Master of arts in Theology
Program Details

Program Requirements

Program Prerequisite
To be accepted into the M.A. program, students must complete the online prerequisite course The Basics of Catholicism: Faith, Life, & Prayer (206-0800) or Introduction to Christianity (206-0106).

Waivers: Occasionally students qualify for a waiver of the prerequisite. To receive a waiver, a letter must be submitted to the graduate dean presenting evidence, such as a syllabus or transcript, indicating sufficient background for the waiver. Contact the admissions office for details. Students who receive a waiver for the prerequisite are required to purchase from CDU the materials for this course as an essential reference.

Student ID Cards
Students ID cards will be issued to all students upon acceptance into the M.A. program. This card is needed for library loans from the Woodstock Theological library and can also be used for general college student discounts. Cards are mailed four to six weeks after acceptance into a program.

Transfer Credit and Work Experience
CDU normally accepts a maximum of six graduate credits in transfer, and credits must have been earned no more than five years prior to transfer. The graduate dean makes the decision regarding the transfer of credit. An official transcript is required. CDU does not grant graduate credit for work experience.

Earning and Transferring Academic Credit
If you plan to transfer course credits from CDU to a graduate degree-granting institution, CDU strongly encourages checking with the receiving institution prior to enrolling in your course. Please keep in mind that each receiving institution, including CDU, reserves the right to evaluate the transcript for course transfer.

Program Time Limits
Students accepted into the M.A. Program will have 5 years to complete degree requirements.

Proctored Examinations
Final examinations and comprehensive examinations for graduate study must be proctored. Each student provides graduate registrar with the name, address, email, and telephone number of an appropriate person in his or her community who could serve as a proctor, such as a librarian, a teacher, a priest, or sister. The registrar will make arrangements to send an examination to the proctor. Students are notified when examinations are sent. Proctors certify that the examination was administered according to accepted procedures and return the examination to CDU for grading. The time and place for administering the exam will be arranged between the proctor and student. Details can be found in the Proctored Exam Form.

Academic Probation
Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 to continue in the graduate program. Students who have a GPA lower than 3.0 will be on academic probation. The graduate dean, on an individual basis, will review incidents of academic probation. A student will remain on academic probation until his GPA returns to a 3.0 or better. If a course is failed,
retake examinations are not allowed. At the discretion of the graduate dean, and in consultation with the professor, remedial work may be assigned with examinations in order to rectify deficiencies. Upon failure of a comprehensive examination, one retake examination will be allowed. Exceptions to these regulations will be referred to the graduate dean.

Leave of Absence
For serious reasons, a student may apply for a leave of absence (up to one year) until he or she is able to resume study. During this leave, elapsed time does not accrue toward the maximum completion time allowed for finishing the degree. A letter requesting leave should be addressed to the graduate dean.

Graduate Library Resources
Course authors provide bibliographies and supplemental reading lists with course materials. This information is useful for term papers and course work. Borrowing privileges to full-time CDU students have been granted to Woodstock Theological Library, with 195,000 volumes and 700 periodicals. Local students may visit the library in person and distant students may use the inter-library loan system. Full-time program students are welcome to call the librarians for personal assistance. A CDU student ID card is needed for library loans.

The faculty and staff of CDU have prepared an online reference library for CDU students. This library can be found in the CDU Online Campus.

Delta Epsilon Tau: International Honor Society for Distance Learning
CDU, the first distance university in the Church to highlight academic achievement in distance education, holds Virginia’s Alpha Chapter of Delta Epsilon Tau. To be invited for admission into the honor society, graduates must have demonstrated academic excellence by attaining an overall GPA of 3.8 (on a 4.0 scale) during their graduate studies.

Each student who accepts the invitation to join the Delta Epsilon Tau Honor Society will receive an official Certificate of Membership, a Delta Epsilon Tau gold key lapel pin, a congratulatory letter, and a narrative of the honor society as well as reference letters (upon request).

Withdrawing From a Course or a Program
A student may terminate enrollment in the M.A. program or an individual course at any time by notifying the university; however, a student is advised to do so in writing for his or her own protection. Refunds will be granted on request, according to the program satisfactory policy. Written withdrawal request should be sent to: Graduate Register, The Catholic Distance University, 120 East Colonial Highway, Hamilton, VA 20158. To view CDU's satisfaction and refund policy

View core curriculum for MA. in Theology program
View a complete list of all graduate level courses offered at CDU