The M.Div. program at Regis College educates students to serve the church, society, and the academy as scholars and pastoral ministers. As a Jesuit school of theology, the College serves students as they grow in their capacity to promote faith and justice; to be persons of intellect and compassion, who are animated by humility and gratitude. Through the tools of discernment and rigorous academic training, the M.Div. program fosters a deepening sense of mercy, beauty and the transcendent. Such an education, rooted in a faith tradition, disposes our students to be available with generosity for the greatest variety of ministries – with special preferences to show the way to God, walk with the excluded, journey with youth, and care for our common home as they grow in freedom as agents of change.
Education in the Jesuit tradition accomplishes this:
Students study in an environment enhanced by the academic research of the faculty and students of the College’s advanced degree programs, as well as by the pastoral concerns and questions offered by those experienced in ministry. Students are immersed in the ecumenical, interfaith and multicultural context of the Toronto School of Theology and the University of Toronto, located in one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in North America.
MDiv Handbook
An innovative experience of ministry formation and the “spine” of the Master of Divinity program. Composed of three foundational courses that introduce the tools of Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy, the theological field education process, and the final comprehensive exam, the “Ignatian Core” fosters the development of pastoral agents capable of faithful creativity and wise autonomy who can reach from “the heart of the Church to the frontiers” (Benedict XVI) with the compassion and the wisdom of Christ.
This Ignatian Core facilitates the student’s personal integration and development throughout the program. It also serves as the integrating principle of the student’s biblical, historical, doctrinal, systematic, ethical, pastoral, spiritual and ecumenical studies. Students are also encouraged to engage in ecumenical, interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue.
The Master of Divinity is a three-year, thirty-credit program. A year (two consecutive sessions) residency must be completed as a full time student. All students are required to maintain an electronic portfolio that documents their progress through their programs.
Biblical: 6 Units
Historical: 4 Units
Moral Theology: 3 Units
Theological: 7 Units
Pastoral: 3 Units
Theological Field Education: 2 Units
Free Electives: 5 Units
These courses may be selected from any of the four TST departments, although they are usually selected with a view to addressing specific formation needs or a concentration of courses in one department (e.g. Theology).
M.Div. Comprehensive Exam: 0 Units
Pastoral Competency: For those who wish to pursue Pastoral Competency scroll down
M.Div Course Requirements Worksheets
Presbyteral
Lay
Theological Field Education is the heart of Regis College’s M.Div. Program. Through ministry placements in churches and various organizations throughout the GTA, students are challenged to blend intellectual knowledge, critical thinking, spiritual reflection and practical decision making to create a balanced theology for ministry. The Master of Divinity program introduces students to biblical, historical, doctrinal, systematic, ethical, pastoral, spiritual and ecumenical studies, all integrated with a theological field education process involving ministry placements and theological reflection with an experienced supervisor. It assumes that individuals are responsible for their own learning. It acknowledges that each person brings to the learning process his or her own particular history and set of experiences.
Field Education Handbook
Students are invited to design their theological field education placements on a level commensurate with their previous ministerial experiences. Please note that all placements must be approved by your Program Director. Placement opportunities include:
Level One: Observer Ministry Placement
Characteristics: No experience, or limited experience in ministry.
Purpose: To familiarize the MDiv candidate with the context and dynamics of ministry.
Necessary Skills: Observing, listening, reflecting, reporting.
Requirements: 2-3 weeks observing and dialoguing with a practitioner in a chosen field of ministry.
Outcomes: A written report of the experience using the general methodology of analysis provided in “Contextual Analysis of a Theological Field Education Placement.” (Appendix F, Theological Field Education Handbook, Regis College).
Level Two: Intern Ministry Placement
Characteristics: Some experience in ministry.
Purpose: To enable the MDiv candidate to gain personal confidence, and to develop a pastoral sense of identity, authority and mission.
Necessary Skills: Self-directed learning; good listening skills; willingness to learn from others and to collaborate with others.
Requirements: Engagement in a supervised ministry placement.
Outcomes: To develop a process for reflecting upon one’s own ministry, using the contextual analysis and case-study method.
Level Three: Resident Ministry Placement
Characteristics: Extensive ministry experience.
Purpose: To provide the MDiv candidate with the opportunity to animate a project in a chosen ministry placement.
Necessary Skills: A high level of self-motivation, and organizational and collaborative skills.
Requirements: A pre-requisite for this level is a letter of reference from a previous supervisor who has worked closely with the candidate and can attest to their ministry experience. In collaboration with the Theological Field Education Director and the ministry personnel of a chosen site, the candidate will be required to develop and execute a project that will enhance the site’s services. This must be a project that can be sustained by the chosen site and not solely dependent on the skills and continued presence of the candidate alone.
Outcomes: A contextual analysis and written assessment of the placement.
PLEASE NOTE: If a candidate begins in Level 1, it is expected that they will move through Level 2. A candidate might also begin in Level 2, and do part of his/her practicum in Level 3. To learn more, please contact the Director of Theological Field Education, Maureen Baldwin, CND.
The Master of Divinity program concludes with a synthetic comprehensive examination process that allows the student to:
The examination involves written preparation and an hour-long interview with three faculty members acting as a Board. Master of Divinity Comprehensive Examination Guidelines are provided to students as they complete the first year of their program.
Upon successful completion of the M.Div. Comprehensive Examination, the Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB), the ecclesiastical degree equivalent to the MDiv, is also usually granted to MDiv graduands by Regis College.
Current MDiv students who have completed all program requirements must submit a Graduation Application Form to the Registrar’s Office before the due date. Convocation occurs in November of each year.
Students seeking ordination to the priesthood are required to pass an oral examination assessing their practical and theoretical readiness to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Students seeking future employment as lay ecclesial ministers in a parish setting have the option of passing a similar examination to assess their readiness for ministry in a sacramental setting. To assist these students to acquire practical competence in preparing for and celebrating the Sacraments, RGT2810H “Pastoral Competency” focuses on case-study and role-playing and is offered during the second year of the Master of Divinity program. It is followed by an oral examination devoted to practical cases in sacramental ministry. A letter assessing pastoral competence is given to students upon successful completion of the workshop and examination.
Those who wish to pursue Pastoral Competency are required to take the following pre-requisite courses in the following areas:
Please note that all of these courses must be taken at a Catholic college. The Pastoral Competency course and examination are also open to those preparing for lay ministry. You must seek approval from the M.Div. Director and the Registrar to participate in this course in August prior to the academic year in which it is offered, and request for permission to enroll via the Registrar’s Office.
A limited number of substantial partial bursaries are available for lay students beginning full-time studies (enrolled in a minimum of four credits per supported session) in the Master of Divinity program at Regis College for the 2021-2022 academic year.
This funding is provided as part of the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF). Note: Incidental fees are extra and the exact amount will vary.
These awards are offered solely based on financial need and are restricted to individuals who meet the following criteria at the time of application:
1. Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident of Canada, or Protected Person
2. Resident of Ontario (see application form for detailed Ontario Student Assistant Program criteria http://osap.gov.on.ca)
3. Demonstrates financial need and completes the required application form (Download Form)
Application materials common to all certificate programs, basic degrees, and ecclesiastical degrees (see Admissions Process), plus/and more specifically:
