General AdmissionsAccreditation
Seminary Act, 1983
St. Augustine's Seminary of Toronto which had been in existence since
1913, was incorporated in 1983 by an Act of the Provincial Legislature
of Ontario to which royal assent was given on June 21st of that year.
By virtue of this Act, St. Augustine's Seminary has the power to grant
its own degrees in theology, including honorary degrees.
St. Augustine's and The Congregation of Catholic Education,
1996
St. Augustine's Seminary was established by the Holy See’s Congregation
of Catholic Education, in July 1996, as an autonomous Theological Institute
with the special faculty to grant the academic degree of the Baccalaureate
in Sacred Theology [S.T.B.]. By this faculty, St. Augustine's Seminary's mission is greatly
enhanced in the priestly preparation and overall academic
program.
St. Augustine's and The Toronto School of Theology (TST)
St. Augustine's Seminary is a founding and charter member of the Toronto
School of Theology (TST), a federation of seven theological colleges and
faculties providing both Basic and Advanced Degree (Masters and Doctoral)
programs, established in 1969.
The seven colleges are Knox (Presbyterian), Emmanuel (United Church),
Trinity and Wycliffe (both Anglican), and the three Roman Catholic members:
Regis, St. Michael's and St. Augustine's. Through the TST, the member
colleges co-operate effectively in sharing resources and facilities. A
rich variety of resources from different theological traditions are made
available to students in a manner that respects the identity and integrity
of each tradition. Classes are held in the member colleges on the campus
of the University of Toronto. The colleges share a common academic timetable
and all members of the TST have access to the library facilities of the
colleges and to those of the University of Toronto.
Because of their specific responsibility to the Roman Catholic Church,
the Roman Catholic colleges co-operate in a special manner in the Theological
Department (Systematics and Ethics) to ensure that course offerings in
these areas fulfil the requirements established by the Holy See and the
Canadian Bishops. Thus, students of St. Augustine's take courses offered
in the Theological Department only in the Roman Catholic colleges while
they may avail themselves of the rich array of offerings in the whole
TST through the Biblical, Historical and Pastoral Departments
St. Augustine's and The Association of Theological Schools in The
United States and Canada (ATS)
In 1980, St. Augustine's Seminary received full accredited membership
in the Association of Theological Schools. St. Augustine's was the first
diocesan seminary in Canada to receive this recognition of its academic
caliber and spiritual resources.
St. Augustine's is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and the following degrees are approved: Master of Divinity [MDiv], Master of Religious Education [MRE] and Master of Theological Studies [MTS]. St. Augustine's also has approval for a Comprehensive Distance Education Program.
The Commission contact information is:
The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States
and Canada
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
USA
Telephone: 412-788-6505
Fax: 412-788-6510
Website: www.ats.edu
Statement of Educational Effectiveness
The Board of Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools requires accredited schools to publish a statement regarding the school’s educational effectiveness. St. Augustine’s Seminary of Toronto is committed to providing quality theological education in conjunction with our formation programmes for the candidates to the Diocesan Priesthood, and the candidates to the Permanent Diaconate (STB/MDiv/DTS).
Our theological degrees in education ministry and general theological knowledge (MRE/MTS) and diplomas in lay ministry and foundational theological education (DLM/DTS) provide a variety of choices and course delivery methods for our lay students, both men and women, and are complemented by our Lay Spiritual Formation Programme which offers opportunities for personal spiritual formation.
The Association of Theological Schools [ATS] Graduating Student Questionnaire findings for the last four years indicate that our graduates are consistently satisfied with their competency in the following areas:
GRADUATING STUDENTS: 2008 - 2011
1 - Very dissatisfied 2 - Dissatisfied 3 - Neutral 4 - Satisfied 5 - Very satisfied
Level of Satisfaction |
Average |
Average |
Average ALL |
Knowledge of church doctrine and history |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.05 |
Knowledge of Christian philosophy and ethics |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
Knowledge of church policy/canon law |
4.1 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
Ability to think theologically |
4.2 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
Ability to use and interpret Scripture |
3.95 |
4.05 |
4.0 |
Ability to preach well |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.94 |
Ability to conduct worship/liturgy |
4.1 |
3.98 |
3.99 |
To measure program effectiveness, St. Augustine’s Seminary has monitored the average grades in our capstone courses for the Master of Divinity and Master of Religious Education, and the in-depth area for our Master of Theological Studies graduates. The five-year averages are:
Degree Program |
Capstone Course |
Grade Point Average* |
Master of Divinity |
Theological Integration |
3.7 |
Master of Religious Education |
Religious Education Practicum and Globalization |
3.7 |
Master of Theological Studies |
Various Subject Areas |
3.7 |
*The University of Toronto grading scheme in which 4.0 is the highest rank and 3.7 is considered “excellent”.
Characteristic feedback on the effectiveness of our online courses can be summarized by the following two student comments: “Since the nature of online courses allows the student to read what others have to say, I considered it a benefit to see [and] learn different points of view. It helped me to appreciate the complexity of some of these real-world issues,” and “It allowed me to review my own operative thinking I bring to culture and to form that thinking in a more integrated manner.”
As part of its commitment to the Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools, St. Augustine’s Seminary will be refining and deepening its approach to programme assessment and student learning outcomes over the period 2012-2014. Our Statement of Educational Effectiveness will be revised to reflect the results of this process.
St. Augustine's and The University of Toronto
In 1978, the federation of the Toronto School of Theology entered
into an agreement with the University of Toronto in order to foster academic
excellence and improve the resources available for theological education
in Ontario. In the renewed agreements of July 1, 1983, July 1, 1989, July 1, 2001 and July 1, 2004 St. Augustine's Seminary, along with the other members of
the federation, was empowered to grant degrees in theology conjointly
with the University of Toronto.
The current Memorandum of Agreement between the Toronto School of Theology and the University of Toronto is approaching its terminal date, and is being reviewed with a view to renewing it for a further term. The current MOA can be found here.
Comments are invited by email before April 30 to tst.uoft.moareview@utoronto.ca. For further information, please visit http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/public/pdadc/2012_to_2013/44.htm.
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