The Vatican accredits USML’s online and hybrid Licentiate in Sacred Theology degree.

The Vatican accredits USML’s online and hybrid Licentiate in Sacred Theology degree.

The Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education recently accredited the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary (USML) to offer a hybrid (online and in person) Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) degree. A person working in a ministerial setting may now take up to sixty percent of S.T.L. courses online, providing both clergy and lay people with more flexibility in completing the degree. Forty percent of the courses are taken in person. For those not in a ministerial setting, thirty percent of courses may be taken online.

Per the Congregation, the student needs to attend online classes live and not merely view recordings. The student can participate in class in real time, and is able to hear and view the professor and their fellow students who are physically present in the class. Courses are offered both throughout the academic year and during an intensive summer session.

The Licentiate in Sacred Theology is equivalent to the coursework for a Ph.D. and prepares the student to teach theology at the University level. A highlight of USML’s S.T.L. curriculum is the History of Christian Thought Sequence, which offers a chronological survey of the development of doctrine and dogma from the Apostolic Age up to contemporary thought. This series traces the narrative of Christian thought and how it has changed and developed throughout the centuries.

Both lay people and clergy are welcome to apply to the program. If you are interested in the other admission requirements, please visit our website.  If you have any questions about the program, please contact us at pontificalfaculty@usml.edu.