St. Mary's Seminary & University was the first educational institution in the United States which had the right to grant academic degrees by the authority of the Holy See. This privilege was first granted to St. Mary's in 1822 by Pope Pius VII at the request of the Most Reverend Ambrose Maréchal, the third Archbishop of Baltimore.

The statutes of the Ecclesiastical Theological Faculty were revised in 1931 in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution ( Deus Scientiarum Dominus ) of Pope Pius XI and the regulations of the Sacred Congregation of Seminaries and Universities. The privileges of the Ecclesiastical Theological Faculty of St. Mary's Seminary & University were renewed by the Holy See on June 17, 1933.

On April 15, 1979, Pope John Paul II issued a new Apostolic Constitution ( Sapientia Christiana ), concerning the programs and degrees of ecclesiastical universities and faculties. This Apostolic Constitution was accompanied by Norms and Applications issued by the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education on April 29, 1979. The current statutes were approved by the Holy See on October 9, 1990.

It is in accordance with these directives that the statutes of the Ecclesiastical Theological Faculty of St. Mary's Seminary & University have undergone their most recent revision. Together with the 1979 Apostolic Constitution, and the Norms of Application, they are the basis and authorization for the programs and degrees described in this section of the catalogue.

• Completion of 93 credit hours of course work;
• The maintaining of a 2.5 G.P.A. for the S.T.B. courses;
• The successful completion of written comprehensive examinations with an average grade of 2.5. A copy of the theses on which the comprehensive questions will be based is available through the office of the Dean of the Ecclesiastical Faculty.

Although the number of credit hours required for the S.T.B. could be completed in six semesters, seminarians will be required to take the S.T.B. courses in accord with the cycle of courses required for priesthood candidates. Thus, seminarians will not complete all of the requirements for the S.T.B. degree until they are in their eighth semester of theology at St. Mary's. However, qualified seminarians will be permitted to begin taking S.T.L. courses and fulfilling S.T.L. requirements during their seventh and eighth semesters of theology. A list of the courses need to complete the degree is available from the office of the Praeses.

Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.)
The licentiate, a two-year program of advanced theological studies beyond the first cycle of general theological studies, is earned by completing the S.T.L. program. The licentiate program includes both a specialization in one area of theology and a major research paper. St. Mary's ecclesiastical theological faculty offers students the opportunity to do specialized work in one of the following: sacred scripture or theological studies (systematic theology or moral theology).

Requirements for Admission:

• The S.T.B. degree or equivalent.
• A cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 (B) in the S.T.B. program or other evidence indicating solid assurance that the student is capable of 3.0 S.T.L. work.
• Proven reading skills in Latin and one modern language other than English (i.e., French, German, or Spanish). A student concentrating in the area of sacred scripture must fulfill language requirements in biblical Greek and biblical Hebrew. The requirement may be satisfied either by a high school transcript showing three (3) years' work in the area or a college level transcript showing two (2) years' work in the area or by competency examination. Students who have not had Greek and/or Hebrew may fulfill the requirement by a year's work in the language area.

The Licentiate Program

• Four semesters in the program;
• A total of 24 credits of 700/800 level seminars and/or elective courses. Five courses must be in the student's area of specialization, and two of these must be at the 800 level. Of the remaining three courses, one must be taken at the 800 level. The area of specialization must be determined before the beginning of the second semester. Normally no more than nine credits may be taken during any one semester. Options for scheduling course requirements over the four semesters may be discussed with the Dean of the Ecclesiastical Faculty (Praeses);
• A cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 (B) is required with an average of 3.0 in the student's field of concentration and no grade in any course may be below a C;
• A major research paper of 75-100 pages demonstrating scholarly competence in a topic in the student's area of concentration. Before the end of the second month of the student's second semester, the student must choose a director from among the full-time ecclesiastical faculty members. Further, the student must present to the Praeses , before the end of the third month of that semester, a topic proposal and a brief outline to be approved by the Praeses . The research paper must be approved by the director and one other reader appointed by the Dean of the Ecclesiastical Faculty;
• Toward the end of the curriculum, the student must pass a 60 minute oral comprehensive examination on the research paper (one-half the exam) and on ten selected topics in sacred scripture or systematic and moral theology. A 3.0 (B) is required for the examination. The examination board consists of the student's research paper director and two other ecclesiastical faculty members chosen by the Dean;
• All work for the S.T.L. program must be completed within five years of matriculation.

Doctorate in Sacred Theology Degree
The Doctorate of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) is the ecclesiastical degree enabling the holder to teach in an ecclesiastical faculty. The goal of the degree program is to train a scholar who has a broad knowledge of theology, a critical competence in theological methodology, and a specialization in a field of theology where he or she can do original research. The S.T.D. thesis "makes a real contribution to the progress of science" (Sapientia Christiana , 49, iii).

While St. Mary's is authorized by the Holy See to grant the S.T.D. degree, it chooses to proceed cautiously in admitting only those candidates of clear promise whose research interests coincide with that of faculty members capable of and interested in doctoral direction. Applicants must possess the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) degree or equivalent work done within an ecclesiastical faculty, with a G.P.A. of 3.50.

Application letters should include the identification of a proposed field of specialization along with a statement of scholarly goals and two letters of recommendation from people in a position to judge the candidate's aptitude for doctoral work.

An admissions committee of the ecclesiastical faculty reviews applications of prospective doctoral students, and the Praeses notifies students of its decision.

S.T.D. requirements include:

• Successful completion (3.50 G.P.A.) of twelve additional credits, which include at least two 800-level seminars with the remaining credits done in directed research taken during at least one year of residence;
• Two terms of service as a teaching assistant;
• Competency in Latin and two modern languages other than English that are useful for scholarly research;
• Submission by the end of the first year of a dissertation proposal approved by the student's director and the Ecclesiastical Faculty Admissions Committee;
• Two semesters of dissertation guidance, leading to completion of a doctoral dissertation not to exceed 80,000 words;
• Defense of the dissertation before a committee appointed by the Praeses and consisting of the director, two readers, and the Praeses or his delegate as Chair.