Bachelor of Religious Studies / Master of Pastoral Ministry or Master of Religious Education Dual Degree Program

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Religious Studies Department Homepage | Faculty & Staff

2018-2019 BA-MPS/MRE On-Campus Degree Program Course Listing (DPCL)

Students in this collaborative Department of Religious Studies (RELS) and Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM) program earn two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies plus a Master of Pastoral Studies or Master of Religious Education in less time than it would take to earn both of them separately.  In addition, this degree allows students to pursue several graduate electives, which permits them to deepen their study in religion and theology or to branch out and take courses in other graduate fields. 

• Program Policies
• Suggested Course Sequence
• Admissions 
• Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid (Note: LIM students may choose to take graduate courses in a department other than LIM, but tuition rates vary across graduate programs. Current tuition and fee schedules are available through the Office of Student Finance. In addition, students would need to get approval from their advisors and the program directors in other graduate programs, and students may need to have met course pre-requisites to take courses in other programs.)
• Academic Policies
• Student Services

Program Policies

1. Students must apply for and be accepted into the LIM program following LIM application requirements, by applicable deadlines and before the beginning of their senior year. Application includes submitting completed Religious Studies Advisor Approval Form. Because of the rigors of the full-time study to complete an undergraduate degree and start a graduate degree, students must have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA to be accepted into this program.
2. Upon their acceptance into the LIM program, students receives a LIM advisor in addition to the RELS advisor.
3. Program requirements allow undergraduates to take only four 200-level courses.  Taking more than four lengthens the time-to-completion for the program. Therefore students should meet with advisors as soon as possible to chart out the courses they need to take to satisfy program requirements.
4. Students should refer to the suggested sequence of courses when selecting courses.
5. Up to 9 credits may be satisfied by attending during the senior year and with approval by both advisors a regularly scheduled RELS course at the 300- or 400-level. The syllabus must be graduate level, contain graduate-level assignments, and be approved by LIM in order for it to receive the G designation that indicates that this RELS course can fulfill LIM requirements.  These credits may fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Taking fewer than 9 such hours in the senior year may lengthen the time-to-completion for the program.
6. Up to 9 credits worth of LIM courses may be taken during the undergraduate’s senior year. These courses may fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Taking fewer than 9 such hours in the senior year may lengthen the time-to-completion for the program.
7. The LIM Elective may be satisfied by any LIM course or by a RELS course with a G designation.  If students satisfy this elective with a LIM course, it means that they take a total of 27 credit-hours in LIM and 21 credit hours in RELS.  If students satisfy this elective with an RELS course, it means that they take a total of 24 credit-hours in LIM and 24 credit hours in RELS.  
8. The Graduate Elective credits may be satisfied by any LIM course, by a RELS course with a G designation, or, with approval by the appropriate program directors, by other graduate courses at Loyola.
9. Seniors who take LIM courses must take LIM on-campus courses, not online courses, unless either the appropriate on-campus courses are unavailable or students receive advisors’ permission.
10. Many LIM courses are taught on a two-year cycle. Students should consult the LIM course rotation for this information. Completion of the LIM degree a timely fashion depends on focus area and elective courses selected.
11. Undergraduates accepted into this program who successfully complete the required number and distribution of courses with RELS and LIM credits and who complete all other university requirements receive their BA in Religious Studies, even if they do not continue with their LIM studies.
12. Students who successfully complete the program earn two degrees, the BA in Religious Studies and either the MPS or MRE.

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Suggested Course Sequence