Seminarians who apply via St. Joseph Seminary are pre-screened by the seminary and all admission documents are submitted to the College directly via the Seminary. 

Seminarians admitted by this route do not have a screening interview to enter programs for ministry, nor do they participate in THEO 020 Lay Formation. Such students will typically begin their program by taking the SAF 101 Spiritual Internship Year. They cannot apply for government student loan funding during this first year. 

MPS 570P Field Education for such students on programs for ministry lasts for 8 months during which they undergo a supervised placement in a parish. Seminarians are required to meet ordination requirements over and above the requirements of the degree to which they have been admitted. 

Intellectual Formation - The program shall foster sound knowledge of the revelation of God in creation, in Israel, and in the person of Jesus Christ as witnessed to by Scripture and the Church’s Tradition.

• Objectives
  To bring the students to an integral understanding of the Christian Triune God as revealed in Jesus Christ and witnessed to in the Church, by means of theological and biblical study, liturgical practice, and spiritual development.

• To examine the Christian Tradition and its historical development so to equip today’s students to become Christian leaders, possessing the necessary tools to address society’s religious and cultural needs.

• To promote an integrated understanding of theological areas and how they complement one another and enrich one’s ministry.

Cultural Context - The program shall foster an evangelical discernment of the ‘signs of the times’ to engage with the reality of cultural diversity in the Church and world.

• Objectives

• To provide instruction in discerning contemporary cultural and social challenges faced by the church in Canada and their significance for diverse linguistic and cultural context of ministry.

• To promote students’ engagement with the global character of the church as well as ministry in the multi-faith (ecumenism and interfaith dialogue) and multicultural context of Canadian contemporary society.

Personal and Spiritual Formation – The program shall foster growth in terms of human and Christian maturity, as a personal response to being a disciple of Jesus Christ and as a dimension of public witness.

• Objectives

• To provide opportunities for human formation, growth in personal self-knowledge, and affective maturity as a disciple and as a minister in the Church.

• To provide occasions for instruction in and for the practice of personal and liturgical prayer, as a means of growth in Christian maturity.

Capacity for Ministerial Leadership - The program shall foster theological reflection on and education for the practice of ministerial leadership in the Church and world.

• Objectives

• To provide courses in the areas of ministerial practice (e.g. Introduction to Pastoral Theology, Social Teaching of the Church, Liturgical Theology, Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying, Lay Formation, Field Education, Preaching, Spiritual Direction etc.) and promote a constructive relationship with the other courses in the program.

• To include opportunities for education through supervised ministerial experiences that are sufficient to develop ministerial skills and reflect on interrelated theological, cultural and experiential learning.

Candidates for the M.Div. program must possess a previous university degree (such as B.A., B.Ed.). An accredited undergraduate degree is required. A student’s previous university work should include 12 undergraduate credits in philosophy. Deficiencies in this area must be made up before students will be allowed to proceed into the third year of the program. Since the M.Div. is a professional as well as an academic degree, a screening process to determine the candidate’s aptitude for ministry is involved. Initial screening interviews will take place during the admission process. A second Mid-Program Assessment for lay students will be held prior to the student’s participation in MPS 570P Theological Field Education to determine readiness for practicum learning. Ongoing evaluation may result in a student being asked to interrupt or to leave the program for reasons over and above academic competence.

This program is a Designated Learning Program and eligible to receive foreign nationals on a study permit.  See International Student Admissions for DLI number.

• Submit a completed Application Form online and pay the non-refundable application fee through our Crossroad application portal. 
• Arrange for official high school transcripts and transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended to be sent directly to Admissions from the issuing educational authority. No photocopies allowed.
• Personal autobiography and curriculum vitae.
• Three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the character and intellectual ability of the applicant. Letters must be sent directly to Admissions.
• Submit a Security Clearance Check* obtained six months or less from the submission of the application package.

*Guidelines for the autobiography, curriculum vitae, letters of reference and security clearance check can be requested from Admissions.

