courses
Catholic Educational Leadership
CALR 510: Leadership and Aims of Catholic Education
An overview of some of the seminal ideas of Catholic educational philosophy, their relationship to concepts found in the literature of the philosophy of education, and their contribution to the New Evangelization project envisioned for the Church.
CALR 520: Leadership and Administration in Catholic Schools
The course provides students with a range of foundational understandings which underpin current theories regarding Catholic educational leadership. Also, the course offers students the opportunities to study and reflect upon multiple conceptual and theoretical foundations of leadership in regards to educational policy and practice.
CALR 521: Catholic Educational Institution
This course is a study of leadership and organizational behavior in Catholic school. Schools as organizations are complex and ever-changing. Providing leadership in an educational institution requires an understanding of the dynamic forces that interplay in organizations. An understanding of the various paradigms and frameworks as to how people and leaders function in educational institutions serves as a foundation to future study and practice in Catholic educational administration and leadership.
CALR 526: Curriculum, Assessment and Evaluation in Catholic Schools
The course presents contemporary approaches and strategies in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating academic curricula. Also, the course presents the fundamental concepts and practical implementation of assessment in the teaching-learning paradigm. Informed by critical analysis of relevant research, students will produce a philosophy synthesizing the current trends in educational assessment and evaluation.
CALR 528: Current Issues in Catholic Education
The course leads the students to a critical understanding and analysis of the current issues and politics in Catholic Educational Leadership. Student will identify strategic solutions to various issues towards creating a positive culture in the educational system. Also, the course provides an opportunity for the students to review the policies and laws in Education, their implications and challenges to the educational system and practices.
CALR 600: Field Based Learning Project/Reflection Seminar
An opportunity for an experience based learning situation. During the term students will meet on regular basis in order to serve the integration of ministry experience with academic and personal growth.
MFST 500: Reading Film: A Christian Perspective
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History
HIST 505: History of the Church
A general survey course of the history of the Church since its inception 2000 years ago, the course will highlight major movements in the church as well as theology, spirituality, and culture. The final portion of the course will include the history of the Church in Canada.
Pastoral Studies
PAST 501: Pastoral Ministry: The Other
The course introduces the students to an investigation of the theological foundations of pastoral care. It will introduce the student to critical counseling skills which will include dealing with communication, assertiveness and conflict resolution. Students will examine a variety of particular counseling issues such as addictions, loss and bereavement, suicide.
PAST 502: Preaching and Liturgical Celebrations
The goal of this course is to introduce students to basic interpretive and homiletical skills, to inculcate in them a reverent attitude toward the preaching task and to offer them the opportunity to practice oral communication skills. It is important to note, however, that learning to preach is a lifelong task and the goal is not to have fully formed preachers by the end of the course. Rather, by God’s grace, students will complete the course with the ability to teach themselves to preach in some regular situation in the future.
PAST 510: Pastoral Ministry: Self
Enhancing Pastoral Care Skills through 'Guided Life Review.' In order to be an effective minister, the pastoral worker needs to know him/herself well.
PAST 520: Pastoral Theology
The course introduces the students to pastoral ministry and service in the Church. It provides the students a theological view on the various ministries in the context of the individual and community dimension of human experience leading them to the appreciation of the dialogue between contemporary experience and Christian tradition.
PAST 530: Ethics in Leadership
This course provides students with a survey of common approaches to ethics in leadership, an introduction to theories of leadership, and an opportunity to apply various ethical frameworks to moral challenges that face leaders in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (including Catholic-based organizations). Topics include the moral foundations of ethical frameworks, developing a theory of leadership, and becoming virtuous leaders of virtuous organizations.
PAST 532: Spirituality and Liturgical Pastoral Theology
The course provides a theological reflection on liturgical experience and expression of Christian communities. Special attention will be given to preparation and practices of prayer, liturgy of the hours, presiding, ritual, and music. The course is designed for those planning liturgy in parishes, schools, and other institutional settings.
PAST 542: Grief and Bereavement
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PAST 600: Field Based Learning Project/Reflection Seminar
An opportunity for an experience-based learning situation. During the term students will meet on regular basis in order to serve the integration of ministry experience with academic and personal growth.
Philosophy
PHIL 501: Philosophical Themes of Catholic Theology
This course intends to provide the graduate student with a basic understanding of the nature of philosophy, of its early development in Ancient Greece and of its vital importance in the genesis of Christian thought and theology. The student will be led through a quick excursus of Greek philosophy with a special emphasis on the teachings of Aristotle, so that he may understand and appreciate that every natural truth attained through the correct use of reason alone, is both compatible with and ancillary to the Revealed Truth, since God’s Word is the One Source of both the path of reason and the path of faith.
Religious Education
RLED 500: Curriculum and Instruction in Religious Education
Designed for Catholic Educators practicing the vocation of teaching, this course offers the opportunity to reflect, in an adult context, on the significance of faith and faith growth for themselves and their students to acquire theological background and pedagogical skills for the teaching of Religious Education and the integration of Gospel Values across the curriculum. Characteristics of approaches to Christian Education will be examined and applied to teaching practice.
RLED 512: Catechetics
The course aims to explore the foundations and rationale of the Canadian catechetical program, its context and directives in the light of the Post-Vatican II. Also, it will lead the students to greater understanding and appreciation of Catechesis in the faith formation in schools through Religious Education Programs.
RLED 514: Theories of Religious Development
This course places various psychological and philosophical theories of human development as well as the insights of critical theorists in dialogue with the theological insights of conversion and mercy. This dialogue grounds a hermeneutic of Christian hope that is responsive to the challenges of our times.
