Be prepared to serve the diverse pastoral needs of the Church through the University
of Dallas Master of Pastoral Ministry.
The faculty has challenged, stretched, nourished, informed and developed my faith
in a very personal way. They have been very interested in assisting my individual
faith and ministerial journey.
-Anna Marie Snyder, '14
The master's degree and graduate certificate in pastoral ministry are designed to
equip those who wish to serve in parishes, dioceses or other ministerial settings
with in-depth theological knowledge and effective pastoral skills. This graduate program
offers several concentrations, each with a unique curriculum. Select a concentration
of interest to you for practice in a defined field of ministry.
Master of Pastoral Ministry Concentrations:
Campus Ministry Concentration
The Campus Ministry concentration prepares those interested in working with young
adults faced with the challenges of high school and college life, as well as the often
accompanying questions about faith, values and vocation. Pastoral skills are developed
through course work, field education and a capstone project.
Church Management Concentration
The Church Management concentration is especially helpful for present or future parish
business administrators and diocesan business managers who desire a greater foundation
in theology and ministerial practice, as well as for priests, deacons and pastoral
associates who wish to strengthen their administrative and leadership skills.
Through field education and electives, this concentration provides ministers with
theological, pastoral, financial, and managerial skills crucial for the efficient
operation of churches and schools.
Health Care Ministry Concentration
Prepare for ministry in health care facilities through a combination of theology and
pastoral ministry courses with on site Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at accredited CPE programs in regional hospitals like Harris Medical Center in Fort
Worth or Children's Medical Center of Dallas. This program contributes to the student's
ability to meet the certification standards of the National Association of Catholic
Chaplains.
Youth Ministry Concentration
The youth ministry concentration provides the preparation needed to address the spiritual
growth of youth in a parish or school setting. Pastoral skills are developed through
course work, field education and a capstone project.
Additional MPM concentrations may be designed with the consultation and express prior
written approval of the student's advisor and the graduate director.
Master of Pastoral Ministry Degree Requirements:
The Master of Pastoral Ministry program consists of 36 credit hours. Students combine
the ministry core curriculum (21 credit hours) with degree-specific courses (9 credit
hours) and elective courses (6 credit hours). The core curriculum includes a capstone
project in which students have the opportunity to integrate their knowledge with pastoral
practice within a dynamic ministerial context, accompanied by a seasoned practitioner.
The following courses are required for all of the MPM degrees:
- TMIN 5311. Graduate Proseminar. Required of all first-year students. It is designed to introduce new students to
the world of graduate studies in theology and pastoral ministry, and to assist them
in undertaking graduate level work successfully. Students will be led through the
whole process of writing for theological studies, from reading comprehension to theological
analysis, from first draft to final paper. Proseminar is offered only in the Fall
semester, with both on site and online options.
- TMIN 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.
- TMIN 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
- TMIN 5350. 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 entre into special moral theology, which includes bioethics, environmental
ethics, healthcare ethics, sexual ethics, and social ethics.
- TMIN 5360. 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.).
- TMIN 73XX. Capstone. The Capstone represents a single culminating assessment in the form of a research
paper on a focused topic of the student's choosing, especially one related to their
chosen field of pastoral service. The research paper allows students to demonstrate
the ability to assess ministerial need or practice, think critically and theologically,
integrate the theology appropriate to a particular ministry, plan and execute a ministerial
and/or research project, and evaluate ministry in the field.
- TMIN 63XX Scripture Elective.
The core classes are supplemented with electives & degree- specific courses, depending
on the concentration selected. For more details on the courses required for each concentration,
we invite you to learn more about our pastoral ministry concentrations:
Fully Accredited. Ready to Serve.
University of Dallas Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts ministerial graduate programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools and in accordance with the USCCB's standards for certification
and accreditation.