Academic Formation

Admission – Requirements

      
          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 Bishops’ 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.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  1. All applicants in the Master of Divinity Program (M.Div.) and students for the priesthood generally must have 30 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 of theology until they have earned the required credits in philosophy.
  2. 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.
  1. Such applicants must have maintained at least a "C" average in their college work.
  2. If the student wishes to apply for a theological degree, candidacy for this is usually contingent upon completion of the bachelor’s degree program.

Transfer Admissions

   
          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. The maximum number of transfer credits accepted for the Master of Divinity Degree is sixty (60) credit hours. As a matter of policy, applicants for the Master of Divinity degree may expect to spend two full-time semesters before the Parish Internship. The maximum number of transfer credits for the Master of Theological Studies degrees is nine (9). Ordinarily a student may expect to be given credit for all satisfactory work ("C" or above) completed at another seminary or institution.

NDS International Students

          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 must be sent directly to the Admissions Office. Applicants must also provide recommendations from church leaders in their native countries.      

          All students desiring to enter Notre Dame Seminary who are learners or speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL) or English a Foreign Language (EFL) will be required, as part of the entrance formalities, to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550 for the paper-based version of the test (240computer based; 80 Internet-based). Potential NDS students have an opportunity to take the paper-based TOEFL administered on the NDS campus each semester.      

          If the student, as part of his past education, has passed the TOEFL within the past two years with the requisite score of 550, he may be accepted. Students who have not taken the TOEFL or who have taken it but not reached the requisite score, or who have a score of 550 or higher but whose scores are outdated (more than two years old), will have to take or re-take the TOEFL prior to the start of classes. The Notre Dame Seminary (NDS) English Language Program (ELP) will administer the paper-based TOEFL at the beginning and end of each semester. All potential NDS students are welcomed to take the TOEFL on the seminary campus before the start of classes. A student may be exempt from this requirement at the discretion of the Academic Dean.      

          Any student who does not receive a score of at least 550 points and who wants to pursue a degree at Notre Dame Seminary can enroll in the seminary’s English Language Program (ELP) to study English until he is able to achieve a score of 550. If a student has a score between 500 and 550 on the TOEFL, and wants to pursue entry into the seminary theological degree program, he is encouraged to attend NDS the ELP courses and may audit a limited number of theology courses, which will be determined by the Admissions Board. At the end of the semester of ELP classes and audited seminary classes, the student will retake the TOEFL in order to be considered for re-admission into the theology degree program. If the individual does not succeed in attaining the minimum TOEFL score required (550 points), he will continue in the English program until he achieves the minimum TOEFL score.

Special Students

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. Courses taken for audit may not be changed to credit after the initial drop/add date.

Documents Required

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. Graduate Record Exam (GRE), prior August 31st.
  6. Letters of recommendation from the Rectors of all seminaries 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. 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.
Non-Seminarian Applicants
  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) prior to entrance.
Application Procedure
  1. Application for the Fall semester should be made as soon as possible in the early Spring. The formal deadline for application is August 1st. 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 Rector 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.
Grading Guidelines

      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.

Letter Grades
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 their articulation.

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 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.
Letter Grade Number Quality Points Grade Scale
A  4.00 100- 93
B+ 3.50 92 - 90
B 3.00 89 - 86
C+ 2.50 85 - 80
C 2.00 79 - 75
D+ 1.50 74 - 71
D 1.00 70 - 68
F 0.00 67 - 0
 I  Incomplete  
Note: The grades D and D+ are considered failing grades while still retaining their quality point value of 1.00 and 1.50 respectively. Therefore, a student who fails a course by making anything less than a C grade is required to re-take this course either at the seminary, or by utilizing distance learning resources from institutions accepted by Notre Dame Seminary.

Academic Integrity

           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.

