctorate in theology. These are abbreviated as S.T.B. (Sacred Theology Baccalaureate), S.T.L. (Sacred Theology Licentiate) and S.T.D. (Sacred Theology Doctorate).

On September 30, 1929, the Sacred Congregation of Seminaries and Universities (now known as the Congregation for Catholic Education) established a Pontifical Faculty of Theology at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois. The Faculty was authorized to grant Pontifical degrees initially for five years, and on September 21, 1934, this authorization was made permanent.

The Statutes of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology set forth the faculty’s governance and policies. They were revised in light of the apostolic constitution, Gaudium veritatis, and approved ad decennium by the Congregation for Catholic Education in 2022.

These pages outline the S.T.B., S.T.L., and S.T.D. programs offered by the Pontifical Faculty at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. We are most excited to include an online option for the STL, described on its page.

The S.T.B. program is reserved for USML seminarians.

Pontifical STL Summer Intensive 2025

Instructor Room Day Time Course No. Course Title Credit Hours Contact Hours
Dr. Vazquez 102 M, T, TH, F 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. DT863A Free: 20th Century Theologies of Grace and Freedom: Von Balthasar, Rahner, and Lonergan 3 N/A

Pontifical STL Writing Summer Intensive 2025

Instructor Room Day Time Course No. Course Title Credit Hours Contact Hours
Fr. Lupton N/A N/A N/A DT820 Thesis Writing I 2 N/A
Fr. Lupton N/A N/A N/A DT821 Thesis Writing II 2 N/A
Fr. Lupton N/A N/A N/A DT822 Ongoing Thesis Writing 1 N/A
Fr. Lupton Thesis Preparation (For those who are working on their STL Thesis)