Accreditation

Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology (ICSST) is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, and the following masters degree programs are approved:

• Master of Divinity
• M.A. in Pastoral Ministry
• M.A. in Theology

Additionally, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology offers a Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Theology program, which is accredited and approved by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Contact Information for Accrediting Bodies

Statement of Educational Effectiveness

For over 160 years, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology has been committed to proclaiming the Gospel of Christ by providing the highest quality theological and pastoral education for those preparing for the Roman Catholic priesthood or for the apostolate as vowed religious, as well as for service by deacons and lay men and women in the Church today. Through ongoing spectrum review of outcome assessments on the part of our faculty, administration, and students, ICSST continues to refine our programs so that our students achieve the outcomes of the degrees in which they are enrolled and can undertake effective ministry and Christian witness in the twenty-first century.

Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology's Institutional Goals

1. Catholic Identity: To enhance and embody an environment for both seminarians and lay students to encounter and pursue service to Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church. ICSST accomplishes this by providing holistic personal formation and a Catholic theological and philosophical academic foundation in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

2. Academic Excellence: To enhance and support ICSST's students' pursuit of intellectual and academic excellence through undergraduate and graduate programs, and faculty’s intellectual excellence through scholarly research.

3. Post-Graduation Success: To enhance the commitment to providing outstanding personal, academic, spiritual and ministerial formation, so that our students are prepared for ministry and lifelong learning.

4. Focus on University Community: As the heart of the oldest diocesan Catholic University in the nation, ICSST leads Seton Hall University in celebrating and furthering the University’s Catholic character, history, and intellectual tradition. It cultivates and promotes among ICSST and SHU students, faculty, and administrators a culture of evangelization in word and in deed.

5. Outreach and Service: Through engagement with alumni and with others beyond ICSST, to enhance an exchange of education and service locally, nationally and internationally.

6. Stewardship: To ensure that ICSST has the resources to carry out its Mission in the areas of faculty, staff, student services, and finances.

By the Numbers

• 100% of all graduating  students report that ICSST provides quality instruction in strong academic programs.

• Nearly 1,000 people reached via on-campus, in-person events, and 4,800 people reached via off-campus, in-person events.

• 6 dioceses and 10 religious communities send seminarians/members to ICSST.

• 100% of full-time faculty involved in service to the ICSST, SHU, and wider communities.

Degree Programs

M.Div. - The Master of Divinity degree is generally pursued by seminarians preparing for priestly ordination. Depending on one's prior studies, the degree can take from four to six years of full-time study. The pastoral formation requirements of some dioceses and religious communities separate from ICSST may extend this time frame still further.

• M.Div. = 124 credits
• M.Div. + Pre-theology program = 169 credits

Learn more about M.Div. Learning Outcomes & Assessment »

M.A.P.M. - The Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry is generally pursued by lay and religious who intend on engaging in full-time apostolate within an ecclesial institution. As many students who pursue this degree are already working in service to the Church, they tend to pursue this degree part-time.

• M.A.P.M. = 54 credits

M.A. - The Master of Arts in Theology is an academic degree with concentrations in Biblical Studies, Moral Theology, Church History, Jewish-Christian Studies, or Systematic Theology. It is offered in either a "terminal" option (for those who do not foresee additional studies) or a "research" option (for those who may pursue doctoral studies). Most students who pursue this degree do so part-time.

• M.A. = 36 credits for Moral Theology, Church History, Systematic Theology, Biblical Studies* and Jewish-Christian Studies
  *Additional language preparation is required for those enrolled in Biblical Studies.

Learn more about M.A. Learning Outcomes »

Degree Completion Rates

In accordance with the Annual Report Forms submitted to the Association of Theological Schools:

• M.Div. degree completion rates are based on the number of students who entered this program six years prior to the Fall semester of the given year and have since graduated.
   
• M.A.P.M. and M.A. degree completion rates are based on the number of students who entered these programs four years prior to the Fall semester of the given year and have since graduated.

Degree Completion Rates

	M. Div.	M.A.P.M.	M.A.
2023-24	44.44%	0.00%	76.92%
2022-23	50.00%	80.00%	40.00%
2021-22	50.00%	100.00%	54.55%
2020-21	33.33%	100.00%	82.50%
2019-20	65.00%	50.00%	84.62%
2018-19	50.00%	---	66.67%
2017-18	41.38%	100.00%	88.24%
2016-17	44.44%	75.00%	66.67%
2015-16	80.00%	0.00%	87.10%

Students who did not complete their degree programs may include, among others, those who discerned out of their course of study, those who were sent to Rome or another seminary to complete their studies, and those who remain current students in the ICSST degree program for which they are included as having entered six years ago (M.Div.) or four years ago (M.A. and M.A.P.M.).