Academics

The Master's program in Ecumenical Studies consists of the following courses:

First Semester
Survey of the Eastern Christian Tradition
Survey of Catholic Ecclesiology
Introduction to Ecumenical Christian Ethics
Survey of the Protestant Tradition
Ecumenical Theology

Second Semester
Christian History – an Ecumenical Perspective
Opposition to Ecumenism
Survey of Contemporary Contextual Theology
History of the Ecumenical Movement
Ecumenical Ecclesiology

Third Semester – Electives
Liturgy and Sacraments
Bilateral and Multilateral Dialogues
The Orthodox Church in the Ecumenical Movement
Eastern Catholic Churches and Ecumenism
Ecumenical Hagiology

All courses in the first two semesters are required. In the third semester, students may choose five courses out of the options offered. Students who already have a relevant education may be not be required to take some of the courses offered in the first semester, upon discussion with the program coordinator and/or the professor of the course.

Please note that a course may not be offered in a particular semester if not enough students register for it.

Course Structure and Requirements

All classes have a similar design. The course of reading for each class is structured by the writings of its professor. In some cases, guiding questions accompany the texts. Each class is divided into three-week sections. At the end of each section, students write a one-page response to a key argument made by the professor, to which the professor then responds with comments. At the end of the semester, students are required to submit a 10-15 page paper for each class, to be evaluated by a teacher at the Institute of Ecumenical Studies, and an abstract of the paper, to be evaluated by the professor. As they progress through each course, students will also engage in discussion with their peers on at least a weekly basis through an online forum and a blog. Students will also have opportunities to communicate with their teachers and peers through phone and web resources.

In addition to the classes, to receive full credit students will make three Ecumenical Visits each semester to a church that is not in their own tradition, and submit reports on their experience to the program coordinator and to their fellow students. Students are also required to submit a short paper at the end of the semester reflecting on their learning experience.

Assistance and guidance are available to students at all times from the program coordinator and staff.