When all required documentation is received the applicant’s file will be reviewed. Applicants conditionally admitted will have an interview with three members of the faculty. The interview team is responsible for recommending that the conditional admission be changed to a full admission. The interviewers may also advise that admission to the program is not recommended. 

Students that are in any program of study at NTC under the sponsorship of a Religious Community or Seminary, once they have begun a process of leaving the Religious Community or Seminary, must notify the Registrar immediately and reapply and, if necessary, be screened through the usual process for a lay student for entry into a pastoral program. An explanatory letter from the Religious Community or Seminary where they previously were in formation must accompany their reapplication to any program. They need not leave their studies unless they need time to compile the documents required for submission as part of the application process. No readmission fees would apply.

The M.Div. degree is awarded upon the completion of 90 credit units distributed as follows: 22 core courses (66 credits), 4 elective courses (12 credits), field education (6 credits), the integrative seminar and the comprehensive exam (3 credits), and the theological synthesis (3 credits). All requirements for credit in the M.Div. program are normally met through 500/600/700 level courses. M.Div. students are also required to:

• Complete SCR 500 Introduction to Sacred Scriptures and their Interpretation, SYT 500 Introduction to Theology, SYT 550 Christology, MPS 500 Introduction to Pastoral Theology, and MPS 561 Introduction to Moral Theology during the first year of the program or as soon as possible.
• Participate in an integrative seminar during their senior year.
• Participate in THEO 020 - Lay Formation. Full-time, part-time and distance lay students are required to participate in Lay Formation for six semesters. Lay Formation students are required to have an approved Spiritual Director. Seminary route is exempt.
• Participate in a Mid-Program Assessment and screening interview early in the student’s second year (after completing 36-45 credits of study at NTC).
• Be familiar with all of the books listed on the M.Div. required reading list. This basic material constitutes matter for the comprehensive examinations.
• Provide an acceptable written synthesis and pass an oral comprehensive examination on the basics of theology, during the last semester of their program or in the second week of June.

Normally, all requirements for the degree should be completed within six years from the date of initial registration in the program. Extenuating circumstances may allow for an extension to be granted by the NTC Admissions and Evaluations Committee.

Theological Field Education is based on the assumption that theology should not only inform pastoral practice, but that the lived experience of ministry should inform theology. The basic goal of this component of the program is the integration of one’s theology through a process of experiential learning. Broadly speaking, its objectives are: personal growth and development, acquisition of pastoral skills for various settings, and learning to do theology in a practical context. Ordinarily this is accomplished through a ministry practicum completed in the second or third year of the M.Div. program. This involves a time commitment of 10 to 12 hours a week throughout the academic year.

M.Div. education expects regular and substantive student-faculty interaction to achieve the stipulated learning outcomes, and this interaction requires that at least one year of full-time academic study (30 credits) shall be completed at our main campus.

A student may transfer a maximum of 45 credits towards the M.Div. degree from other recognized colleges and universities. Such credits must not be part of a previous degree program. The transfer of credits is subject to the approval of the NTC Admissions and Evaluations Committee.

Core Courses

Foundational Theology

12 Credits

FND 500 Early Church History
FND 502 Christianity and World Religions
FND 510 Medieval Church History
FND 511 Modern Church History

Sacred Scriptures

15 Credits

SCR 500 Introduction to Sacred Scriptures and their Interpretation*

Plus four of: SCR 521 Matthew and Mark**

SCR 522 Luke-Acts**
SCR 523 Pauline Literature
SCR 524 Johannine Literature
SCR 525 The Synoptic Gospels**
SCR 533 The Pentateuch and Historical Books

Systematic Theology

SYT 500 Introduction to Theology*
SYT 501 The Theology of Revelation
SYT 550 Christology*
SYT 551 Theology of God
SYT 552 Theological Anthropology
SYT 553 Ecclesiology 

Plus one of:
SYT 540 Liturgical Theology 
OR
SYT 542 Introduction to the Sacraments and Christian Initiation

