Department Chair: Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier
E-mail: Tracy.Tiemeier@lmu.edu
Undergraduate Director: Anna Harrison
E-mail: Anna.Harrison@lmu.edu
Graduate Director: Lalya Karst
E-mail: Layla.Karst@lmu.edu
Websites: https://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theologicalstudies/
Graduate Programs: https://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theologicalstudies/graduateprograms/
Office Location: University Hall 3700
Telephone: 310.338.7670
Fax: 310.338.1947
The Master of Arts (Theology) provides students with a critical understanding of the Christian theological tradition, especially from a Roman Catholic perspective. The program engages students in serious reflection on the broad range of theological studies and methods (biblical, comparative, historical, liturgical, and systematic theology, as well as ethics, spirituality, faith and culture, ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue). The goal of the program is to provide a general and integrated exploration of these areas for students seeking to teach on a secondary level, for students preparing for graduate education, and for students with a strong interest in theology beyond the undergraduate level.
The Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology engages the student in critical theological reflection on ministerial practice as preparation for active ministry in a pluralistic society. The program provides theological foundations in pastoral theology, especially in the Roman Catholic tradition, and integrates the formation of persons preparing for pastoral ministry with their study of the Christian theological tradition (spirituality, liturgy, faith and culture, ethics, as well as biblical, historical, and systematic theology, and ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue). Throughout the program there is a stress on the holistic relationships between pastoral theology, faith seeking critical understanding, and faith that does justice.
This last requirement can be fulfilled by providing a range of information including: graduate work completed or advanced degree obtained; evidence of undergraduate work, including GPA and submission of written academic work (e.g., a term paper); scores received on the GRE, the Miller Analogies, or other standardized tests (note: GRE scores and standardized tests are not required); a personal interview.
Applicants need to indicate the particular Master of Arts program to which they are applying, either M.A. (Theology) [THEO] or M.A. in Pastoral Theology (PATH).
All applicants for admission to the master’s degree programs are required to submit a Graduate Division application and $50.00 fee; a copy of all post-secondary transcripts; a personal statement; a written response to a piece of theological writing; and two letters of recommendation (one academic reference recommended). All materials should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants who have applied for admission may be formally admitted or may be required to fulfill prerequisites before being formally admitted.
All materials for admission should be received in the Graduate Admission Office by the priority deadline indicated below. Applications received after this deadline will be reviewed on an individual basis.
March 1 for the Fall semester (recommended deadline but applications accepted afterward)
Students may take graduate courses in non-degree status with permission of the Graduate Director.
The Department of Theological Studies engages the LMU student community in thoughtful, critical reflection on faith and religious praxis with a special concern for the Roman Catholic tradition. We educate the whole person and serve faith by an academic exploration of its possibilities, challenges, and ambiguities while also engaging in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. We strive to promote justice by the structure of our curriculum and by encouraging students and faculty to engage their theological understanding in a world both graced and broken.
Loyola Marymount University is the largest Catholic university on the West Coast, in a city that is at once the largest Roman Catholic archdiocese in the United States as well as one of the most religiously diverse cities in the world. The Department of Theological Studies has the unique role and responsibility of promoting the study of theology and religion within the University and the broader Los Angeles community. The Department also has a special role to play in helping the University to live out its Mission in the service of faith and the promotion of justice. The urgency of these endeavors is reinforced by the importance of religion in the 21st century in our globalized world.
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