Notre Dame Seminary has the following entrance requirements.  These requirements are not arbitrary, but based on the guidelines of our accrediting agencies and the guidelines of the Bishop’s Committee on Priestly Formation.

     1) The applicant for the School of Theology in the Master of Divinity Program must have obtained the B.A. or Ph.B. from an accredited college.

a) If the applicant has the B.S. degree, he will be admitted provided he has earned credits in English, History, and Literature.  If he is judged to be inadequately prepared in these areas of the liberal arts, he will be required to make up these deficiencies either by planned reading programs or by attending one of the local universities.  A general liberal arts education is considered the “pre-divinity” course.

b) A small number of students from non-accredited colleges may be admitted each year.  These students are accepted on probation.  They are considered candidates for theological degrees after the probation period (30 hours) has expired.

     2) All applicants in the M.Div. Program, and students for the priesthood generally, must have 24 hours of philosophy.  Students who are deficient in philosophy, or who have earned no credits in philosophy, may be accepted  into the seminary but will not  be accepted into the graduate program in theology until they have earned the required credits in philosophy.

     3) A few students who do not have college degrees will be accepted provided the total enrollment of such students does not exceed 10% of the total student body.

a) Such applicants must have maintained at least a “C” average in their college work.

b) Should the student wish to apply for a theological degree, candidacy for this is usually contingent upon completion of the bachelor’s degree program.

Students wishing to transfer from  other accredited institutions must meet the same standards of admission and other requirements as new students, and provide two faculty references from the seminary or graduate school last attended.  Transfer credits applicable to a Notre Dame degree will be determined by the Dean.  Ordinarily a student may expect to be given credit for all satisfactory work (“C” or above) completed at another seminary.  As a matter of policy applicants for the Master of Divinity degree may expect to spend two full-time semesters before the Parish Internship.

Students from other countries may be admitted to the degree programs at Notre Dame.  Evidence must be presented of academic preparation equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.  Official transcripts should be sent directly to the Admissions Office.  Applicants must also provide recommendations from church leaders in their native countries.

Persons taking courses at Notre Dame without intending to apply them toward a degree may do so.  These students will be classified as taking courses for credit or audit.

 Seminarian Applicants

     The following documents must be sent by mail directly from the School, Parish Church, Chancery, etc. concerned.  They should be mailed to: The Rector, Notre Dame Seminary, 2901 South Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA  70118-4391.  The following information must be received before a candidate’s application for admission can be reviewed by the Admissions Board:

     1) Seminarian Graduate School Application Form
     2) Two recent photographs
     3) Two letters of recommendation from professors or non-relatives
     4) Transcripts of college credits (transcripts must be sent to the Registrar’s Office directly from the Office of the Registrar of all the undergraduate and graduate colleges/universities attended.)
     5) A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s pastor
     6) Letters of recommendation from the Rectors of all seminaries which the applicant has attended and/or is presently attending.  If the applicant is attending a non-seminary college, a letter of recommendation from some officer of the college is required.
     7) An official and currently dated baptismal and confirmation certificate
     8) A letter of sponsorship from applicant’s bishop or vocation director
     9) Certificate of reader, acolyte, admission or ordination is required if these ministries have been received by the applicant.
   10) Physical Examination (within the last six months
   11) Psychological assessment
   12) Essay

     1) Graduate School Application Form
     2) Two letters of recommendation
     3) Official transcripts of all college credits
     4) Recent photograph
     5) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if applying for the Research M.A.

1) Application for the Fall Semester should be made as soon as possible in the early Spring.  The formal deadline for application is August 1^st.  While late applications may be considered, applicants are urged to file necessary documents as early as possible.  No late applications will be considered one week prior to the beginning of the Fall Semester.

2) Application for the Spring Semester must be submitted along with all the necessary documents at least one month before the semester begins.

3) The Admissions Board will evaluate the academic qualifications of applicants and determine their acceptability for the various academic programs.  For seminarian applicants the Admission Board meets on four dates during the summer and interviews each applicant personally.  A student’s admission will be voted upon on the date following reception of all the required documents.

4) According to the seminary’s policy a student wishing to reside in the seminary must normally be accepted as a seminary candidate and participate in the seminary formation program.  Regular evaluations of his progress in the formation program will be sent to the Bishop/Religious Superior and the Vocation Director.

