Faculty of Theology – St Charles Seminary

The Department of Theology of St. Charles Seminary offers courses for the Bachelor of Theology Degree as well as the Diploma in Theology spread over a three and a half year period to those students who are eligible for the same.

Statutes for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology

Students who have done at least two years of philosophy or its equivalent and who have successfully completed three and a half year of theological studies offered by St. Charles Seminary are eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Theology examination, provided they fulfil the following conditions.

A student is required to complete 141 credits during three and a half year of theology, of which, 114 credits are to be taken from the basic courses and the remaining 27 credits from the electives, seminars, languages and special courses offered by the seminary.

To qualify for the B. Th. examination, a candidate must have obtained an overall average of at least 70% of marks in the examinations conducted for the basic courses in the first three years of theology, and an overall average of at least 70% of marks in the examinations conducted for the languages, seminars and the four elective courses attended, during those three years of theology. This average is computed by taking into consideration the marks obtained in the first examination, i.e., first appearance.
Those who have failed in re-repeat examination in any subject is not eligible for B.Th.
With regard to the B. Th. examination itself, candidates are required to do a comprehensive examination as well as write a dissertation.
(The Comprehensive Examination shall consist of:
An oral examination before a panel of three professors for a duration of 45 minutes on ten theses chosen from Scripture, Dogmatic Theology and Moral Theology, with a minimum of 3 theses from each. The candidate shall make this choice from the twenty theses that are offered to him by the Dean of Theology at the beginning of the final year of theology. Each professor on the panel will be allotted 15 minutes to examine a candidate.
A written examination of a three hours duration on eleven theses chosen from Revelation, Ecclesiology, Mariology, Missiology, Liturgy, Spirituality, Patristics, Church History, Canon Law, Catechetics and Pastoral Theology, with a minimum of one thesis from each. The candidate has to make this choice from a list of twenty-two theses offered to him by the Dean of Theology at the beginning of the final year of theology.
Normally the comprehensive examination shall take place in the beginning of December.

The Dissertation shall:
Be written under the direction of a lecturer in the Seminary, chosen by the candidate and approved by the Dean of Theology.
Be finalized not later than the 28th December (3rd year Theology). The topic shall be accompanied by an outline of the thesis along with a working bibliography, all of which will have been approved by the Dean of Theology and the Moderator of the thesis.
Consist of about 30-35 typed pages and shall be of truly scientific quality.
Be submitted in triplicate (three copies) when completed to the Dean of Theology, but not later than the 31st August.
Be evaluated by the Director and one other Staff member, 60% of the marks being allotted to the Director and 40% to the second reader.

In order to be awarded the B.Th. degree, the candidate must obtain at least:
70% of marks in the comprehensive examination (written and oral taken together)
70% of marks in the dissertation
And an overall average of 70% of marks taking into account the basic courses done during the three and a half years of theology, the languages, seminars and the electives done during the three years of theology, the comprehensive examination and the dissertation taken together.

The computation of the grade will be done by taking the average of the marks obtained in:
Basic courses during the three and a half years of theology as one unit
The electives, the languages and the seminars during the three years of theology as the second unit
The B. Th. dissertation as the third unit
The comprehensive examination as the fourth unit.

The sum total of these four units will be divided by four to give the overall percentage of marks.

Grades shall be assigned as follows:

70.00 – 74.00 = Probatus (Pass);
75.00 – 79.00 = Bene (Good);
80.00 – 89.00 = Cum Laude (With Distinction);
90.00 – 94.00 = Magna cum Laude (With Great Distinction); and
95.00 – 100 = Summa cum Laude (With Greatest Distinction).

The B.Th. Degree shall be awarded by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, Rome.
The candidates who fail in the B. Th. examination may repeat the same examination, but within two years of their first attempt, everything else being equal.