RLED 520: Organizational Leadership
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RLED 600: Field Based Learning Project/Reflection Seminar
An opportunity for an experience-based learning situation. During the term students will meet on regular basis in order to serve the integration of ministry experience with academic and personal growth.
Scripture
SCRI 500: Introduction to the Old Testament
A survey of the religious traditions of Ancient Israel as reflected in the diverse literature of the Old Testament, with emphasis on their ongoing historical development. Also, the course aims to give students an appreciation for the Old Testament as an expression of the Israelites’ relationship to their God. It will begin with the Old Testament’s own context which will become a foundation to allow the student to begin thinking exegetically. Attention will be given to the Catholic framework for approaching scripture.
SCRI 505: Introduction to Scripture
This course is a basic introduction to Scripture for graduate students without previous background in Scripture. The course covers both the Old and New Testaments in their own contexts, thematic parallels between them, and gives attention to how the Catholic intellectual tradition engages these textual traditions.
SCRI 510: Introduction to the New Testament
The New Testament is an integral source for understanding and contextualizing the mission of Jesus as well as understanding the theological heritage of the Church. Understanding the New Testament authors, their methods of communication, and their historical contexts, is the first step before any application of these texts may take place. This course gives students an appreciation for the New Testament as an early and developing witness to Jesus Christ.
SCRI 516: Johannine Literature
This course introduces students to the Gospel of John and other Johannine literature in the New Testament. These texts are situated in their historical and cultural context in order to better appreciate their major themes and the distinctive contribution of Johannine literature to the New Testament and to the Catholic tradition.
SCRI 521: St. Paul’s Epistles
This course investigates Pauline literature and the theologies represented in these writings. Students are introduced to a variety of approaches to Pauline texts as well as critical scholarly debates in Pauline studies. While texts are studied in their original historical and cultural context, attention is also paid to their relevance in the Catholic tradition.
SCRI 532: Torah
This course introduces students to the literature and major themes of the Torah with an emphasis on its ancient Near Eastern context. Through the study of representative primary texts, the course familiarizes students with methods and issues in the modern study of the Torah. Attention is also paid to how the Catholic intellectual tradition engages with the Torah.
Spirituality
SPIR 501: Introduction to Spirituality
The course presents spirituality and its biblical roots including the Greek contemplative ideal. The early classical spiritual writers; Origen, the Desert Tradition, Pseudo Dionysius; the middle ages including the Franciscans, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich; later middle ages including the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, culminating in a survey of 20th century spiritual figures. An examination of contemporary spirituality including the practice of prayer and spiritual discernment, a review of current secular and non-Christian forms of spirituality.
SPIR 537: Leadership and Spirituality
This course will focus on the spiritual dimensions of leadership, the leader’s personal spiritual growth and the leader’s responsibilities in the areas of community building, faith development, celebrations of faith, Christian service and the moral development of children, youth, and adults in a Catholic school community.
SPIR 542: Spiritual Traditions in Christianity
The course provides an overview of Christian Spirituality and the universal call to holiness. Attention will be given to understanding Christian Spirituality as it related to contemporary Christian living and the quest for integration of mind, body, and soul. An awareness of the great variety of Christian spiritualities and emphasis on our human search for meaning and purpose.
SPIR 544: St. Ignatius and the Spiritual Exercises
The course presents the fundamental principles of Ignatian spirituality, especially as described in the Spiritual Exercises. It will discuss the elements of the theology underlying Ignatian spirituality and guided Ignatian contemplation and the Examen. Ignatian spirituality as it connects to one’s personal life as well as service to others.
SPIR 548: Introduction to the Art and Science of Spiritual Direction
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SPIR 581: Selected Topics in Spirituality
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Theology
THEO 500: Theology for Ministry
Offered as an initial elective for students who may be interested in pursuing graduate studies, this course aims to provide a condensed introduction to major themes in Catholic biblical studies and systematic theology as well as to the practices of theological reflection and discernment. Special emphasis will be placed on the relationship between core concepts and on the connection between course content and students’ ongoing practice of ministry.
THEO 501: Foundations of Theology
The course examines the nature of theology. It looks at revelation (Scripture and Tradition), spirituality, liturgy, philosophy including the role of faith and reason, and the human sciences. It reviews the major periods of history of the church and the role of the teaching office (Magisterium).
THEO 510: Christology & Trinity
Jesus Christ as Lord: the expectation of the Messiah, the first proclamation of Jesus as Christ and Lord; the development of doctrine; contemporary understanding. A review of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity through biblical, liturgical, historical and contemporary theology on the Trinity.
THEO 520: The Church
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THEO 522: Introduction to Catholic Social Teachings
This course is an overview of Catholic social teaching, focusing on papal encyclicals and Vatican statements as well as other documents.
THEO 525: Theology of Ministry
The course leads the students to the exploration of the rich tradition of the Church in various ministries. It also provides a solid theological education, preparing students for lay ministry in the church that is grounded to the ministerial leadership paradigm of Jesus Christ.
THEO 526: Christianity and World Religions
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THEO 530: Christian Morality
This course will introduce students to the sources, development, and history of moral theology using scriptural, patristic, theological, and magisterial sources. Particular attention will be given to the foundational moral theology of the Catholic tradition and the call of the Second Vatican Council for the renewal of this discipline by a return to its sources and an integration of moral studies with other areas of theology.
THEO 540: Liturgy and Sacraments
The course introduces public prayer of the church, the Sacraments and the liturgy of the hours. It includes the study of the Christian understanding of the liturgy, the sacraments in general and the sacraments of initiation and sacraments of healing from a biblical, historical, systematic, and pastoral perspective with attention to current issues in sacramental theology.
THEO 542: Spirituality of Lay Ministry
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Others
