Master of Catechetical Ministry

• NSOM 5110. Graduate Proseminar. Required of all first-year students, this non-credit course is an introduction to the fields and methods of theological study for ministerial formation. Registration and active participation in all sessions constitute completion of the requirement.
• NSOM 5310. Foundations of Catholic Biblical Interpretation. This course’s content and structure are suggested by a description of the Bible by the Second Vatican Council: the words of God expressed in human language (DV 13). Therefore, it will deal, first, with the concepts of Revelation, Transmission-Tradition, Inspiration, Biblical Truth and the Canon, which traditionally express the Church’s belief in the divine origin of the Bible. Second, it will deal with the nature of the Bible as a human document, linked to a culture rooted in specific coordinates of space and time. Finally, it will review the development and nature of modern scientific methods and approaches of biblical interpretation, together with the Church’s reactions to and positions on these methods and approaches in the last 100 years. 
• NSOM 5330. Systematic Theology. This course engages students in structured reflection on the Christian communal experience of faith and how that faith is understood, expressed, and lived out in the Catholic tradition. It invites dialogue among students and with the formative elements of Catholic tradition to consider theological method (i.e., How do we do this work properly?), doctrinal clarity (i.e., What does our formative tradition teach?) and pastoral practice (i.e., How do theology and pastoral realities influence one another?). Topics of special focus include revelation and faith, God, the Trinity, Christology, Christian anthropology, and the theology of the church, including Mary and the saints.
• NSOM 5340. Church History. The focus of this course is on the development of an understanding of the church—its ministry and spirituality—through the early, medieval, Reformation, modern, and contemporary eras. In particular, primary councils, movements, and church figures are considered.

• NSOM 6312. Moral Theology. A critical survey of fundamental moral theology, this course includes the distinctiveness of Christian morality, conscience formation, natural law, moral norms, and decision-making. It provides an entrée into special moral theology, which includes bioethics, environmental ethics, healthcare ethics, sexual ethics, and social ethics.
• NSOM 6311. Liturgy and Sacraments. This course offers a critical survey of the history, theology, and liturgical celebration of the sacraments according to the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, with special attention given to the role of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A.).
• NSOM 5370. Theological Reflection. Forming a basis of spirituality for ministers, theological reflection is a discipline designed to recognize God's activity within the context of ministry. Systematic reflection on students' spiritual journey and experiences enter into dialogue with scripture, church history, church teaching, current pastoral needs, and the lived faith experience of the people of God.

• NSOM 6370. Ministry in the Church. This course explores the contemporary phenomenon of ministry in the Catholic Church from the angles of theology and pastoral practice. Theological exploration focuses on biblical visions of ministry, the history of ministry in the church, and its doctrinal underpinnings and implications, especially in ecclesiology. Pastoral consideration reflects on attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for effective pastoral ministry in today's church. Integrating these perspectives, the course includes discussion of issues related to the contemporary ministerial scene and critical ecclesial documents on ministry formation
• NSOM 6371. Pastoral Administration and Management. This course explores the purpose and function of a parish in the life of the church, and the role of pastoral administration within it. Students consider the theology and experience of parish life and reflect on many of the key ministries necessary for its success, including ministries of Word, worship, service and community building. Pastoral skills for planning, leadership, administration of temporal goods, communication, and managing relationships are among topics considered.
• NSOM 6375. Catechetics and the Development of Faith. This course introduces the history, theology, and practice of catechesis. This includes the methods, content, and curriculum of contemporary catechesis, with particular focus on age-appropriateness and faith and its maturation in people.
• NSOM 7375. Models of Catechesis. This survey of emerging models and approaches to catechesis includes conversation and mutual learning about approaches across the lifespan to assist those preparing for or already bearing this responsibility. Particular attention will be given to the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A.) as a model for the catechetical journey, adult catechesis, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, family catechesis, intercultural catechesis, small Christian communities, and youth and young adult catechesis.
• NSOM 7396. Catechetical Ministry Capstone. Students take this course in their final semester. It provides an opportunity for them to integrate previous coursework and reading with the knowledge and skills required to address particular pastoral tasks effectively. The capstone usually is taken for three credit hours, often with seasoned ministerial practitioners providing onsite supervision. Capstone projects require detailed applications and written approval by ministry faculty supervisors several months prior to registration. 

An annotated bibliography of texts related to the core curriculum of the ministerial graduate programs of the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts is a degree requirement (required for graduation) for the Master of Catechetical Ministry program. The goal of the annotated bibliography is to help students solidify and demonstrate their understanding of the basic theological knowledge appropriate to professional competency for pastoral leadership. The annotated bibliography consists of a formal bibliographic entry for 25 approved texts that are followed by a description of the thesis, argumentation, and significance of each text.

Students should begin working with their faculty advisor on the annotated bibliography and obtain approval of the required works list early in their program. The final annotated bibliography is due by the 4th week of the semester a student intends to graduate.

For details, contact your faculty advisor and view the Annotated Bibliography section of the Graduate Student Resources webpage.

The University of Dallas is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. degrees.

The ministerial graduate programs, in content and form, are designed to ensure that successful students will be prepared to enter the ministerial workforce having met the standards set by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation, and the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers.

The master's in pastoral ministry - youth ministry program is specifically designed to educate leaders based on the U.S. Catholic Bishops' pastoral plan, "Renewing the Vision - A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry." It also correlates with the national competency-based standards for certification as developed by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry in conjunction with the USCCB.

The Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts is a member of the Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry and the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.