Introduction

The purpose of this guide is to assist students writing a thesis for the degrees
Masters of Arts, Theology (MAT) or Master of Arts, Biblical Studies (MAB). This
guide will also serve those who are writing a major research paper for the Master
of Arts, Catholic Studies (MACS).

Goal

Master’s-level research is to arrive at an accurate understanding of the current

state of scholarly discussion on a topic and to defend a position in relation to it.
Therefore, the research will include both an analysis of the current scholarly
perspectives on one’s topic and an argument for one of those perspectives
thereby presenting a well-written and well-structured document that draws
conclusions from the sources. The work will show mastery of the thesis question
and how it fits within the larger field of study.

Objectives

Demonstrate a solid grasp of theological/exegetical issues of a particular topic

chosen by the student under the guidance of a professor.

Demonstrate familiarity with primary and secondary sources.

Demonstrate competence with the tools and methods of theological research

including the ability to consult, utilize, and evaluate primary texts and scholarly
literature.

Demonstrate the ability to exercise sound theological judgments involving

analysis, comparison, and/or criticism; and to draw appropriate and accurate
conclusions.

Demonstrate the ability to communicate according to scholarly conventions by

producing a work in good form and style.

Requirements

Research a topic in one area of the curriculum.

For MAT, biblical studies, Christian living, historical theology/church history,

systematic theology or some combination of these areas.
For MAB, research a topic in some area of biblical studies. Requires some use of
either Hebrew or Greek.

For MACS, research topic in some area of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

For MAT and MAB students:

Write a thesis of 50-70 pages in length (not counting the title page, table of
contents, bibliography or other preliminary and end materials). Ordinarily, no
thesis over 70 pages of written text will be accepted for defense.

Register for 2 credit hours of thesis guidance for 2 consecutive semesters (4

credit hours total), the terms in which the majority of writing and research will be
completed.

For MACS students:

Write a major research paper at or around 25 pages in length (not counting the
title page, front matter, and bibliography).

Register for 2 credit hours of major research paper guidance during the term in
which the majority of research and writing will be completed.

Orientation to the MA Research and Writing Process

Students must attend an orientation, ordinarily held on a work-week evening

during the spring semester. A student should attend the seminar during the
beginning of his or her studies (for seminarians seeking the MAT or MAB, the
spring of their second year of Theology; for seminarians seeking the MACS, the
spring of their first year of Pre-Theology; for lay students, by the time they have
completed approximately 10 hours of coursework). The purpose of the seminar is
to outline the process for writing the thesis/major research paper. The date of
the orientation, usually scheduled for an evening in March or the beginning of
April, is established at the beginning of the academic year and listed in the
Athenaeum’s academic calendar.

Choosing a Topic and Director

After attending the orientation session, the student chooses a field of study
(Biblical, Systematic, Moral, Sacramental, etc.) as well as a thesis/major research
paper director. Since potential ideas for the thesis/paper often occur through
coursework, prospective topics—and directors for those topics—are best
explored by consulting professors in a particular area of interest. A director
should ordinarily be a full-time member of the Athenaeum faculty who teaches in
the area in which the student wishes to do research. If the student has difficulty
finding a director, he or she should inform the Dean of the School of Theology
(hereafter in this document referred to as “dean”) who will be able to offer
suggestions.

Ideally, a research topic and director should be identified before the start of the
next academic year following attendance at the orientation session. Once a topic
and director have been secured, the student will begin the process of drafting
the thesis proposal (see “Thesis/Major Research Paper Proposal” below). For
MAT/MAB students, this process will be part of the required MA Research
Seminar (see “MAT/MAB Thesis Seminar” below). MACS students will work
individually with their director to develop a proposal to guide their research.

At this time—before the start of the next academic year following attendance at
the orientation session—students should apply for admission to their degree
program if they have not already done so. For a seminarian, the MAT or MAB
would be considered a second degree in addition to the MDiv.

Relationship between Student and Director

The role of the thesis director is to provide guidance to the student regarding the
content of the thesis/major research paper, and to safeguard the accuracy,
objectivity, and academic integrity of the work. The director is not necessarily a
proofreader, nor is he or she envisioned to be the generator of the ideas or the
content of the thesis/paper. For this, the student must demonstrate a capacity
for clarity of thought and expression in writing the thesis/major research paper.
Nevertheless, the director ensures that the student recognizes any deficiencies
in the argument and/or in the mechanics of writing and directs the student to
correct these accordingly.

It is the responsibility of the student to provide the director with his or her
written work in a timely and incremental manner. Ideally, the student will
provide the director with his or her work one chapter at a time. The director
should then, in turn, provide the student with timely feedback that does not
unduly impede or delay the student’s progress. More information about this is
specified below in the section entitled “Thesis/Major Research Paper
Development and Completion Deadlines.”

MAT/MAB Thesis Seminar

MAT and MAB student must enroll in a two-credit pass/fail master’s thesis
seminar, MA 696. For seminarians seeking the MAT or MAB, the seminar is taken
in the fifth semester of classes (the autumn of their third theology year); for lay
students, the seminar is taken after they have completed approximately 15
hours of coursework or judge themselves ready to begin thesis research and
writing. (The thesis seminar is not required of MACS students.)

