Prepare for a Life of Impact—Fast 

Our coordinated 3+1 program with Catholic Theological Union (CTU) allows you to earn—at an accelerated pace—both a BA at Dominican and a MA in Hispanic Theology and Ministry at CTU. You’ll prepare for professional life as economically and efficiently as possible. 


About the Master of Arts in Hispanic Theology and Ministry

Established in 1982, the Hispanic Theology and Ministry Program at CTU provides theological education that is historically, culturally, pastorally and theologically situated in Latine contexts. This degree equips you for competent pastoral leadership in the many Latinx/Latine/Hispanic communities in the United States. 

The curriculum focuses on Hispanic religious heritage, Latine biblical hermeneutics, Latine theologies, ministry within Latine contexts, and the lived experiences and practices of Hispanic communities. The degree can be completed in residential, online or hybrid formats. The course of study will verse you in the theological and biblical scholarship arising from Latine contexts and experiences. You will engage theology and ministry as a process that privileges mutual accountability and collaboration; and you will prepare to respond pastorally in particular Latine cultural and religious settings.

When I learned there was a Hispanic Theology and Ministry program with CTU, I thought, if I can prepare myself, I can go back to my community and do the kind of work needed to minister there. That definitely opened the doors to me being hired by Cristo Rey Jesuit High School as a campus minister.”

Jaqueline Romo
Dominican University Graduate

Choose from Two Accelerated Paths 

The program offers two paths to the combined degree.

This option allows you to earn up to 12 credit hours of advanced standing. You’ll earn credit for specific courses that apply toward both your undergraduate degree at Dominican and your master’s degree at Catholic Theological Union. The courses include:

  • Latine American Religious Experience and Theology
  • Latine Spirituality: Origins, Roots, and Contemporary Experience of a People
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of a New Creation
  • Internship in Latine Context 

Additional 200- and 300-level courses may be eligible for advanced standing with credit through the following process:

  • Confer with your academic advisors at both Dominican and CTU.
  • Petition for advanced standing with credit.
  • Submit supporting documentation, including a course syllabus, the name and credentials of the faculty member teaching the course, a description of the context of learning, and a transcript or certificate of completion.
  • Apply to the instructor of the respective course for assessment.
  • Students pay one-third of CTU’s tuition rate for the credits granted. 

If you wish to seek advanced standing with credit for practicum work, please work with your faculty advisor at Dominican and the director of field education at CTU to ensure that you meet the requirements for the CTU practicum.

The accelerated 3+1 option allows you to complete both your BA and MA in just five years. You may apply to CTU to begin the MA in Hispanic Theology and Ministry after you have earned 97 credit hours toward your bachelor’s degree at Dominican, and have completed all of your major and core curriculum requirements (except credits from CTU that may be applied toward your major). You may transfer up to 27 credit hours from CTU to Dominican to fulfill either the major or elective requirements toward your bachelor’s degree. 

Program Eligibility 
The coordinated program with Catholic Theological Union is limited to students who:

  • Have a GPA of 3.0 or above.
  • Are recommended to CTU by their faculty advisor at Dominican.
  • Complete at least 97 semester credit hours toward the BA at Dominican. 

How to Apply 
To apply for the coordinated program:

  • Submit your online application to Catholic Theological Union.
  • Ask a Dominican faculty member to send a letter of recommendation to CTU, including an assessment of your readiness for graduate work.
  • Ask a supervisor or mentor at one of your experiential learning sites to send a second recommendation to CTU.
  • Send CTU transcripts from Dominican and any other colleges or university where you have earned academic credit.
  • Write a personal statement for admission to CTU (see Guidelines and Requirements on CTU’s website for details).
  • Submit a $55 application fee to CTU.

I truly believe in the mission of Dominican University. It is how I choose to live my life as a student, professional and person of faith."

Hugo Torres
Dominican University Graduate

About Catholic Theological Union

Sponsored by 24 religious communities, Catholic Theological Union is a premier school of theology with an international reputation for academic and pastoral excellence. The school was founded in 1968 in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood to provide the Roman Catholic Church with a school of theology that is urban based, ecumenical in spirit, and set squarely in the context of a great academic center. The original collaboration among men’s religious communities has advanced into a remarkable partnership across the institution among lay and religious women and men. International students from more than 40 countries form nearly one-third of the student body. The alumni of CTU serve the church and their communities around the world.

For more information
on the Hispanic theology
and ministry courses,
please contact:

Dr. Carmen Nanko-Fernández
Catholic Theological Union
cnanko@ctu.edu
(773) 371-5533

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