MAPS: Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies

The Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) is a professional degree program that prepares individuals for pastoral ministry in the Church. Courses for this degree are offered on weekday evenings, and the program is available in two tracks: 

36-hour MAPS track: Cohorts of candidates for diaconal ordination in the Roman Catholic Church, and their spouses desiring to complete the MAPS degree alongside them, will undertake a 4-year, 36-hour degree program (one course per semester) which conforms to the most recent guidelines established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Students interested in becoming deacons must first contact their local diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate for information. 

30-hour LMAPS track: The “Lay” MAPS degree is identical to the traditional MAPS degree, but offers persons who are, or who desire to be, involved in full-time professional pastoral ministry or parish work the opportunity to complete the degree with two fewer courses. For this track, it may be possible to complete more than one MAPS course per semester, however, the set progression of courses is such that not every needed course will be available every semester.

Note: Due to the limited course availability each semester, the MAPS degree is not sufficient for International Students who must maintain fulltime status throughout the duration of the program, therefore it is not available for those international applicants as a fulltime degree path.