St. Mark’s Accreditation Re-Affirmed by the Board of Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS)

We are pleased to announce that the accreditation for St. Mark’s College has been affirmed for another 10 years until March 31, 2033, by the Board of Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).

The re-accreditation includes all four Master’s degrees:

• Master in Catholic Educational Leadership (39 credits)
• MA in Pastoral Studies (42 credits)
• MA in Religious Education (42 credits)
• MA in Theological Studies (42 credits)

This decision comes as the culmination of an institutional self-study and an October 2022 evaluation visit by an ATS accreditation committee. Included in this re-accreditation is ongoing permission for Comprehensive Distance Education.

ATS is a membership organization of more than 270 graduate schools that educate persons for the practice of ministry and for teaching and research in the theological disciplines. The Commission on Accrediting of ATS accredits schools and approves the degree programs they offer.

Being accredited means our students and faculty can be assured that our programs not only meet but also often exceed, the highest educational standards of theological education.

This successful re-accreditation follows a process that began with an initial accreditation as an associate member (2010), as a candidate member (2014), and finally as a fully accredited member (2018).

The ATS evaluation committee and the Board of Commissioners recognized a number of distinctive strengths:

• a. The school’s growing awareness of its missional capacity to be “the Catholic University in British Columbia,” and its willingness to discern new ways of engaging and capturing the imagination of those whom it is able to serve.
• b. The inspiring esprit de corps of the personnel at St. Mark’s that generously supports teaching and learning processes in nimble and collaborative ways.
• c. The experimental curiosity of the school’s administration allows the discernment of practices that best serve the needs of the student body and is able to critique and modify practices to increase educational effectiveness.

We are committed to building on these strengths and working to address those areas identified as needing attention and improvement, with the goal of providing the highest quality theological education and formation for our students.

We would like to acknowledge the faculty, staff, and students who invested significant time and effort in the process. The ATS evaluation committee recognized and praised our clear commitment of faculty, staff, and students to the mission of St. Mark’s College, and we are grateful for their work. Together we are empowering leaders to make a difference in our world.

“Our ATS accreditation allows St. Mark's College to be recognized as the Catholic theological college at UBC where we are committed to the highest level of academic program delivery possible serving our communities, schools, parishes, and beyond.”

- Dr. Gerry Turcotte, Principal, St. Mark’s College

“I am so pleased that the ATS Board of Commissioners has re-accredited our programs, which are a product of the wonderful work of our faculty and staff. ATS’s recognition of Comprehensive Distance Education is important for our virtual program delivery. I look forward to continuing to develop the programs and our student community.”

- Dr. Lynda Robitaille, Dean of Theology, St. Mark’s College

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