Policies and Standards for Graduate Catholic Theological and Religious Education — Master's Programs

March 9, 2007

CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 12-07

 

In accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known as the "Higher Education Act of 1994", and pursuant to Commission en Banc Resolution No. _______, series of 2006, and for the purpose of upgrading and making relevant the establishment and operation of graduate theological and religious education programs in Catholic higher education institutions (HEIs) and seminaries, this set of policies and standards is hereby adopted and promulgated by this Commission. SCHIcT

ARTICLE I

Introduction

SECTION 1. Rationale and Background. — The word 'theology' comes from two Greek words, theo and logos which mean 'study of God'. A basic definition, therefore, would be the science or study of God, although nothing will ever be able to explain the mystery of God and His ways. Theology as a field of study is an attempt, through faith and reason, to understand God's revelation and to present it in an organized and understandable manner. Theological reflection addresses timeless, as well as contemporary, issues.

The study of theology seeks to build a community of mature, critical and informed thinkers, and witnesses of God through their lives and specific ministries, inviting people to faith, and developing future leaders towards the transformation of society and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

ARTICLE II

Authority to Operate

SECTION 2. Authority. — All Catholic HEIs and seminaries intending to offer graduate theological and religious education degree programs must first secure proper authority from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in accordance with existing rules and regulations.

ARTICLE III

Objectives

SECTION 3. Objectives of Graduate Programs in Theological and Religious Education. — Graduate programs in catholic theological and religious education seek to:

1. promote the spiritual, moral, intellectual, cultural and social formation of the students;

2. provide a basic and integrated knowledge of scriptural revelation and religious doctrine considered in the light of problems and issues of the times, in a manner adapted to the local culture;

3. enable the students to acquire skills to reach out; and

4. nurture and equip believers to communicate the truth of the Scripture in the educational, prophetic and missionary dimensions, within the context of culture and human society. IaAEHD

SECTION 4. Specific Professions/Careers/Occupations that Graduates of These Programs May Go Into. — Those who earned a degree in any of the graduate programs in theology and religious education may go into teaching, research, preaching, missionary and/or community work.

ARTICLE IV

Program Specifications

SECTION 5. Degree Name. — The following are the Master's degree programs in Catholic HEIs and seminaries:

For Catholic HEIs:

1. Master in Pastoral Ministry — Non-Thesis Program

2. Master of Arts (MA) in Religious Education — Thesis Program

3. Master of Arts (MA) in Theological Studies — Thesis Program

For Catholic Seminaries:

1. Master in Pastoral Ministry — Non-Thesis Program

2. Master of Arts (MA) in Philosophy — Thesis Program

3. Master of Arts (MA) in Theology — Thesis Program

SECTION 6. Major Courses. —

A. For the Master in Pastoral Ministry degree, the following are the major courses requiring at least eighteen (18) units in each field:

a.1. Family Ministry and Counseling (Issues in Ethics; Pastoral Counseling; Pastoral Management; Pastoral Psychology; Pastoral Sociology; Systematic and General Moral Theology)

a.2. Pastoral Management

 (Basic Christian Communities; Pastoral Communication; Pastoral Counseling; Pastoral Management; Pastoral Psychology; Pastoral Sociology) SaHIEA

a.3. Social Justice and Advocacy

 (Basic Christian Communities; Introduction to Missiology; Issues in Ethics; Justice and Peace; Pastoral Sociology; and Theology of Mission)

a.4. Retreat Directing

 (Integrity of Creation; Missionary Spirituality; Pastoral Communication; Pastoral Counseling; Pastoral Sociology; and Retreat Styles and Methods)

B. For the Master of Arts (MA) in Theology degree, the following are the major courses requiring at least eighteen. (18) units in each field:

b.1. Missiology

 Any six (6) of the following courses: (Biblical Foundation and Mission; Developments in Mission; Indigenization and Inculturation; Introduction to Missiology; Missiological Anthropology; Missionary Spirituality; Theology of Mission; and Ecclesiology)

b.2. Moral Theology

 Any six (6) of the following courses: (Magisterium; Biblical and Fundamental Moral Theology; Systematic and Fundamental Moral Theology; Family Ethics, Social Ethics, Sexual Ethics, Reproductive Ethics, Political Ethics, Business Ethics, Professional Ethics; and Bio-Ethics)

b.3. Sacred Scripture

 Any six (6) of the following courses: (Hermeneutics; Torah; Prophets; Wisdom; Historical Writings; Synoptics; Johannine Literature; Pauline Literature; Greek; and Hebrew)

b.4. Systematic Theology

 Any six (6) of the following courses: (Christology; Inculturation; Triune God; Ecclesiology; Communication and Theology; Creation and Eschatology; Grace; Mariology; Sacramental Theology; and Revelation and Faith) TcCDIS

b.5. Preaching and Witnessing

 Any six (6) of the following courses: (Preaching, Spirituality, and Liturgy; Preaching and Cultural Dynamics; Hermeneutics in Preaching; Bible and Preaching; Preaching and Mass Media; Advance Communication Arts and Preaching; Preaching and Liturgy; Classical and Contemporary Rhetorics; Preaching and Social Justice; Preaching from other Christian Tradition; Preaching Beyond Christian Frontiers; Lay Preaching)

b.6. Spirituality

 Any six (6) of the following courses: (Biblical Spirituality; Historical Development of Spirituality; Spirituality and Mission; Spirituality of Vatican II; Spirituality of Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP) II; Spirituality of the HEI; and Different Asians Spiritual Traditions)

b.7. Church History —

 Any six (6) of the following courses: (Christian Antiquity; Patrology; The Church in the Middle Ages; The Church in the Modern Ages up to Vatican 1; Church in the Modern Ages - after Vatican II Council up to the present; Philippine Church History 1-1521 up to 1898; and Philippine Church History 2-1899 up to the present)

SECTION 7. Description of Major Courses. —

a. Family Ministry and Counseling

The program is designed for persons engaged or to be engaged in the pastoral care of couples and families, such as lay-workers and coordinators of family life apostolates, seminarians, priests, ministers and religious brothers and sisters. The counseling component of the program will include a study of the psycho-dynamics and relevant socio-cultural factors, and a practicum training in skills necessary for a basic counseling ministry with couples and families.

b. Pastoral Management

The program provides both course and fieldwork directed toward preparing pastoral workers to deal directly with practical aspects of Christian life, sacraments, liturgy, Christian secular spheres like family and the community.

c. Social Justice and Advocacy DHaEAS

This program aims to provide and sustain pastoral experience in social justice ministry and to introduce the development of a theology which is focused in social justice, including the social teachings of the Church.

d. Retreat Directing

The spirituality component of the program will include both a study of the scriptural-moral-doctrinal under-pinnings of Christian personal life and a graduated, integrated series of growth programs in personal spirituality.

e. Missiology

This program provides a study of the challenges and complexities of mission within the cultural diversity of today's world. Students will review historical dimensions of missiology, develop biblical and theological foundations for missional ecclesiology, and strategize for cross-cultural communication of the gospel.

f. Moral Theology

The program will enable the student to study the moral norms a person must follow and focus on the formation of character, vision of life, and basic values and convictions, which empower one to do good and attain the final goal in the light of Christian faith and reason.

g. Sacred Scriptures

The program provides a survey of Old and New Testament Literature, as well as an in-depth study of individual books and subjects. The opportunity to study Biblical languages is given, and learning them is encouraged.

h. Systematic Theology

This program will provide the student with a reflective understanding, reached by reason under the light of faith, the mysteries of the Christian faith. The courses recapitulate what remains valid in traditional systematization and they deal with new theological problems that arise in the contemporary context. They further seek to show the mutual interrelation of the Christian mysteries, their bearing upon the total human way of life here and hereafter, and their relationship to other areas of human knowledge.

i. Preaching and Witnessing

This program trains and forms clerics and lay persons whose ministry centers on the preaching of the Word of God. It will educate students on the theological, historical, liturgical and hermeneutical components of preaching. This will ensure orthodoxy of content according to the traditions and scriptural foundations of the Catholic Church. HETDAC

j. Spirituality

The program will enable students to gain knowledge of various schools of spirituality in the past and present. It will indicate the significance of spirituality in one's life. It will also guide students to formulate a spirituality that is appropriate to their respective religious and socio-cultural context.

k. Church History

This program provides a survey and analysis of the development of the Catholic Church since its foundation in Jesus Christ. Special focus is given to that of the local Church. The program serves to understand and appreciate what the Church is today.

ARTICLE V

Competency Standards

SECTION 8. Competencies. — Graduate study in theology should produce graduates who are witnesses of living out their religious beliefs and values and presenting them in a clear and coherent manner.

ARTICLE VI

Curriculum

SECTION 9. Curriculum Outline and Description. —

There shall be two (2) tracks for the master's program, namely, the academic or thesis/research track and the non-thesis/professional track.