Moral, Pastoral, and Spiritual Theology

24 Credits

MPS 500 Introduction to Pastoral Theology*
MPS 561 Introduction to Moral Theology*
MPS 562 Introduction to Spiritual Theology
MPS 563 Theology of Ministry
MPS 564 Practice of Ministry
MPS 570 Theological Field Education (6 credits)
MPS 571 The Social Teaching of the Church

THEO 020 Lay Formation

Non-Credit 6 Semesters

A process of spiritual, human and pastoral formation for all lay students. This process facilitates growth in human maturity, spiritual development, health and wellness, personal integrity and professional development. It recognizes the interrelatedness in life of theological education, human maturing, and the universal call to holiness. It will draw from Scripture, the rich spiritual traditions of the Church and from the social sciences.

Electives

12 credits

12 Elective credits chosen from graduate level courses listed under the Foundational, Sacred Scripture, Systematic, and Moral, Pastoral, Spiritual Theology areas.

Integrative Seminar and Comprehensive Exam

3 credits

M.DIV. 700  M.Div. Integrative Seminar and Comprehensive Exam

Theological Synthesis

3 credits

M.DIV.  710  M.Div. Synthesis

The integrative seminar, theological synthesis and comprehensive examination are taken in the final year of the program. 

* Courses must be taken during the First Year of Studies.
** Students who take SCR 525 cannot take SCR 521 and/or SCR 522 for credit.

Eastern Route Outline

Core Courses

Foundational Theology

12 Credits

FND 502              Christianity & World Religions
FND 510              Medieval Church History
And
        FND 500      Early Church History
{ OR
       FND 600       Patristic Theology
And
       FND 511       Modern Church History
{ OR                 
       FND 512       History of Ukrainian Catholic Church

Sacred Scriptures

SCR 500               Introduction to Sacred Scriptures and their Interpretation*
Plus four of:
SCR 521               Matthew & Mark**
SCR 522               Luke-Acts**
SCR 523               Pauline Literature
SCR 524               Johannine Literature
SCR 525               The Synoptic Gospels**
SCR 533               The Pentateuch & Historical Books

Systematic Theology

21 Credits

SYT 501               The Theology of Revelation
SYT 505               Introduction to Eastern Christian Theology
SYT 550               Christology
SYT 553               Ecclesiology
SYT 560               Eastern Christian Doctrine I: Trinity, Christ, and the Holy Spirit
SYT 561               Eastern Christian Doctrine II:
                                Humanity, Salvation, Eschatology and the Church

And:
        SYT 533       The Holy Mysteries Byzantine Sacraments
{ OR
        SYT 545       Byzantine Liturgical Theology

Moral, Pastoral, and Spiritual Theology

24 Credits

MPS 500              Intro to Pastoral Theology*
MPS 563              Theology of Ministry
MPS 564              Practice of Ministry
MPS 570              Theological Field Education (6 credits)
MPS 571              Social Teaching of the Church
MPS 581              Eastern Christian Moral Theology

And
       MPS 562       Intro to Spiritual Theology
{ OR
       MPS 684       Theology and Spirituality of Icons

THEO 020 Lay Formation

Non-Credit 6 Semesters

A process of spiritual, human and pastoral formation for all lay students. This process facilitates growth in human maturity, spiritual development, health and wellness, personal integrity and professional development. It recognizes the interrelatedness in life of theological education, human maturing, and the universal call to holiness. It will draw from Scripture, the rich spiritual traditions of the Church and from the social sciences. Those on or admitted to programs requiring THEO 020 Lay Formation but who will be undergoing an external human formation program e.g., via their seminary/religious house of formation or those in diaconate formation may fill our a form to waive this course. For those who have already completed formation for ministry such as ordained ministers at time of admission, a supplementary letter of good standing must be attached to this form along with a letter of permission of the Ordinary of the student/applicant granting permission to embark on the program having first discussed with this the local Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Edmonton

Electives

12 Credits

12 Elective credits chosen from graduate level courses listed under the Foundational, Sacred Scripture, Systematic, and Moral, Pastoral, Spiritual Theology areas.

