BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY

Academic Guidelines

1.1. Guidelines Concerning Classes

  1. Absence from the class requires the permission (or information in case of illness) of the Rector and information to the Dean of Theology.
  2. If a student misses 1/3 of the classes allotted for a particular major course, he has to repeat that course unless the Staff decides otherwise.
  3. When a student is absent from class, the class representative should notify the professor concerned before the class, and the Dean of Theology.

1.2. Guidelines Concerning the Examination & Assessment

1.2.1. General :

  1. For every subject taught in the academic curriculum an examination/assessment will be conducted for the students.
  2. Examinations of the resident professors will be held at the end of the semester.
  3. Examinations of the visiting professors may be conducted after a gap of two weeks, once the course is completed, if it is written one; the oral examination may be arranged in consultation with the Dean of Studies and the professor immediately after the course.
  4. Examinations can be either in the oral or written form, or both, depending upon the choice of the professor concerned.
  5. Examinations can be either in the oral or written form, or both, depending upon the choice of the professor concerned.
  6. For a subject with two or more credits, the oral examination will be of ten or fifteen minutes duration for each individual, while the written examination is to be of at least one and half hours duration.
  7. For subjects having one credit, the mode of assessment may be that of a written assignment or an oral examination, which will be of seven to ten minutes duration, or a written examination of appropriate duration. The professor may even permit the students to choose from among these options.
  8. The permission of the Rector is required if a student, for some grave reason, wants to postpone or anticipate an examination(s). The Rector takes the decision in consultation with the Dean of Studies.
  9. Marks awarded for papers, projects, book reviews, class work etc. are also to be computed with the final assessment of the course concerned. This evaluation should not exceed 40% of the total.
  10. The minimum requirement for passing is 60% marks in every subject. The following is the grading according to the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, to which this Theologate is affiliated:
Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana Indian Grade System
Probatus: 60-69 III Division : 40-49
Bene Probatus: 70-79 II Division : 50-59
Cum Laude: 80-89 I Division: 60-74
Magna cum Laude: 90-95 Distinction: 75-89
Summa cum Laude: 96-100 Excellent: 90-100

1.2.2. Repeat Examination:

  1. If a student fails in a subject in the first semester, he will appear for re-examination of the same at the beginning of the following semester. Those who fail in the second semester will appear for re-examination in the first month of the following academic year.
  2. If a student fails in the re-examination, he will be warned by the Rector and may be allowed a third attempt. Students failing in the third attempt will be subject to the decision of the Staff.
  3. If a student fails in three or more basic/major subjects, i.e., Sacred Scripture, Dogmatic Theology and Moral Theology, he will be strongly cautioned by the Rector and may be given a second chance. If he fails again, the case will be referred to the Rector's Council for a decision.
  4. If a student fails in three or more subjects in each semester, he will be subject to the decision of the Staff of the Seminary.

2. Comprehensive Examinations

2.1. The ‘Ad Audiendas’ / Moral Theology Comprehensive Examination

  1. A student is admitted to the audiences or Moral Theology Comprehensive Examination only if he has successfully completed all the subjects of the entire Theology Course of four years.
  2. The Ad Audiendas examination will be conducted in the fourth year theology, which will be preceded by due study time.
  3. The examination will be of 30 minutes duration. A panel of three qualified professors will examine the student, each examiner being allotted 10 minutes.
  4. The student is considered 'passed' if he obtains an average of 60% marks and is declared so by at least two of the professors of the panel in their respective examination.
  5. The re-examination will be held not earlier than two weeks after the previous examination.

2.2. Dogma Comprehensive Examination – Oral

  1. A student is admitted to the Comprehensive Examination only if he has successfully completed all the subjects of the entire Theology Course of four years.
  2. This examination will be viva voce of 30 minutes duration before a panel of three qualified examiners. Each examiner will be allotted 10 minutes to examine the student and will assess the student on the basis of 100 marks. The average of the three examiners’ assessment will then be taken.
  3. The examiner may question the student on any topic/thesis mentioned from the theses given earlier.
  4. Each professor offers the examinee a thesis. If within three minutes the student is unable to talk on the same, he may request for another thesis of the concerned examiner’s choice.
  5. In exposing his answer before the panel, the examinee covers the following three areas of the thesis: (a) he will give the scriptural basis, (b) the Church’s tradition and the teaching of the Magisterium, and, (c) a systematic theological reflection on the thesis.
  6. A student is expected to speak for at least five to seven minutes on the given thesis. During the said time, he may not be interrupted unless he has gone off the track. After five minutes, the examiner may cross-examine him and may even propose another thesis.
  7. If a student fails in the assessment of the two examiners, he is considered “failed”. The question of seeking average marks from the assessment of the three examiners does not arise in this case.
  8. In case of “failure” the student will be given another chance to appear for the examination. The latter will be held after a gap of at least two weeks since the first attempt.

2.3. Dogma & Scripture Comprehensive Examination – Written

  1. There will be a written Scriptural and Dogmatic Comprehensive Examination of three hours duration.
  2. If a student fails in the written examination, he will have to repeat the examination after a gap of two weeks.

2.4. Theological studies are considered “completed”

  1. When one has passed the Comprehensive Examinations.
  2. Submitted two copies of the Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) dissertation to the Office of the Dean of Theology.

N.B.: A competent professor of the Seminary and of the Pontifical Urban University will assess the written answer papers of the Comprehensive Examinations to award the B. Th. Certificate.

2.5. B.Th. Dissertation

Every student, during the fourth year of B. Th. Course, is required to write a dissertation in any area of theological reflection. It needs to be the fruit of his reflection and some academic research with careful presentation. He should submit two copies of the same to the Dean of Theology, within the time specified in the calendar. In the third year of theology, each student selects his moderator and the topic of his dissertation avoiding the titles taken in the last five academic years. He is required to prepare the scheme/outline of the dissertation in consultation with the moderator. It is to be approved by the moderator and the Dean of Theology. He is also required to submit it to the Dean by the date specified in the calendar. Once approved, the title and the moderator should not be changed except with the permission of the Dean. The length of the dissertation is a minimum of 12,000 words, a maximum of 21,000 words with double spacing (c. 40-60 pages). It is written in English or in Hindi.

2.6. Statutes for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology

Students who have successfully completed four years of theological studies offered by St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary are eligible for admission to the Degree of Bachelor of Theology to be awarded by the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, provided they fulfill the following conditions.

  1. A student will have to complete all the subjects/courses offered during his four years of theology. If a student has not completed required number of credits during his four years of theology, he will not be considered eligible for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology.
  2. To qualify for the B. Th. Degree, a candidate must have obtained an overall average of at least 70% of marks in major subjects individually, namely, Sacred Scripture, Dogmatic Theology and Moral Theology and minor subjects each year.
  3. If a student has failed in any three subjects during the four years of theology, he may not be promoted as qualified for the Degree of B. Th.
  4. In the Fourth Year Theology, if any one gets less than 70% in any of the Comprehensive Examinations, he will not be considered eligible for the B. Th. Degree.