The Academic or Thesis/Research track includes the following:

1. Master of Arts in Religious Education

2. Master of Arts in Theological Studies

3. Master of Arts in Philosophy

4. Master of Arts in Theology

The Professional or Non-Thesis track includes:

1. Master in Pastoral Ministry HTASIa

The curriculum for the academic or thesis/research track shall require a minimum total of thirty-six (36) units, while the professional or non-thesis track shall require a minimum of forty-five (45) units. The breakdown of courses are as follows:

Master's Program	Thesis	Non-thesis
Basic Courses	Units	Units
	1.	Research Methods	6
	2.	Statistical Methods
Core Courses	6	15
Practicum		6
Major Courses	18	18
Electives		6
Thesis			6
Comprehensive
	Written/Oral Exam	Required	Required
TOTAL UNITS	36	45

The core courses in the MA in Religious Education, MA in Theological Studies and MA in Theology shall require six (6) units consisting of: Christology and Ecclesiology while the core courses in MA in Philosophy shall require six (6) units consisting of Symbolic Logic/Applied Logic and Advanced Metaphysics. ISaCTE

SECTION 10. Sample Curricula for the Master's Programs with Thesis. — Please refer to Annex A.

SECTION 11. Sample Curriculum for the Master's Programs without Thesis. — Please refer to Annex B.

SECTION 12. Sample Program of Study for Master's Program with Thesis. — Please refer to Annex C.

SECTION 13. Sample Program of Study for the Master's Programs without Thesis. — Please refer to Annex D.

ARTICLE VII

Course Specifications

SECTION 14. Course Specifications for the Master's Programs with Thesis. — Please refer to Annex E.

SECTION 15. Course Specifications for the Master's Program without Thesis. — Please refer to Annex F.

ARTICLE VIII

Other Requirements

SECTION 16. Program Administration. —

Qualifications. — Graduate Catholic theological and religious education program/s shall be administered by a qualified full time dean/director/rector/department chair. A qualified dean/director/rector/department chair shall:

1. be a holder of an appropriately earned doctoral degree in Theology and Religious Education;

2. have at least three (3) years of successful administrative, supervisory and/or teaching experiences;

3. have distinguished himself/herself in the discipline; and

4. preferably a Filipino citizen.

Responsibilities. — In general, the functions and responsibilities of the dean/director/rector/department chair are to: EHcaDT

1. advise the head of the Catholic HEI or seminary on matters affecting policies of the department/institution;

2. exercise educational leadership among faculty by initiating and developing a faculty development program, recommending the appointment, promotion or separation of faculty and staff members and preparing and recommending the teaching loads of faculty members;

3. direct and assign faculty who shall advise students in their program of studies and to approve their subject loads;

4. coordinate and consult with the heads of other departments and head/s of student personnel services;

5. prepare and/or revise curricula with the assistance of qualified faculty members;

6. implement a program of supervision in order to raise the efficiency of instruction and/or of the department; and

7. supervise, monitor and evaluate co-curricular and other activities.

SECTION 17. Faculty. —

Qualifications. — As a general rule, a majority of the faculty members in the master's degree program shall be holders of earned doctor's degrees in each of the programs offered.

1. There shall be at least one (1) full-time faculty who is a doctor's degree holder and at least three (3) full-time faculty who are master's degree holders in the discipline.

2. The number of advanced degree holders shall vary with enrollment in the graduate programs in such a manner as to allow for a load of maximum of five (5) student thesis advisees per graduate faculty.

3. In specific fields of study which require related special training, a faculty member with a graduate degree in another discipline may be allowed to teach, provided he/she demonstrates competence and recognized scholarship in the field of study. HaTSDA

4. Every graduate Catholic HEI or seminary shall have faculty members who must devote full-time service to the program(s).

5. Faculty members shall teach largely in their respective majors or field of concentration.

6. Every faculty member shall under take research and other related developmental activities for purposes of professional growth.

7 Preferably, at least sixty percent (60%) of the regular faculty members shall be Filipino citizens.

Teaching Load. — As a general rule, due to the unique set-up of Catholic HEIs and seminaries, the teaching load of faculty members shall be governed by institutional policies.

Employment Status. — Faculty members shall be given remuneration commensurate to the professional qualification and standing in order to maintain the dignity of their profession.

SECTION 18. Library. — Library resources shall respond to the changing and growing needs of theological and religious education and research, as well as to the changes in national and institutional policies.

a. Library Staff. A Catholic HEI or seminary shall have a full-time licensed librarian with at least Master's degree in Library Science. There should be a support staff of two staff clerks for each full-time librarian.

In terms of enrolment, there shall be one (1) full-time professional librarian for the first one hundred (100) students, two (2) for an enrolment of five hundred (500). For every increase of five hundred (500) students or a fraction thereof, a professional librarian should be added to the staff.

b. Library Holdings. — There must be library books, materials and facilities which in terms of quality and quantity are reasonable and adequate for effective graduate work. Depth and breadth of coverage, representativeness of authority in the various disciplines, extent of correlatives and recency of edition, depending upon the field of concentration, shall determine quality of library holdings. TcDAHS

The library of a catholic HEI and seminary shall contain appropriate reading and reference materials in proportion to the enrolment.

The library requirements for the undergraduate programs in the discipline shall be coupled with subscription to at least two (2) peer-reviewed professional journals or internationally-refereed journals, and at least five (5) titles of graduate reference books for each major course/subject offered under the program.

In addition to books, the library resources shall include a substantial number of appropriate professional publications such as journals, bibliographies, annuals, monographs, serials and bound book issues of reputable professional and cultural magazines of foreign and local publications. There shall be at least three (3) professional journals per one hundred (100) students in the discipline.

The use of CD-ROMs, internet and other education technologies is encouraged. However, they should not replace book collections.

c. Library Space. The following are the minimum requirements for library quarters either as part of the main library or as separate theology/philosophy library: (a) adequate reading space for the student population; (b) the reading rooms shall be able to accommodate at one seating a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the student enrolment; and (c) the open shelf system shall be encouraged.

SECTION 19. Classroom Requirements. — For lecture classes, ideal size is twenty (20) students per class, maximum is thirty (30). Special lectures with class size of more than thirty (30) may be allowed as long as the attendant facilities are provided.

SECTION 20. Admission, Retention, and Transfer. —

a. Admission

a.1 For admission into the master's program, only students who obtained at least an average rating of eighty-five percent (85%) or B, or 2.0. or its equivalent, in their undergraduate degree program shall be considered eligible. However, students with a general average lower than the prescribed admission on qualifications may initially be admitted on a probationary status upon recommendation of an admission committee and approval by the dean/director/rector/department chair.

a.2 In addition to the grade requirement, only the following are required for admission to certain graduate programs: CDAHIT

a.2.1 A student shall be deemed formally admitted to graduate status after completion of eighteen (18) units at the master's level.

a.2.2 Advancement to candidacy towards earning the master's degree shall be determined by the dean and/or an admission committee. The dean or the committee shall evaluate and verify the quality of performance of the student in the graduate work based on the performance in examinations, term papers, class discussions, seminars and the use of written and spoken language, and/or passing a written and/or comprehensive examination.

b. Retention. Graduate schools are required to adopt a selective retention policy at the master programs.

c. Residence/Unit Requirements. The residence requirement for graduation from the master's degree, excluding the units for thesis, shall be at least two (2) consecutive semesters or the equivalent of eighteen (18) units.

d. Transfer. Transfer from one graduate school to another is discouraged. However, in exceptional cases where a transfer is unavoidable, academic units earned by the student from the school last attended, excluding thesis, may be accepted by the school to which transfer is requested, subject to the following conditions:

 

d.1 the subjects taken in the school last attended are substantially the same in content in the graduate curriculum of the school where transfer is requested;

d.2 the residence requirement shall been complied with; and

d.3 approval of the dean upon the recommendation of the admission committee.

e. Completion. After completion of all the academic requirements, a candidate for graduation shall be given a maximum period of three (3) years, within which to finish the requirement of thesis. Otherwise, a student may be required to take additional units subject to institutional policies.

SECTION 21. Instructional and Promotional Standards. —

a. The highest possible instructional standards shall be maintained by catholic HEIs and seminaries in the master's level. No credit shall be given to any student in any subject unless competence therein is proven.

b. As a general rule, all courses shall be offered as three-unit courses. AcDHCS

c. Each graduate school shall generally operate and maintain curricular programs for the master level.

d. The description of each course shall be supported by an updated syllabus containing a detailed statement of its philosophy and objectives, requirements for credit, the units covered, textbooks to be used, and references available in the library.

e. Each graduate student shall have a program plan based on the major courses chosen. The major courses of each student in the master programs shall be indicated in the transcript of records.

f. Proposed curricular revisions of an existing approved graduate program shall take effect only upon approval by the CHED. A copy of the curriculum of each graduate program including the approved new major courses shall be submitted to the CHED.

