Graduate Program in Theology

General Information

Program Overview

The Graduate Program aims to deepen the main contents of the Christian faith, the central theological themes, the biblical reflection, developing a capacity for research as well as a reflective potential in the student, by maintaining a critical dialogue with questions raised by society and current culture.

Its main focus is to train professors and researchers in the field of Biblical Theology and  Systematic-Pastoral Theology, as well as to qualify them either for a high standard performance in the various ecclesial levels, or for qualified work in institutions and organizations destined for priestly training for religious and lay people and also for work in the dialogue of the Christian faith with society and culture.

Objective

The graduate program in Theology aims to deepen the knowledge acquired in  the undergraduate course, enabling the development of a capacity for research and of a creative potential power; its scope also comprehends the training of university professors of Theology.

This Program is flexible enough to allow the indispensable adaptations to differences among individuals and groups, especially in the case of people who are being trained to work in national or regional pastoral organizations.

History

The Theology Department is part of the Center for Theology and Human Sciences at PUC-Rio and was inaugurated by the University’s statute in 1967. Currently, the Department comprehends the graduate, undergraduate, the Religious Culture and the Theology distance course.

Being attentive to the need of deepening the research in the Biblical and Systematic-Pastoral areas, the PUC-Rio Research Council approved, on May 5, 1971, the creation of the graduate program in Theology. The first Master’s class began in the first semester of 1972 with two Concentration Areas: Biblical area and Systematic-Pastoral area.

On May 20, 1972, by Decree n°350/72, the Holy See, through the congregation for Catholic Education, established the Theology Department as the Faculty of Theology, granting it the right to confer ecclesiastical academic degrees of Bachelor, Master and Doctor in Theology.

On June 5, 1972, the University’s Teaching and Research Council approved the Doctoral course in Theology.

By Decree 132/99, on February 2, 1999, the Master’s and the Doctoral courses were accredited by CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel; from Brazilian Ministry of Education) with grade 5 (five) for the triennium 1998-2000, having maintaned that grade until the last triennium 2010-2012.

Concentration areas and lines of research

Concentration area: Biblical Theology

Concentration area: Systematic-Pastoral Theology

Course Recognition

Master’s and Doctoral Degrees

Recognition:
CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Eduction Personnel; from Brazilian Ministry of Education) evaluation: grade 5 (in a 3 to 7 scale) for the 2010-2012 period.
Approved by the CNE/CES MEC n.288/2015 of July 08, 2015.
Granted degrees: Master and/or Doctor in Theology

Requirements for obtaining the Master’s and Doctoral degrees

Master

• Complete the course in a period no shorter than 12 months at PUC-Rio
• Obtain a minimum of 24 credits in graduate disciplines
• Prove sufficient knowledge for reading texts in one of the following languages: French, English, Italian or German
• For students who choose Biblical Theology concentration area, it is required proof of knowledge in advanced Biblical Greek Language and advanced Biblical Hebrew language
• Present, defend and be approved in Master’s Dissertation (TEO 3000);
• In twelve months the student must have completed twenty four credits and be approved in the "Complexivo" Master’s Exam;
• During the semester subsequent to these twelve months, the student must have chosen his or her advisor and present his or her Dissertation Project;
• In the twenty-third month the student must hand in his or her Dissertation  in the Department’s secretary to be examined by the exam’s jury.
• During the period of twenty-four month the Dissertation must be defended in public
• The final text of the Dissertation must be submitted to the Department with the corrections made up to 180 days after the defense

Doctor

• Complete the course in a period no shorter than 12 months at PUC-Rio
• Be approved in the Qualifying Exam (TEO 3004).
• Obtain a minimum of 45 credits  (including the Masters credits)
• Prove sufficient knowledge for reading texts in two of the following languages: French, English, Italian or German.
• For students who choose Biblical Theology as their concentration area, it is required to prove knowledge in advanced Biblical Greek Language and advanced Biblical Hebrew language
• Present, defend in public and be approved in Doctorate Thesis (TEO 3001).
• Request the transfer of credits obtained in Master’s course disciplines
• Present the Qualifying Exam to the advisor and two other professors.
• At forty-two months, the student must present the advisor 2/3 of his or her thesis already written
• At forty-seven months, the student must hand in the final text of his or her Thesis to the Department’s office
• During the last month the student must defend the Thesis
• After the defense, the student will have up to 180 days to make corrections and submit the definitive version of the Thesis to the Department

Admission and Enrollment

Master

Applicants must have completed an Undergraduate degree in Theology recognized by MEC (Brazilian Ministry of Education) with a final average equal to or higher than 8 (eight) with a workload equal to or higher than 1.600 hours/classes;

Foreign applicants must have completed an Undergraduate degree in Theology  in IES (Higher Education Institution) recognized by relevant authorities in the in own country, with a final average equal to or higher than 8 (eight) and workload equal to or higher than 1.600 hours/class;

Applicants who hold free Theology course qualifications, with a final average equal to or higher than 8 (eight) and workload equal to or higher than 1.600 hours/class, may be allowed admission, in the case that he or she holds another Undergraduate degree recognized by MEC (Brazilian Ministry of Education) or, in the case of foreign applicants, by the competent civil organ in their country.

Be approved in the Theology Selection exam, which will deal with essential  themes proposed by the Department Directory.

Doctor

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in Theology or Religious Studies from a Brazilian institution recognized by CAPES or from a foreign institution with a recognized diploma from the IES (Higher Education Institution) in Brazil. Holders of the Masters degree in Religious Sciences must have an Undergraduate degree in Theology in order to be eligible to apply.

Be accepted by the Department  based on his or her research project.

Other requirements:

Be accepted by the Department based on academic transcripts, Curriculum Vitae, on professional experience and interviews.

Evaluation of the Registration process for enrollment in the Graduate Program by Special Committee Professors.

Deadlines: Enrollment in the Master’s course is done once a year, in June/October. Enrollment in the Doctoral course is open in August/October and also in April/May for the second semester.