Advanced Standing, Transfer Credit, and Cross-Registration Policies

Degree candidates must earn at least 26 of their 50 credits, plus their culminating experience, in the Ecumenical Institute of Theology. In addition, they may earn credits from advanced standing, transfer of courses taken at other institutions, and enrollment in St. Mary’s School of Theology according to the policies stated below. 

All credits toward a certificate must be earned within the Ecumenical Institute of Theology.

Advanced Standing without Credit

Advanced standing without credit (no reduction in the total hours required for a degree) may be granted for core courses on a case‑by‑case basis upon the decision of the Dean. Such advanced standing is based on undergraduate credits in theology or religious studies that were earned within the previous 10 years and completed with a B or better. For each core course waived, the student must substitute an elective course in the same department. A student who desires advanced standing without credit should petition the Dean for a transcript evaluation. The maximum number of courses in core areas that may be replaced with electives on the basis of advanced standing without credit is normally three (nine credits).

Advanced Standing with Credit

The following policies are based on the requirements of the Association of Theological Schools for various kinds of degree programs.

Advanced standing with credit (reduction in the total hours required for a degree) may be granted to candidates for the M.A. in Theology who have an undergraduate major or similar significant undergraduate work in theology or religious studies. Such advanced standing with credit is based on undergraduate credits that were earned within the previous 10 years and completed with a B or better. A student who desires advanced standing with credit should petition the Dean for a transcript evaluation. The maximum number of credits of advanced standing with credit that can be granted is 18.

Advanced standing with credit may be granted to candidates for the M.A. in Church Ministries who have had significant undergraduate study in theology upon formal examination in the course(s) they have pursued and for which credit is desired. The minimum passing grade is a B, and no retakes are permitted. Normally, advanced standing with credit for students in the M.A. in Church Ministries program is limited to six credits.

Transfer Credits

A transfer student must complete at least 26 of his or her 50 credits, plus the culminating experience, in the Ecumenical Institute of Theology to be eligible for a degree. Upon the decision of the Dean, up to 24 graduate credits in theology or religious studies may be transferred from another accredited institution into a degree program. Matriculated students must receive approval from the Dean prior to enrolling in a course at another institution in order to insure the transfer of credit. Normally, transfer credits must have been earned within the previous 10 years and completed with a B or better to be eligible for transfer. The maximum allowance for the combination of advanced standing with credit and transferred graduate credits is also 24 credits. Grades from transferred credits are not used in calculating the student’s GPA.

The Ecumenical Institute does not belong to any consortia of theological schools, but it has working relationships with several schools in the region. Nearby institutions from which transfer credit may be earned with advance approval of the Dean include Wesley Theological Seminary, Howard University Divinity School, the Washington Theological Union, and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.

Credits Earned in St. Mary’s School of Theology

Students who wish to cross-register in the School of Theology, and who meet the prerequisites for the classes they wish to take, may earn up to 24 credits toward a degree by so doing, as long as they meet the obligation of earning 26 of the 50 credits within the Ecumenical Institute of Theology itself. Although the courses of the School of Theology (Seminary) are designed to prepare Roman Catholic students for priesthood, other students are welcome in courses for which they have the appropriate prerequisites. A separate Seminary catalog is available containing course listings and schedules. E.I. students pay E.I. tuition when they register for School of Theology classes as E.I. students.

Students Related to Other Institutions

The Ecumenical Institute of Theology welcomes students from neighboring theological schools and other graduate institutions. In recent years, we have had students from Wesley Theological Seminary, Howard University Divinity School, Lancaster Theological Seminary, the Pastoral Counseling programs at Loyola College, the College of Notre Dame of Maryland’s graduate program, and other programs in the region. We also encourage students from the Baltimore area who are considering attending other theological schools in any part of the country to begin their theological studies at the Ecumenical Institute of Theology.