Class Attendance      

          Notre Dame Seminary observes the following policy regarding class attendance: Regular class attendance is expected and required of all registered students who intend to receive credit for course work in the graduate school. Inevitably there will arise extraordinary circumstances that make class attendance impossible on occasion; therefore, a formula for determining regular attendance has been established as policy for the convenience of both students and professors. A student is permitted to be absent from class no more than twice the number of times the class meets per week. Thus, if a student is absent for seven (7) classes from a course that meets three (3) times a week, that student is in violation of school policy in this regard. The normal penalty for such a violation is the grade "FA" (failure due to absence).      

          The number of absences includes those due to illness, late registration, or any other cause. Absence from class immediately before or after holidays is considered a double cut. Only the Academic Dean may waive penalties for absence.

Incomplete Work      

          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" for a course is for the student to discuss the situation with the professor and the Academic Dean, then 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 semester final exams). Professors are not responsible for papers sent through the mail.

Dropping/adding/withdrawing from a Course      

          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.      

          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 in the academic calendar.

NOTE: "Course Withdrawal" forms are to be submitted to the Dean's office, not to the course instructor.

Academic Standing      

          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).

Probation and Dismissal      

          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.

Academic Reports      

          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.

Procedures for Appealing Grades

Students who feel they have a legitimate grievance over a final grade should proceed as follows:
  1. 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 stage two.
  2. Stage Two: They should submit their case, in writing, to the Academic Dean with a copy to the instructor, no later than six (6) weeks after the beginning of the following semester.
  1. 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 in confidence all written and oral statements. Should the Dean himself be named as the instructor in the case, then the students should take their appeal to the President-Rector who will act as negotiator (as above) and replace the Dean in all further stages of the appeal procedure.
  2. If the above negotiations are unsuccessful, the Dean, after deciding that the student has a case which warrants further action, will refer the matter to stage three.
  1. 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).
  2. 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.
Graduation Honors      

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 received a 3.50 overall grade point average.

Consortium      

          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 six (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 Our Lady of Holy Cross College. 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.

Summer Classes      

          All students wishing to take summer courses at another graduate school for credit toward a degree at Notre Dame Seminary 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.

Maintaining Registration      

          Students who expect to receive degrees must maintain registration until 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 $25.00 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 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.

Full-time Student
  • 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.
  • The Academic Dean may, in exceptional circumstances, 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.
Semester Examinations      

          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.

Advanced Theological Seminars      

          In order to help motivated students to deepen their understanding of basic material covered in class, certain courses in third and second theology, and second semester of first theology may have a seminar track. Seminars would be bi-weekly for 50 minutes. Students report on progress, discuss, share and interact with the professor’s help. Participants would be selected by the Academic Dean or could present themselves for seminars that correspond with their special interests in theology, always subject to the professor’s approval for both acceptance and 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. Non-participants will not be penalized in any way. Professors will announce and explain the seminar in the first week of class. 

Elective Guidelines

Purpose
  1. To prepare students for the type of ongoing study they will be doing as priests.
  2. To be resourceful in using local academic resources.
  3. 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 two (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 (1) 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 the student would determine the meeting place and course content. This group meets at least one (1) 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 than four-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.
Academic Resources Program      

          The Academic Resources Program is designed to provide needed tutoring to students to bring their academic performance up to par. Students are referred to the Coordinator by those who correct supervised original essays written during orientation, by individual professors, by students who come to ask for assistance, and some are observed by the coordinator to be in need as she hears them read or speak at community gatherings.      

          There is a professional, paid tutor in the program. She is a Speech Pathologist and serves the students in a number of ways, but chiefly, in accent reduction. Another Professional, salaried Instructor is employed full-time to direct our English Language Program and English as a Second Language Program (ELP/ESL). She does full programs of instruction with ESL students and also tutors other students in English grammar and in related academic needs. The librarian assists students assigned to him in all that writing long papers requires, as well as in proof reading and teaching them to correct repeated grammatical errors. The coordinator tutors some students in understanding technical philosophical terminology. At the request of the coordinator, some students with a high GPA also volunteer to assist fellow-students in a variety of ways.