5) Inquiries concerning application to the Graduate School should be addressed to the Academic Dean.

6) Inquiries concerning application to the Seminary should be addressed to the Rector.

The Faculty Council has approved these standards as a guideline for grading.  If a faculty member chooses not to use this guideline, it is suggested that the professor publish a guideline for the students at the beginning of the semester.

A     Shows an excellent grasp of the basic concepts, integrates them within the discipline and with other disciplines of study,  shows insight regarding the implications and applications of the concepts and shows integration in the articulation of them

B+    Demonstrates an above average grasp of the basic concepts, sees broader implications, shows some integration and awareness of the concepts, and can articulate them in a well integrated fashion.

B     Demonstrates an above average grasp of the basic concepts, sees broader implications, shows some synthesis/integration and awareness of the concepts, and can articulate them in an above average form.

C+   Grasps the basic concepts and articulates them in a coherent manner.

C     Grasps most of the basic concepts and can articulate them in a coherent manner, written and/or oral form.

D+   Has grasped about 75% of the basic concepts and is not able to articulate them adequately (several points lacking and/or confused).

D     Has grasped about 60% of the basic concepts and is not able to articulate them adequately (several points lacking and/or confused).

F     Has failed to grasp the basic concepts and is not able to articulate them

Students of Notre Dame Seminary must commit themselves to responsible scholarship in every aspect of academic formation.  This means working and studying to the best of their ability for every course.  They also accept responsibilities and obligations as students, which include commitments to honesty, disciplined study, and integrity in their academic work.  They will be expected to respect academic scholarship by giving proper credit to other people’s work, while at the same time preparing well for assigned materials and examinations in such a way that their academic integrity will never be questioned.

To discontinue in a course after the dates published in the academic calendar is considered a withdrawal "W" and a record of this appears on the student's permanent transcript.  In order to withdraw from any course, the student must receive the written approval of the Academic Dean.  Forms for this are available in the registrar's office.  The last day for withdrawing from a course with a "W" grade is indicated on the academic calendar.  NOTE WELL:  "Course Withdrawal" forms are to be submitted to the Dean's office, not to the course instructor.

     Individual professors in consultation with the Dean are responsible for establishing requirements for courses under their direction.  These may include term papers, book reports, tests, class presentations, etc. or a combination of the above.  Course requirements are to be published by professors with the course syllabus at the beginning of each semester.   

     Students who fail to meet any or all course requirements within the allotted time (i.e. before the end of the semester or by the date designated by the professor) automatically receive the grade "F" for the course in which the delinquency occurs.    

     In exceptional cases, a student may be given permission to complete course requirements after the close of the semester.  The proper procedure for a student to receive a grade of incomplete”I” for a course is for the student to discuss the situation with the professor, academic dean and rector and have each sign a memo giving the necessary approval.  This memo is to be submitted to the registrar’s office before the close of the semester.  An approved incomplete MUST be completed six (6) weeks after the close of the semester.  The grade "I" automatically becomes an "F" if the work is not completed within the six weeks after the close of the semester (i.e. the last day of the final semester exams). Professors are not responsible for papers sent through the mail.

      To drop or add a course, the student must receive the approval of the Academic Dean by a written request.  Forms for such requests are on file in the registrar's office.  Dates by which such requests must be submitted are published in the academic calendar.

     Seminarians Only:  Permission must be obtained from the Academic Dean to withdraw from any course.  If a seminarian is dismissed for disciplinary reasons, either by his Ordinary or by the Seminary, he is automatically dismissed from the Graduate School of Theology.

The academic standing of each student is determined by the combined grades at the conclusion of each semester.  The academic standing is arrived at by dividing the total number of quality points earned for all credit courses or seminars taken by the total number of semester hours of credit attempted.  This gives the student's scholastic or grade point average (GPA).

A student who fails to maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for any single semester is placed on academic probation for the following semester.  Such a student will be dismissed for poor scholarship in the event the grade point average falls below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters.

     Seminarians Only:  Permission must be obtained from the Academic Dean to withdraw from any course.  If a seminarian is dismissed for disciplinary reasons, either by his Ordinary or by the Seminary, he is automatically dismissed from the Graduate School of Theology.