This seminar is primarily methodological. It treats of the nature of a master’s

thesis and the manner of presenting the written work. Over the course of the
semester, the student will be required to:

Develop a thesis statement;

Complete initial research and compile an initial bibliography under the

supervision of the thesis director and submitted to the seminar facilitator (mid-
semester);

Create an outline approved by the thesis director and submitted to the seminar
facilitator (mid-late semester);

Create a written summary of the thesis and a timeline approved by the thesis
director. The written summary (précis) and bibliography will be presented in the
seminar along with an oral presentation of the proposed work (end of the
semester).

Prepare the official thesis proposal in consultation with the thesis director and
submit to the dean upon completion.

Thesis/Major Research Paper Proposal

The MAT/MAB thesis proposal/MACS major research proposal is the foundational

document that provides the blueprint upon which the thesis/paper will be
constructed. Subsequently, the proposal should treat the following principal
components of the student’s research: 1) the ‘state of the question’ (status
quaestionis); 2) the aims of the research; 3) the objectives of the research; 4) the
limits of the research; and 5) the resources to be utilized (bibliography). The
following can serve as a guide for the student and director in crafting the
proposal. Ultimately, it is up to the director to judge whether these components
are sufficiently evidenced in the student’s proposal even if this template is not
strictly followed.

TITLE
Should be direct and distinctive, encapsulating the main theme of your
thesis/paper.

STATUS QUAESTIONIS

What is the “state of the question” regarding your topic? What have been the
findings of recent scholarship?

This section is intended to give the reader a sense of why the chosen topic is
important and what other authors have said about the themes that the student
intends to develop. The status quaestionis should be comprehensive but need
not be exhaustive. It should include all the major works that are pertinent to the
topic, both those with which the student is in agreement and those with which
the student is not. This section provides an objective and academic examination
of why the topic being treated in the thesis is important to current scholarship.

For the MACS major research paper, the status quaestionis should be
comprehensive but need not be exhaustive, especially considering the limited
nature of the research paper.

AIMS

Why is the student writing this thesis and what are the goals that he or she
hopes to achieve?

This section is intended to give the reader a sense as to what the student hopes
to add to the material found in the status quaestionis. In other words, this
section will highlight the particular contribution that the student’s research will
make to the “state of the question.”

OBJECTIVES

This section explains how the student is going to achieve the aforementioned
aims.

The student should specify the particular research methodology that he or she
will employ (e.g. exegesis, text/source criticism, historical, etc.) as well as the
disciplines that might be involved in writing the thesis (e.g. Scripture, Patristic
Theology, Pneumatology, Ecclesiology, Sacramental Theology, etc.).

When composing this section, the student would also be will include a general
outline of the thesis (e.g. “In Chapter One we will examine the foundations for
the role of the Paraclete from the standpoint of John 16:4-11. We will accomplish
this by […]. In Chapter Two we will then move on to discuss […].”).
LIMITS

What the student is not planning to cover in the thesis. For example, “I will limit
my research only to the role that Berengarius of Tours’ highly Symbolic
Eucharistic Theology had on the future clarifications found in the succeeding
Ecumenical Councils. Therefore, I will not treat in any real depth the theological
discussions between the Realists and Symbolists leading up to Berengarius’
time;” “I will limit my research to the post-Reformation period, leaving aside the
late Medieval period so as to avoid overextending the argument;” “Although
important sources are found on the topic in German, I will only make use of
primary sources in English and Latin, partly due to the constraint of time and
partly due to my own lack of proficiency in the German language.”

This is an opportunity for the student to “cover his or her bases” to make sure
that the reader knows what the student is planning to include and what he or she
is planning to leave out. A well stated “Limit” section can serve a researcher
well, ensuring the clarity and integrity of his or her argument.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

For the proposal, the bibliography should include the principal works with which
the student is planning to dialogue.

The entries for secondary sources should focus on recently published journal
articles and academic works, i.e., those that are no more than ten years old.
Exceptions would be older works that are still considered the “standard” for the
area of research the student is treating, as well as primary works.

The purpose of the proposal is to provide the student of master's-level research

with a plan of action to maintain a consistent focus in the initial stages of his or
her thesis/major research paper writing. The goal of doing this remote
preparation is to help the researcher produce a work that is objective, academic
and well-founded.

The MAT/MAB student will append this written proposal to the “Master’s Thesis
Proposal Summary Form.” Their director will sign off on the proposal via the
summary form, and both the proposal and the summary form should then be
submitted to the dean. The MACS student will complete the “MACS Major
Research Paper Summary Form,” obtain their director’s signature, and submit
the form to the dean. The MACS proposal does not need to be appended to the
summary form.

Registration for Advising and Writing

Following the thesis seminar, MAT and MAB students are required to enroll in a
two-credit directed research course (MA 697). For the seminarian, this would be
during his sixth semester (spring of third theology year). During this time, the
student will work closely with his or her director to develop the thesis. The
director assigns a grade at the end of the semester based on the quality of work
and completion of timeline goals.

