GOALS
This professional program is designed to prepare individuals for the ministry of religious education. It welcomes women and men from various aspects of this ministry such as teaching or supervising in schools, parishes, dioceses, or international settings. The curriculum assists students:
- To reflect on Scripture and Tradition in the light of their original contexts.
- To interpret them in light of present-day Church teaching and in terms of contemporary thought and experience.
- To understand the psychological and sociological dimensions of religious education.
- To understand the history and theology of the teaching ministry in the Church.
- To reflect on the theory and practice of religious education in its current varied contexts.
- To engage in peer-group and field-based learning for the integration of faith and the practice of the teaching ministry.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE MRE
At least one year of full-time experience in teaching or other forms of education ministry. Applicants without full-time experience should provide a resume detailing comparable experiences. The teaching experience need not be in school-based education, but may be of a more informal nature. If there is some question, an interview with the Basic Degree Director or the Director of Religious Education Programs may be required.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Depending on a student's qualifications, between sixteen and twenty courses, or their equivalent in the case of transfer students, are required for the MRE degree. An average of B- (GPA 2.7) with no mark below B-, is requisite for the granting of the degree.
A student may wish to be exempted from particular courses or curricular requirements because of previous study or experience. In such cases a student must have permission from the professor of the course(s) in question. If exemption is granted, the student must substitute another course in the same area to fulfill the requirement.
CURRICULUM
The sixteen to twenty (16-20) units of study are distributed as follows:
Biblical Department (3 units)
• 1 unit, Introduction to the New Testament
(SMB 1501).
• 1 unit, Introduction to the Old Testament.
(SMB1007).
• 1 unit from either the Gospels or the Pauline
corpus.
Theology Department (5 units)
Core Systematic and Ethics courses must be taken
from offerings in the
Roman Catholic tradition.
• 1 unit, Foundations of Theology (SMT1101).
• 1 additional unit, normally Christology, Trinity
or Theological
Anthropology.
• 1 unit, either Sacramental Theology or Liturgy.
• 1 unit, Fundamental Themes in Christian Ethics
(SMT1904).
• 1 unit, Ethics Elective.
Pastoral Theology Department: Religious Education
(6 to 8 units)
. 1 unit, Theories of Religious Development, (SMP
3421).
. 1 unit, History of Religious Education,
(SMP 3432).
. 1 unit, The Educator and Theology, (CORE), (SMP 3446). This course is a prerequisite for Field Based Learning in Religious Education. Normally both this course and the course: Field Based Learning in Religious Education (SMP 3445) are completed in the same academic year (fall and spring). Part-time students must have completed ten courses in the MRE program prior to registration for these two courses.
. 1
unit, Field Based Learning in Religious Education,
(SMP 3445).
. 4 electives in the area of Religious
Education OR 2 electives in the area of Religious
Education and a thesis in the area of Religious Education
(2 units of credit).
N.B. A student who has a BEd or equivalent may be exempt from 1 Religious Education elective. A student who has completed OECTA III or shows evidence of completing it during the MRE program may receive the same exemption.
Free Electives (2 to 4 units)
. 4 electives from any department.
N.B. A Student with 1 year of full-time teaching experience or a student with 2 years in parish catechesis/religious education may have 1 free elective reduced from the program. A student with a second year of full-time teaching experience may have a second free elective reduced from the program.
MRE THESIS OPTION
MRE students who maintain a minimum A- average, normally after completion of fifteen courses, may choose to write a thesis on a topic in the field of religious education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MRE degree. Further information is available from the Student Services Officer.
FURTHER STUDY
In some cases, MRE graduates are admissible to advanced degree programs subject to establishing MDiv equivalency. This normally requires one year of study beyond the MRE. Graduates wishing to pursue advanced degree studies should consult with the Advanced Degree Director in planning this year of study. The Advanced Degree Programs section of this Bulletin provides further information.
MRE and the Ontario College of Teachers
The MRE degree is one of the Masters degrees recognized
by the Ontario College of Teachers. Students who
successfully complete the program may use it for
entrance into the Principal’s Qualification
Program and/or the Supervisory Officer’s Qualification
Program.