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Why do we invite you to study with us at Villanova? We would argue that we
designed an innovative and visionary program that meets the needs of our
culture, world, and Church and the needs of our students.
Augustinian Heritage and Catholic Mission
Immerse yourself in a rich and profound tradition that emphasizes the role of
learning in its relationship to the discovery of God. Studying theology at
Villanova means experiencing this relationship at an Augustinian university, the
oldest and largest Roman Catholic university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
(click here to read
"fast facts" about Villanova University's).
Because Catholic universities traditionally endeavor to be a place of the
discovery of God through learning and a place where the Church can do its
thinking and engage its own traditions, we have developed an academic program
that invites you to
- contemplate the Augustinian vision that all authentic human wisdom is
ultimately in harmony with divine wisdom;
- do theology as “faith seeking understanding”, that is, as a critical
reflection upon the life of faith;
- conduct this reflection by investigating the resources of the Christian
theological tradition in light of the questions raised by contemporary
culture and the continuing challenges of human life; and
- respond to Augustine’s call to the restless search for wisdom by
responding to a relationship offered from beyond the boundaries of human
existence.
In keeping with its Augustinian heritage, we endeavor to provide
you a Christian intellectual and moral environment. Our relationships with
faculty and students draw upon the legacy of Saint Augustine whose passionate
pursuit of wisdom inspires our own quest for knowledge in open, rational,
responsible, and mutually respectful interaction of points of view.
We consider our program a success when our students value the sacredness of
all creation, emphasize the moral and intellectual qualities of learning, pursue
academic and moral excellence, are committed to the gospel values of service,
stewardship for the common good, and the “preferential option for the poor”, are
wise critics of the society in which they live, and sustain a social
consciousness that transcends economic barriers and questions of race, gender,
and creed (see the
Mission of
the College).
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Pastoral Ministry
We are keenly aware of our students' desire to nourish
their spiritual lives and encourage all to integrate their
faith into the academic, social, and cultural environment of
the university. You find ample opportunity for spiritual
growth and liturgical expression in the department and on
the campus. Reflecting traditions of Roman Catholic and
Augustinian spirituality,
Campus
Ministry engages in every aspect of university life
through prayer, liturgy, community service, and pastoral
care.
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Convenient Location
Our tranquil and serene campus sits on 254 acres in the
heart of the historic Main Line, a beautiful suburb 12 miles
west of one of America’s great cities, Philadelphia. All the
city has to offer – museums, libraries, architecture,
restaurants, concerts, performing arts – is just 12 miles
away from Villanova (learn more about
Philadelphia, Surrounding Area
and
Area Attractions).
Villanova is very fortunate to have two train stations
on campus. This makes travel up and down the Main Line and into Philadelphia
very accessible for all Villanovans. With ample parking and mass transit
stops right on campus (trains run regularly to the center of
the city), you can travel easily to and from the campus by
car, bus, or train. We are only two minutes from the Blue
Route (Route 476), and five minutes from the PA Turnpike,
Schuylkill Expressway, and Route 202. We invite you to take
a
virtual tour of Villanova.
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Library Resources
You will find an overview of Villanova's many resources on
this page
.
The newly renovated
Falvey Memorial
Library houses more than 800,000 volumes and over 3,000
periodicals. It is located in the middle of the campus and
includes many public-use computer stations. You may also
access conveniently library resources (Catalog; Interlibrary
Loan System; Theological Databases) from your home computer.
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Student Resources
Villanova prides itself for providing you plenty of
opportunities to thrive holistically (personally,
academically, spiritually, physically, professionally). We
have gathered relevant information regarding student life,
health services, personal counseling services, and academic
services (writing; study skills; career planning) on
this page.
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Outstanding Faculty and Quality of
Instruction
For more than a decade, Villanova University has been
ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report in the “Best
Universities – Master’s category” in the northern region.
Villanova's national reputation and distinguished graduate
faculty dedicated to excellence in teaching and an active
scholarly life make our university an ideal place to pursue
your graduate education. You will engage theology with a
faculty deeply committed to shaping the various theological
disciplines by publishing books and articles and presenting
cutting edge papers at national and international
conferences.
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Placement Record
Our placement record reflects the quality of instruction
that you will find in our department. In recent years, our
graduates have been admitted to highly competitive Ph.D.
programs, including Arizona State University; Boston
College; Catholic University of America, Washington; DePaul
University, Chicago; Duquesne University; Louvain, Belgium;
Loyola University Chicago; Marquette University; McMaster
University, Canada; Temple University, Philadelphia; Trinity
College, Dublin; University of Edinburgh, Scotland;
University of Pennsylvania; and University of Texas at
Austin.
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Small Classes
We design our courses as small seminars, with a maximum
enrollment of fifteen students. The small size creates an
atmosphere in which you and our faculty work and learn
together. It also allows you to network easily with peers
and faculty.
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Transparent and Flexible Programs
Our programs have simple, transparent structures that
invite you to design your own course of studies. We offer courses in five areas: Systematic
Theology, Biblical Studies, Historical Studies and
Historical Theology, Christian Ethics, and Spirituality.
It takes twelve courses to complete our
Master's Program – a mix
of eight required and four elective courses (click
here to read about the distribution of
courses in our program). You
are free to choose your courses based on your
academic and interdisciplinary interests. For example, in
addition to the four entirely free elective courses, you can
choose six of the eight required courses from among many
possibilities. We accept up to six transfer credits from
other graduate institutions.
Also, you may enroll in up to two
courses in other graduate programs at Villanova, or you may
develop a concentration of four courses in up to two areas
of study. You may also take one course to
write a thesis
under the direction of a graduate faculty member that
enhances your academic portfolio when you apply for doctoral
studies.
It takes five or six courses to complete one of our
Certificate Programs. Within each program, you can choose
courses within and outside of our department according to
you professional and personal interests.
You can combine programs, for example,
the MA program with a Certificate program, or two Certificate programs. If you plan to study part-time you may enroll in as
little as one course per semester. To permit part-time
students and those without financial aid to work during the
day, most courses meet in the evening.
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Financial Assistance
You will find more information about these scholarships
here.
The University supports all master's students in theology
by offering the lowest tuition rate in the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences. In addition, we offer several
forms of financial assistance: Graduate Assistantships and
Tuition Scholarships; Resident Assistantships; Graduate
Internships; and a tuition plan for primary- and
secondary-school teachers and for Augustinian Volunteers.
Should you be admitted to our program but not receive an
aid package, our
Office of
Financial Assistance will assist you with loan
application processes.
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