Foundational Theology

Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines.
                Revised. San Francisco/New York: Harper and
                Row, 1960, 1976.

Pelikan, J. Christian Doctrine and Modern Culture
                 (since 1700). (The Christian Tradition.
                A History of the Development of Doctrine.
                Volume 5.)
                Chicago/London: The University of Chicago Press, 1989.

Congar, Y. The Meaning of Tradition.
                Ignatius Press, 2004.

Moral, Pastoral, and Spiritual Theology

Bouyer, L.  Introduction to the Spiritual Life.
                Notre Dame, IN:  Ave Maria Press, 2013.

Cahalan, K.  Introducing the Practice of Ministry.
                Collegeville:  The Liturgical Press, 2010.

May, W.  An Introduction to Moral Theology.
                2nd ed.  Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor
                Publishing Division, 2003.

Pinackaers, S.  The Sources of Christian Ethics.
                Washington: Catholic University of America
                Press, 1995.

Kinast, R. Making Faith Sense.
                Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1999.

Wood, S. K., ed.  Ordering the Baptismal Priesthood.
                Collegeville:  The Liturgical Press, 2003.

Wood, S. K.  Sacramental Orders. 
                Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2000.

Sacred Scriptures

Bechard, D. P. The Scripture Documents.  An Anthology of
                Official Catholic Teachings.
                Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical
                Press, 2001.

De Lubac, H. Scripture in the Tradition.
                Milestones in Catholic Theology, Crossroad,
                2001.

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth - from the Baptism
                 in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.
                Doubleday, 2007.

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth - Holy Week: from
                the entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection.
                Ignatius Press, 2011.

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth - The Infancy
                Narratives.   
Image, 2012.

Pope Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
                Verbum Domini.
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2010.

Systematic Theology

Balthasar, H.U. von. Theological Aesthetics. Vol 1.
                Seeing the Form.
San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982.

Kasper, W. The Catholic Church: Nature, Reality, and
                Mission.
London: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015.

Kasper, W.  Jesus the Christ.
                New Edition. Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2011.

Kasper, W. The God of Jesus Christ.
                New York: Crossroad, 1984.

Nichols, A. The Shape of Catholic Theology.
                Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1991.

O’Neill O.P., C. E. Meeting Christ in the Sacraments.
                Revised Edition, Romanus Cessario O.P. 2002.
                New York: Alba House, 1991.

Sachs, J.R. The Christian Vision of Humanity: Basic
                Christian Anthropology.
Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1991.

Our Master of Divinity graduates have found employment in a number of areas such as hospital, university, high school, prison and military chaplaincy, in retreat work, as pastoral assistants in parishes, as diocesan directors of catechesis, marriage and family life, ecumenism, social justice and adult faith formation.

'Originally from B.C., my husband, daughter and I moved out here for me to go to Newman. After seven years of volunteering in prison ministry, I felt called to pursue my MDiv so that I could work as a chaplain. We instantly felt welcomed by the community at Newman. The faculty is very personable and supportive of the students. The lay formation program has been vital for my spiritual and human formation as I come to the end of my degree. Newman has both challenged me and given an opportunity to deepen my knowledge and faith in an engaging atmosphere. Through Newman, I have also been able to make valuable connections to other people in ministry'

Angela V. (NTC Alumnus, M.Div., 2013)

Years spent at Newman were very fruitful for me both academically and personally. I learned much about the theological traditions of the church and was well prepared for doctoral studies in the United States. The classes also encouraged me to reflect on my own faith and the beliefs of the church. Overall, I was guided to consider what it means to be a Christian in the twenty-first century. I will always be thankful for my time of study, prayer and community life at NTC.

Matt Hoven, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Religion and Education, St Joseph's College, University of Alberta (NTC Alumnus, M.Div. 2002)

More Testimonials

Tuition and Fees (per term) - 2025/2026

*Full-time student fees include Administration fee, Library fee, and Students' Association fee.