Program-Specific Information
- Course Selection
- Course Requirements
- Exceptions
- Academic Standing and Course Loads
- Graduating Requirements and Academic Achievement
- Evaluation and Withdrawal Procedures
Course Selection
Candidates for the ministry from the three Theological Colleges associated with the School must select their courses in consultation with their College advisor. The course selection form needs to be signed also by the Chair of the B.Th. Committee.
Those seeking the degree and not sponsored by one of the three colleges associated with the Faculty will need to clear their course selections with the Chair of the B.Th. Committee.
In all cases this consultation should take place before registration.
Declaring a Minor Concentration
A B.Th. student who wishes to declare a Minor Concentration should first ask an advisor in the Department offering the intended Minor to e-mail the Department’s consent to the B.Th. Chair. The B.Th. Chair will make sure that it is feasible to complete the Minor within the student’s credit limit.
Once a student has made the request and has been approved for the program the B.Th. Chair or an administrator from School of Religious Studies will request the Records Unit at Enrolment Services, Service Point, to add the Minor Concentration manually to the students’ records.
Registration
All students must register on Minerva. Minerva provides web access to registration, class schedules, course descriptions, etc.
- Students can consult the When to register page for course registration deadlines. After this period a late registration fee will be applied.
- All B.Th. students must receive approval from the B.Th. program director before registering for courses.
- Students must also receive permission from the program director to with draw from courses.
Course Requirements
Unless otherwise mandated by the Bachelor of Theology Committee, courses are as follows:
First Year (U0) courses (30 credits)
Required courses (6 credits)
Complementary courses (24 credits)
3 credits from:
3 credits in History and Classical Studies at the 200 or 300 level
3 credits in Catholic Studies, Jewish Studies, or Islamic Studies at the 200 or 300 level
0-6 credits in languages (ancient or modern) at the100 level (if necessary)
6 credits in literature (other than biblical), Art History, or Music at the 200 or 300 level.
Note: All courses at the 100 and 300 level require Faculty approval.
3-9 credits to be determined in consultation with the B.Th. program adviser.
Year 1 (U1) courses (30 credits)
Required courses (12 credits)
Students admitted to U1 on the basis of a Quebec Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC) will normally take the following required courses in their first year.
By permission of the B.Th. Committee, students may substitute courses for any of the required courses if they have already taken them or similar courses for credit elsewhere.
Complementary courses (18 credits)
3 credits selected from the following list (or another approved course in ethics):
3 credits selected from the following list (or 3 credits in Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, or Philosophy and Western Religions):
12 credits to be determined in consultation with the B.Th. program adviser.
Year 2 (U2) courses (30 credits)
Required courses (24 credits)
Students entering the B.Th. as a second degree program would normally take 60 credits and begin with Year 2 (U2) courses. These students should verify with their program adviser regarding course substitutions if they have completed similar courses elsewhere.
Complementary courses (6 or 9 credits)
6 credits (9 credits if RELG 321 has been taken in Year 1 (U1)) to be chosen from among the 300- or 400-level courses offered in the Bachelor of Theology or Bachelor of Arts Religious Studies programs in consultation with the Bachelor of Theology program adviser, of which 6 credits may be chosen from the following.
Year 3 (U3) courses (30 credits)
Required courses (12 credits)
* RELG 420 may be replaced with another 3-credit course if recommended by the program adviser.
Complementary courses (18 credits)
3-credit in a religious tradition* other than Christianity, such as the courses listed below.
*Students who have previously taken a university-level course in world religions may replace this with 3 credits of complementary course.
Old Testament
3 credits from:
New Testament
3 credits from:
Christian Theology
3 credits from:
6 credits, to be chosen from among the 300 or 400 level courses offered in the Bachelor of Theology or Bachelor of Arts Religious Studies programs.
Exceptions
- By permission of the Bachelor of Theology Committee, students may substitute a course for any other required course if they have already taken said course or similar elsewhere (for credit).
- Permission is needed from the Bachelor of Theology Committee for courses selected from the curriculum of other departments of the University.
