The 30-credit-hour master’s degree can be completed either on campus or online.
More information regarding the total cost of attendance can be found here.
M.A. Theology & Religious Studies
The M.A. in Theology & Religious Studies provides the flexibility to focus on your interests and professional goals. An optional thesis provides excellent preparation for doctoral studies. Our students have been accepted to graduate programs at Harvard Divinity School, Boston College, St. Patrick’s College (Maynooth, Ireland), Florida State University, the University of Dayton, and the University of Notre Dame, among others.
In addition, the M.A. program offers concentrations in Chaplaincy, Theological Education, and Pastoral Ministry.
Program Highlights
The Master of Arts in Theology & Religious Studies is a 30-hour degree typically completed through 10 semester-long courses. Several concentrations allows students to choose the pathway that best matches their goals.
The Department of Theology & Religious Studies offers a remarkable breadth of faculty expertise, with notable scholars of the Bible and early Christianity, Judaism and rabbinics, Islamic Studies, contemporary Catholic theology, moral theology, and the sociology of religion.
All John Carroll TRS courses are offered in hyflex format, giving students the opportunity to choose each week whether to come to campus or to Zoom into class discussion. There is no residency requirement; the entire program can be completed remotely. This is not your typical online program. You will interact with classmates and faculty every week in real time, just as if you are in the room with the rest of the group. Synchronous-only online classes reflect our commitment to education as an ongoing conversation.
Students benefit from the programs and initiatives made possible by four major endowments within the Department of Theology & Religious Studies:
- Jack & Mary Jane Breen Chair in Catholic Theology
- Jack, Joseph, & Morton Mandel Chair in Jewish Studies
- Bediüzzaman Said Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies
- Walter and Mary Tuohy Chair in Interreligious Studies
Course Descriptions
For a list of upcoming graduate courses and course descriptions, click here or visit the JCU Bulletin.
Catholic Commitment
Our Jesuit, Catholic Mission inspires programs that serve the Catholic community of Cleveland and beyond.
Interreligious Engagement
Endowed Chairs in Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, and Interreligious Studies support a religiously diverse slate of courses and programs.
Featured Courses
Abraham
Father of Many Nations
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all see Abraham as in some way their founder or ancestor. Course engages in close readings of Genesis 12-25, which tell the story of this Patriarch, to understand how Abraham was understood in Ancient Israel. Examines texts from rabbinic literature, the New Testament, and the Qur'an to explore the ways in which three later traditions map onto Abraham their own visions of what it means to be a religious person.
Teaching Theology
An introduction to pedagogy for theological educators. Topics include the nature and goals of theological education, the vocation of the theology teacher, the sociological research relevant to religious education, the developmental needs of adolescents and young adults, diversity in the classroom, and concrete pedagogical strategies. Special attention given to practical implementation of the learning goals of the U.S. Catholic Bishops High School Curriculum Framework.
Cross-Cultural Ethics
An exploration of Christian ethics in various parts of the world that maps how different cultures intersect in the construction of ethical paradigms which in turn can both foster and/or hinder cross-cultural analysis, respect and collaboration. Two historical novels set respectively in Africa (Achebe, Things Fall Apart) and Asia (Endo, Deep River) will be read, along with works on cultural anthropology, fundamental Christian ethics, inculturation and method.
Theology & Religious Studies Alumni Across the Region
John Carroll University alumni live, work, teach and support communities throughout the region from Northeast Ohio to Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, New York City, Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.