Conjoint Certificate in Theology and Interreligious Engagement (C.T.I.E.) - Post-Baccalaureate

St. Augustine’s Seminary Admissions for this program begins January 2020.

The Post-Baccalaureate Conjoint Certificate in Theology and Interreligious Engagement is intended to provide university graduates with a means to understand and to appreciate religious diversity and to explore practices of fruitful dialogue between religious differences in the academy (through research) and in ministry and spiritual leadership contexts.

Meaning of “Post-Baccalaureate”

Basic degree programs operate on the assumption that students have already completed at least a first post-secondary degree program in which they have developed their skills of research, thinking, and oral and written communication.

Number of Courses to be Taken

The Certificate requires seven courses (7 X 0.5 FCE) in Christian studies.

Distribution of Courses 

Focus of study will be on Christianity and two other religions through texts and histories, spiritualities and practices and theologies and theories of religion. It requires seven semester courses (3.5 FCE) and can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis.

Course selections must explore 3 religions, one of which must be Christianity. Students must take a minimum of 1 course in each of the 3 religions. A least 1 course in which the outcomes specifically include practices of inter-religious engagement. Students should consult with their Academic Advisor as to appropriate courses. The Academic Advisor for this certificate is the Registrar.

See requirement chart below for details.

Where students enter with some previous coursework in theological or religious studies, their academic adviser may waive a requirement in favour of a substitute course.

Students in the certificate program are not permitted to take graduate-level courses (numbered in the 5000s and 6000s).

Non-Course Requirements

The conjoint Certificate can be earned through coursework alone.

• The conjoint Certificate does not require full-time residency. It is intended to be flexible and accessible to students in full-time employment.

• It does not require field placements, as it is not a professional certification.

• It does not require comprehensive or summative exams.

• It does not require extracurricular commitments.

• It does not have formative expectations.

Time to Completion

Full-time students will be able to complete all requirements within two semesters. A full-time course load is five (0.5 FCE) courses a semester. The certificate must be completed within four academic years of first registration.

Students are required to take a minimum of 1 course (0.5 FCE) each Fall and Winter semester. Students are required to be registered in consecutive academic years until completion (a maximum of four years), with the exception of approved Leaves of Absence.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Requirement Chart

Common TST Learning Outcomes for Conjoint Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

(See Appendix III of the TST Basic Degree Handbook for details.)

1. Depth and Breadth of Knowledge
   Breadth. Students will develop a foundational academic understanding, of the Christian heritage, including its scriptures; history; theological themes, issues, and disputes; and cultural contexts. They will be aware of current issues in global Christian thought, life, and practice.
   Depth. Students will develop skills to undertake sound independent original research in theological studies.

2. Research and Scholarship
   Students will be able to:

   • use library and information resources in order to identify authoritative primary sources and relevant secondary sources for the study of the Christian religious heritage;

   • apply techniques of enquiry, interpretation, analysis, and construction to these sources in order to test premises and perspectives and to acquire knowledge;

   • evaluate current research and interpretation in the study of Scripture, theology, and the history of Christianity, and compare it with established understandings;

   • report research systematically and intelligibly and develop and support a sustained argument in written form.

3. Application of knowledge
   Students will be able to review, present, and interpret information, and construct theological knowledge, in the light of some of the significant theories, concepts and methods of representative sub-fields of Theological Studies.

4. Communication skills
   Students will function effectively and collegially in their school community both inside and outside the classroom. They will be able both to appreciate the differing views of others and to convey and support their own views clearly both verbally and in writing.

5. Awareness of the limits of knowledge
   Students will be able to appreciate the differing views of others. They will recognize ways in which varied expressions of Christian belief and practice are shaped by cultural contexts. They will recognize the uncertainties inherent in both faith-based and non-confessional academic interpretations of Scripture and Christian teaching.

6. Autonomy and professional capacity
   Students will function effectively and collegially in their school community both inside and outside the classroom. Theological education builds on the academic foundations of first-entry baccalaureate study. Students will bring to their theological studies the insights of the humanities, the social sciences, the arts, and the natural sciences.