A report of each student's scholastic performance is issued approximately  three weeks after the close of each semester.  Copies of this report are supplied to the student, the seminary student's vocation director and bishop/religious superior, and the President-Rector of the seminary.

  Grades will be withheld at the conclusion of each semester for the following reasons:  incomplete academic and/or seminarian file; unpaid financial obligations; unreturned library books and/or unpaid fees.

Students who feel they have a legitimate grievance over a final grade should proceed as follows:

     Stage One:  They should consult the instructor as soon as possible to seek an explanation and try to resolve the problem.  Only if this is unsuccessful, they may proceed to:

     a)  The Dean will then act as negotiator in attempting to resolve the dispute in informal fashion, consulting with both parties, jointly or individually, and using any other means he deems appropriate - while naturally holding all statements, written and oral, in strict confidence.

Should the Dean himself be named as the instructor in the case, then the students should take their appeal to the assistant dean, who will act as negotiator (as above) and replace the dean in all further stages of the appeal procedure.

     b)  Only if the above negotiations are unsuccessful, will the Dean - after first deciding that the student has a case which warrants further action - refer the matter to:

     Stage Three:  The Dean appoints an ad hoc committee of two or three faculty members, who have some knowledge of the academic area in question, to review the matter.  The Dean, with the approval of these faculty members, may at his discretion co-opt one or more students to the committee as consultors.

The committee will review the student's work in the course in question (papers, tests, etc.), together with the professor's evaluation (which can include class work and performances), taking into account the written procedure for grading that the professor has submitted at the beginning of his course to students together with the course syllabus (approved by the Dean in the usual way).

The committee's findings are by way of recommendation to the Dean (either to retain, or to change the grade).  The committee will make every effort to achieve a consensus recommendation; in case of a tie vote, the Dean will decide  the matter (he may co-opt a further member to the committee).

     Stage Four:  On the basis of the committee recommendations, the Dean makes the final decision whether to retain or change the grade; his decision is not effective till after one week, the period allowed for an appeal by either the  student or instructor.  Should the dean decide that the appeal is well-grounded, he may direct a rehearing.

     A student who has maintained a high degree of scholastic achievement is awarded a degree with the distinction:

         Cum laude for a GPA of 3.50        
         Magna cum laude for a GPA of 3.70                      
         Summa cum laude for a GPA of 3.90

     A “high degree of scholastic achievement” implies that the student has not received a grade lower than a “B” in any of his courses.

     Notre Dame Seminary, in 1971, became an affiliate member of the New Orleans Consortium with Loyola University and Xavier University as its full members.  Full-time students wishing to take courses at these institutions under consortium privileges, and wishing to have credits transferred to Notre Dame must have the written approval of the Academic Dean before registering for these courses.  According to the consortium agreement full-time students at Notre Dame are limited to 6 undergraduate credit hours per semester in the participating universities.

    In 1994, Notre Dame Seminary and Our Lady of Holy Cross College entered into an agreement for a jointly earned Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies with the core curriculum taken at Holy Cross, while the philosophy minor and the theology major are taken at Notre Dame.  The degree is granted by Holy Cross.   A few students who come without a B.A. or B.S. take advantage of this program while simultaneously fulfilling the Notre Dame pre-theology program.

     All students wishing to take summer courses at another graduate school for credit toward a degree at NDS must have written approval of the Academic Dean before registering for these courses.  Courses taken without necessary permission will not be accepted toward a degree from NDS.

     Students who expect to receive degrees must maintain registration until their  graduation if their course work is completed in a given semester prior to the conferring of the degree.  This applies whether or not they are working on a thesis.  A $10.00 per semester fee is charged for maintaining registration.  Failure to maintain registration will result in removal of one’s name from the list of degree candidates which is maintained in the Registrar’s Office.  Once removed from that list, re-entry into a degree program will require re-application and a payment of fees accumulated during the period of removal from the list. 

     A degree candidate is allowed two years from the completion of course work to meet all the degree requirements.

     A Master of Arts in Theological Studies student is classified as full-time if carrying a minimum of 12 semester hours or 10 semester hours plus thesis research.

     A Master of Divinity student is classified as full-time if carrying a minimum of 14 semester hours or is involved in a full-time parish internship.

      Only full-time students may qualify  for the Dean’s Honor List.

     In exceptional circumstances the Academic Dean may classify certain students who do not fulfill the above requirements as full-time students.

