Loyola Institute for Ministry offers two master's degrees, available to online, on-campus, and extension (onsite) students, and three dual master's degrees, available to on-campus students.
When speaking about the “beautiful profession" of teaching, Pope Francis notes that “[o]n a professional level it is important to update teaching skills [...], but teaching is not just a job: it is a relationship in which each teacher must feel fully involved as a person, to give meaning to the educational task towards their students” (Address to UCIIM). Lay ministers working in variety of religious education contexts work to promote within their students a sense of identity, reverence, and responsibility for life and the sacred. The Master of Religious Education degree provides educators with a broad and in-depth exploration of the field. The coursework combines the development of confidence and creativity in working out curricula and gives practice in crafting effective learning processes. Pursuing a Master of Religious Education degree provides individuals with a set of multi-disciplinary perspectives and methodologies to enrich their practice while at the same time earning a master’s degree from an institution with a long-standing reputation for excellence in education and ministerial formation.
Christians are called to ”[g]o into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) through their everyday lives at home, work, and the larger communities to which they belong. Lay people working in variety of contexts including parishes, schools, diocesan offices, secular workplaces, or in the helping professions of medicine and social work can develop the theological and spiritual grounding necessary to become wiser and more effective ministers and leaders as they proclaim the Good News through their words and actions. Pursuing a Master of Pastoral Studies degree allows adults to gain specific competencies in the focus area of their choice while earning a master’s degree from an institution with a long-standing reputation for excellence in education and ministerial formation.
"Business is a vocation, and a noble vocation, provided that those engaged in it see themselves challenged by a greater meaning in life; this will enable them truly to serve the common good by striving to increase the goods of this world and to make them more accessible to all"(Francis, Evangelii Gaudium #203). A dual degree in business administration and pastoral studies prepares graduates to add value to organizations and society through their application of business theory and practice and through a theologically-grounded spirituality of work that enables them to incorporate faith-based virtues into their work and embrace practices that support the common good. This degree is available only to on-campus students.
"In a frail human being, each one of us is invited to recognize the face of the Lord" (Francis, Address to IFCMA, #2). Recent research acknowledges the positive impact active faith can have on one’s psychological well-being. A dual degree in counseling and pastoral studies prepares both those seeking to become Clinical Mental Health Counselors and those working in a variety of religious or secular settings to develop a theological and spiritual foundation for their work with others and to encounter respectfully the basic religious language and belief system of those they serve. This degree is available only to on-campus students.
Pope Francis encourages criminal justice professionals “to encourage, help and enable … a rehabilitation which everyone seeks and desires: inmates and their families, correctional authorities, social and educational programs … [and] which benefits and elevates the morale of the entire community and society” (Message to Detainees). A dual degree in criminal justice and pastoral studies prepares those seeking to become professionally-trained criminal justice administrators, planners, researchers, and private security professionals as well as those who work in justice ministries such as such as victim services, prison ministry, prisoner re-entry, delinquency prevention, and substance abuse treatment to develop a theological and spiritual foundation for their work supporting the transformation of individuals and community. This degree is available only to on-campus students.