SECTION 22. Comprehensive Oral/Written Examination. —

a. The scope of the comprehensive examination shall be the totality of all courses in the program.

b. The basic courses, core/major courses and cognates/elective shall be so integrated such that all courses taken and passed by the student shall be comprehensively covered in the examination, which should be administered subject to institutional policies.

c. A committee to supervise the development and administration of the comprehensive examination shall be created.

d. The oral comprehensive examinations for the master's degree shall be conducted by a panel of a minimum of three (3) members, at least one of them is a holder of an earned doctorate degree and the other two (2) with at least master's degree provided one (1) of them must be an external expert.

d.1 The chairman and members of the panel shall be chosen on the basis of their expertise and area of specialization upon recommendation of the thesis committee and approval of the dean/director/rector/department chair;

d.2 CHED reserves the right to send a representative to sit in subsequent oral examinations whenever there is evidence of non-compliance with established procedures in the conduct of oral examinations. EHDCAI

d.3 The final rating for the oral examinations of each candidate shall be decided by a majority vote of the panel members.

e. A complete list of student's who have been formally admitted to graduate programs and passed the comprehensive examinations shall be kept on file in the office of the dean/director/rector/department chair.

SECTION 23. Thesis Requirement. — A thesis for the master's degree thesis track shall be required for graduation.

a. The thesis shall contribute substantially or purposively to the existing fund of knowledge, preferably in conformity with institutional goals, thrusts and objectives, and shall manifest the student's competence in research.

b. Thesis committee shall be organized and be responsible for approving the research design and maintaining high quality and relevance of thesis.

c. The graduate school shall adopt an acceptable format in thesis writing.

d. Every thesis writer shall be assigned an adviser and a consultant if necessary, who shall be chosen on the basis of expertise.

e. The oral defense of the thesis shall be scheduled by the dean/director/rector/department chair only after the student shall have: (i) completed the academic program, (ii) successfully passed the comprehensive written/oral examinations, and (iii) been certified by the adviser and/or consultant as to the readiness for oral defense.

f. Two bound copies of the thesis shall be sent to the CHED Regional Office concerned, for the special order and/or record purposes.

SECTION 24. On-the-Job-Training or Practicum Requirements. — The MA in Pastoral Ministry shall require a total of 216 hours of church and community work as practicum. Practicum can be considered part of required or elective courses and can be assigned a maximum of 6 units.

SECTION 25. Research and Publication. — Each graduate school shall annually publish a journal containing the results of studies and research of the faculty, outstanding and scholarly papers or projects in each discipline and abstracts or summaries of approved thesis of students. The publication may be undertaken by each school or in cooperation with other graduate schools. aSHAIC

Exchange of copies of research journals by and among graduate schools, and with foreign schools, if possible is encouraged.

SECTION 26. Accreditation. — Catholic HEIs and seminaries may offer graduate programs that do not necessarily have undergraduate counterparts. In lieu of the required level III accreditation for undergraduate programs, catholic seminaries and HEIs should have complied with at least four of the following:

a. accreditation by international accrediting body;

b. research unit with qualified staff that manages, monitors and evaluates research activities and with adequate facilities for the conduct of research in the discipline;

d.  for the master's degree program, a faculty profile that have at least 75% master's degree holders and at least 25% doctor's degree holders;

e. for the doctor's degree program, faculty members must all be doctorate degree holders;

f. manual containing policies and guidelines on benefits and incentives for faculty undertaking research work, i.e. deloading, research awards, patents and intellectual property rights;

g. a clearly stated annual research agenda that include the discipline being applied for;

h. publications in refereed national and international journals in the discipline;

i. provision of a budget of at least 2% of the total annual school budget should be allotted for research undertakings; and

j. a track record in functional extension or community outreach program.

ARTICLE IX

Repealing Clause

SECTION 27. All pertinent rules and regulations or parts thereof that are inconsistent with the provisions of this policy are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly. cATDIH

ARTICLE X

Effectivity Clause

SECTION 28. This set of policies and standards shall be effective first semester of school year 2007-2008 after publication in the Official Gazette.

ARTICLE XI

Transitory Provisions

SECTION 29. Catholic HEIs and seminaries presently offering Master's degree programs shall be given a three (3) year grace period within which to comply with the provisions specified in this CMO.

Pasig City, Philippines March 9, 2007.

(SGD.) CARLITO S. PUNO, D.P.A.Chairman

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 103, No. 31, p. 4974, July 30, 2007.