       Full-time status obligates the student to enroll in the number of semester hours specified for each term in the various programs.  Exceptions must be approved by the Academic Dean.

     Examinations are normally held at the close of each semester.  In addition to, or in place of the semester written examination, the professor may give an oral examination, or use some other means of evaluating students.

     In order to help motivated students deepen their understanding of basic material covered in class, certain courses in third, second and first semester of first year theology may have a seminar track.   Seminars would be bi-weekly, for 50 minutes; with the professor’s help, students would report on progress, discuss, share, and interact. 

     Participants would be selected by the Academic Dean, or could present themselves for seminars which correspond with their special interests in theology, always subject to the professor’s approval, both for acceptance and for continuance.  Seminars will not be used to cover material that should be covered in class; participants must still attend all classes and fulfill all course requirements, nor will non-participants be penalized in any way.  Professors will announce and explain the seminar in the first week of class.

Purpose

     a) To prepare students for the type of on-going study they will be doing as priests,     
     b) To be resourceful in using local academic resources and
     c) To develop personal responsibility for learning by organizing independent study, the following system of elective course work is proposed.

Guidelines

     Students can select a traditional classroom elective from the list of course offerings, or students can propose a topic of interest that would be either a directed reading course or a small group course.  Faculty members are not required to teach a directed reading course or small group course but may choose to do so upon the request of students.

     Course requirements for all types of electives will include at least one of the following: 

     1) Research paper
     2) Major project
    3) 4-6 smaller projects
     4) One hour class presentation
     5) Smaller tests or examination

Types

     Traditional Classroom Course  - This course meets in a classroom at a regularly scheduled time for 2 hours a week.  The professor determines the course content.  This course requires at least 300 pages of reading material.  (See N.B. #4) 

     Small Group Course  - A group of students interested in the same topic, requests a faculty member to offer a course on this topic.  Requests should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office before the end of the semester.  The group should determine the meeting place, and with the faculty member,  determine the course content.   This group meets at least one hour per week and  requires at least 400 pages of reading material.  (See N.B. #4) 

     Directed Reading Course (limited use) - An individual student interested in studying a given topic, requests a faculty member to direct the course of study.  This request should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office before the end of the semester.  The professor and student would determine the meeting place and course content.  This group meets at least one hour every other week and requires at least 600 pages of reading material.  (See N.B. #4)

N.B.

     1) These guidelines do not apply to electives in music performance and language.
     2) For elective courses in languages, no more that 4 credit hours may be applied to the M.Div. elective credits.
     3) Students in philosophy and first theology may not ordinarily take M.Div. elective courses; however, an exception is made for language courses.
     4) Specification of amount of reading material, considering the nature of the course and the difficulty of the material, may be determined by the professor.

     Directed study in specialized areas of the several fields represented in the curriculum may be undertaken in either the Fall or Spring Semesters by qualified degree students.  Students must receive permission of the professor involved and of the Academic Dean or the Director of the M.A. Program. 

     Only regularly enrolled students are permitted to undertake directed studies.  To be eligible for a directed study, a student must have a satisfactory academic record.  A directed study may  not duplicate any courses listed in this catalog; is not available in the first semester of the M.A. programs, and a total of no more than twelve hours may be completed in this manner.  The maximum credit allowed for a directed study course is three hours per semester for M.A. students.  A student who applies for such a course is to secure a form from the Registrar’s Office and submit a statement of the project, with a plan or outline of study and bibliography in writing, to the faculty member involved, who, in turn, submits the plan to the Academic Dean or the Director of the M.A. program for approval.  The plan must provide for a minimum of 45 hours of work for each credit hour, including meetings with the instructor as specified on the directed study application form. 

     Registration for a directed study can be accomplished only at regular registration periods.  Duration of these projects is to be specified in the proposal and approved by the Academic Dean or Director of the M.A. program.

admissions - requirements | application procedure | transfer admissions | international students | special students | documents required | grading guidelines | letter grades | academic integrity | class attendance | academic standing | probation and dismissal | incomplete work | dropping/adding/withdrawing from a course | academic reports | procedures for appealing grades | summer classes | maintaining registration | full-time student | graduation honors | consortium | semester examinations | advanced theological seminars | elective guidelines |guidelines for m.a. students with a concentration in spiritual theology