Department of Religious Studies

The University of Dayton offers an undergraduate minor, graduate certificate and doctoral certificate in Marian studies.

The Marian Library is recognized both nationally and internationally as a center for scholarship on the Blessed Virgin Mary. It serves the research needs of the faculty and students of the University of Dayton and visitors worldwide. It also documents the diverse expressions of popular devotion to Mary.

About Our Graduate Degree Programs

Our graduate degree programs include:

• Pastoral Ministry (M.A.)
• Theological Studies (M.A.)
• Theology (Ph.D.)

We welcome students with a range of theological perspectives to study the richness of Catholic intellectual traditions and church life.

As a graduate student in religious studies, you'll find:

• A strong academic foundation that integrates the study of Christian theology with multicultural and interdisciplinary dimensions.
• Preparation for successful careers in both academia and ministry.
• Award-winning faculty.
• Access to the world-renowned Marian Library and the International Marian Research Institute (IMRI).
• Our M.A. programs are offered in flexible online and face to face formats.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are available through the Department of Religious Studies and Campus Ministry. These competitive awards typically provide compensation in the form of full or partial tuition remission, plus a monthly stipend for 20 hours of work per week.

Patrick J. Tonry, S.M. Scholarship for the Advancement of Women in Ministry

The Patrick J. Tonry, SM, Scholarship for Advancement of Women in Ministry was established in 1996 to assist deserving women with tuition costs. Scholarships will be awarded without regard to gender, race or religion, as determined in accordance with the procedures and practices established by the President and the Board of Trustees of the University of Dayton.

Applicants must be enrolled full-time or part-time in courses at the graduate level in the Department of Religious Studies. Awards will be made to those who can demonstrate financial need and whose professional orientation is toward ministry in the Church.

Sisters of the Precious Blood Scholarship

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Precious Blood was founded in Switzerland in 1834 by Maria Anna Brunner, whose devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus, to Eucharistic adoration and to meeting the needs of the poor of the area inspired a small group of women to embrace that charism.

Ministering in the United States since 1844, and now based in Dayton, Ohio, the Sisters have served throughout the United States as well as Chile and Guatemala. The Sisters have served in a wide variety of ministries including, but not limited to, education at all levels, pastoral ministry, administration, domestic services, home and foreign missions, hospital chaplaincy and retreat work. Many of the Sisters received their first degrees from the University of Dayton, and some have served as faculty members, especially in the areas of education, pastoral ministry and music.

Award applications for those preparing for ministry in the church. They are based on financial need and academic merit with additional consideration afforded to international students.

Thomas M. Martin Memorial Scholarship Fund

Established at the request of his family in honor Thomas M. Martin, late chair of the Religious Studies Department, this fund is a witness to the oneness of spirit that extends beyond the boundaries of time.

This scholarship fund supports graduate students at the University of Dayton in the Department of Religious Studies through tuition assistance. Awards will be made to those who can demonstrate financial need.

Our campus ministry graduate certificate fulfills Catholic Campus Ministry Association's education requirements. Achieve educational requirements for a Tier 2 certification with the formal education requirements from this certificate program, just six or 12 graduate credit hours from our department.

Our programs are compatible with the Catholic Campus Ministry Association's Standards for Campus Ministers in Human Formation, Spiritual Formation, Intellectual Formation and Pastoral Formation.

Our faculty take special care to include elements of these standards within formation of our students not just in the classroom, but within Pastoral Ministry Seminar, Spiritual Formation, Colloquia, Retreat Opportunities, Opportunities for the Sacraments, and many opportunities for fellowship. All of this will support obtaining CCMA certification.

The 12-hour multidisciplinary sustainability certificate was established in recognition that complex societal sustainability issues require integration of knowledge and wisdom from all disciplines.

The certificate requires two three-credit core courses and six credits of electives that can be taken in religious studies.