Typically during the subsequent semester (autumn of fourth theology year for
seminarians), students enroll in MA 698 (two credits) during which the thesis will
be completed. The thesis director, in consultation with the second and third
readers, will assign a final grade for the thesis, usually at the time of thesis
defense.

For students seeking the MACS, only one major research paper course is
required, i.e., CS 698 (two credits). Enrollment should take place during the
second year of the program or whenever the student has completed half of the
degree coursework. Throughout the process of researching and writing the
paper, it is anticipated that the candidate will work in close collaboration with his
or her director.

Thesis/Major Research Paper Development and Completion Deadlines

While enrolled in thesis/major research paper advising, the director and student
will meet on a regular basis to evaluate the progress of research. They will agree
upon a timeline of research and chapter submission. The student will submit
pages or chapters to the director on a regular basis. The director will suggest
revisions to drafts of the text throughout the process. It is the student’s
responsibility to regularly proofread the pages, avoiding typographical errors or
errors with respect to citation and references.

For the MACS candidate, once the student and director have deemed the major
research paper satisfactory, the director will evaluate the paper and
communicate a grade to the dean. The director will use the MA thesis grading
rubric (see “Grading Rubric for MA 698 – Thesis” below) as a guide to evaluation.
The superlative “With Distinction” will be granted to those who receive a grade
of A- (3.75) or higher. This distinction will be noted on the student’s transcript
and diploma.
As a general rule, for students seeking the MAT or MAB, a complete draft of the
thesis should be ready for final review by the mid-term of the autumn semester
of the academic year in which the student hopes to graduate (for seminarians,
during the students’ seventh semester, or autumn of their fourth theology year).

The director is responsible for judging whether the thesis is suitable for defense
and giving final approval for submission. Once deemed acceptable by the
director, three printed copies of the final defense-ready thesis should be
submitted to the dean by the last day of the autumn semester (for seminarians,
the seventh semester, or autumn of their fourth theology year; for lay students,
the final day of the semester in the semester prior to graduation).

MAT/MAB Thesis: Nomination and Role of Second and Third Readers

In addition to the director, the thesis examining board consists of two readers:
the second reader and the third reader. The readers assist the director in
evaluating the content, writing, and overall quality of the thesis and the defense
of that thesis.

After the thesis proposal has been submitted to the dean at the beginning
stages of the process, the second reader is nominated by the dean to work in
tandem with the student and director. The second reader is envisioned to be an
additional critical lens by which the student can refine his or her work in the
process of researching and writing. Once a chapter has been approved by the
director, the student forwards it to the second reader for review. After having
reviewed the document the second reader provides the director with any
comments or suggested revisions that he or she feels would assist the student’s
chapter. After consulting the director, the student is free to either apply the
second reader’s comments and suggestions, or not. Once a chapter has been
reviewed by the second reader it does not have to be reviewed again unless the
student and director request otherwise, and the second reader is able and
willing. This process is repeated for each successive chapter. Ultimately the
director will judge whether the thesis is suitable for defense and giving final
approval for submission to the dean.

At the time that a complete draft is submitted to the dean for defense, a third
reader is then nominated by the dean. The third reader examines only the
completed thesis in anticipation of the thesis defense. Ordinarily, the amount of
time that the third reader has to read the thesis is two weeks prior to the
scheduled defense.
MAT/MAB Thesis Defense

After having received approval of the paper from the thesis director, the student
supplies three copies of the thesis to the dean who, in turn, provides copies to
the examining board (i.e., the director and two readers). The student should also
print a copy for him- or herself to have at the defense if needed. The defense
copies should be printed double-sided, but do not have to be bound. The
examining board is encouraged to meet prior to the defense to discuss the
thesis.

The dean will work with the student and examining board to find a mutually
agreeable date and time for the defense. The thesis defense does not need to be
held at the same time as the written part of the comprehensive exam. The
defense will ordinarily take place before February 15 of the student’s final
semester before graduation. If a student hopes to graduate in that given
academic year, the latest date in which the defense can be scheduled is two
weeks prior to the date of graduation. Exceptions can be granted by the dean,
but only for just and reasonable causes.

The defense begins with the student offering a 10- to 15-minute summary of his
or her findings. What then follows is a round of questions by the examining
board. Each member of the board has up to 15 minutes to comment on the
thesis or ask questions of the candidate. This may be taken in one round, or
divided into two rounds, depending on the preference of the examining board.
The defense will be about an hour in length.

At the conclusion of the defense, the examining board confers privately to

discuss whether the student has successfully defended the thesis. All of the
members of the examining board sign the grade sheet which is then submitted
to the registrar. They also sign a document indicating whether the thesis is to be
deposited to the library as is or deposited only after revisions have been made.
The dean conveys the results of the defense to the student.

The superlative “With Distinction” will be granted to those who receive a grade
of A- (3.75) or higher on their written thesis. This distinction will be noted on the
student’s transcript and diploma.
Time Limit and Extension

Students are required to complete the MAT, MAB, or MACS degree within five
years from the time of admission. This five-year period includes the writing of the
thesis/major research paper. An extension may be granted by the Admissions
and Degrees Committee.