- By permission of the Director and the Chair of the Bachelor of Theology Committee, students may also enroll for courses at any university in the Province of Quebec. See Inter-University Transfer Agreement in the General Calendar for details.
- Professional and vocational courses (e.g., leading to ordination) are available through the In-Ministry Year (Master of Divinity (M.Div.)) upon the completion of the Bachelor of Theology degree.
Academic Standing and Course Loads
Satisfactory Standing: Students enter the university in satisfactory standing and remain in this standing unless their GPA (grade point average) or CGPA (cumulative grade point average) for any year drops below 2.00. The normal course load in any academic session is five courses per term (15 credits per term). A student with a high GPA (at least 3.00) may take more than the normal five courses per term.
Probationary Standing: A student is placed in probationary standing if either the CGPA or the term GPA falls between 1.50 and 1.99. (For part-time students, the GPA is calculated on the basis of the last 9 credits.) Students in probationary standing may take a minimum of 6 credits and a maxi¬mum of 12 credits per term.
A student in probationary standing returns to satisfactory standing by completing 12 additional credits with a GPA of at least 2.50, or by completing 12 credits with a GPA and a CGPA of 2.00 or greater.
A student in probationary standing who fails to achieve the levels of performance specified above will be placed in unsatisfactory standing, with the exception of those who obtain a GPA of 1.50-1.99 while continuing to have a CGPA of 2.00 or greater.
Unsatisfactory Standing: A GPA of less than 1.50 places a student in unsatisfactory standing.
A student in unsatisfactory standing will have to withdraw or seek re-admission as a probationary student with special permission from the B.Th. Committee and the Dean. A student who is readmitted on probationary standing may have additional restrictions or conditions to meet, over and above those required of students referred to above under "Probationary Standing." A student in unsatisfactory standing for the second time must withdraw permanently.
Incomplete Standing: A student whose record in any year shows a mark of K, K*, L, L*, or && will have no GPA or CGPA calculated for that year, and the record will show "Standing Incomplete." After completing the appropriate course requirements the GPA and CGPA will be calculated and the student's standing determined as described above.
A student whose standing is still "incomplete" at the time of registration for the next academic year must obtain a Letter of Permission to Register from the Chair of the B.Th. Committee.
Graduation Requirements
- The B.Th. is either a 120-credit program (for those admitted from outside Quebec and without a prior Bachelor's degree), a 90-credit program (for those who apply on the basis of a Quebec DCS or equivalent) or a 60-credit program (for those who apply on the basis of a recognized Bachelor's degree.
- Qualification for the degree shall include satisfactory standing (a grade of C or better) in all required courses and the complementary courses specified in year three, and the accumulation of sufficient acceptable credits to make a total of either 60 or 90-credits. It should be noted that students who take the B.Th. program as part of the M.Div. program need to maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.5 to be eligible for the M.Div. degree.
- Normally the program credits must be earned within five years from the date of entrance.
Academic Achievement
Several designations are used to acknowledge the superior academic achievement of in-course and graduating students. These designations are awarded at the discretion of the Faculty of Arts.
- Dean's Honour List: to designate the 10% of graduating students who have completed a minimum of 60 credits at McGill with the highest CGPA .
- Distinction: to designate the 25% of graduating students who have completed a minimum of 60 credits at McGill with the highest CGPA who do not qualify for Dean's Honour List.
- Honours: to designate graduating students who have completed a minimum of 60 credits at McGill and have fulfilled the honours course requirements with a CGPA of at least 3.00 or 3.50 for First Class Honours.
- Dean's Honour List: to designate the top 10% of continuing students based on the combined GPA for the fall and winter terms.
Evaluation
Competence in a course may be determined by examinations and/or essays, or by other means chosen by the instructor and approved by the Dean.
Withdrawal Procedures
In case of withdrawal from the University prior to the published course withdrawal deadline, the student must withdraw from all courses via Minerva. In addition students must contact the Chair of the B.Th. Committee and complete the necessary withdrawal form.