Dual Degrees
Our dual degree programs pair the M.A. in Theology and Ministry with one of four master's programs across Boston College: social work, counseling, business, or curriculum & instruction.
M.A. in Theology & Ministry
Dual Degree Options
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Dual Program with M.A. in Counseling
Learn how to incorporate faith and spirituality successfully into mental health care. Alumni work in mental health agencies, shelters, pastoral placements in parishes, campus ministry programs, prisons, and youth and young adult programs.
This program is designed for individuals who wish to combine theories and practice of psychology with studies in theology and the pastoral dimensions of caregiving.
You’ll benefit from faculty advisors in both schools, spending your first year and summers in CSTM and years two and three in the Lynch School. Graduates emerge with both an M.A. in theology and ministry and an M.A. in counseling and can seek licensing as professional mental health counselors. Students usually complete the program in three years. You must apply separately and be admitted to both CSTM and the Lynch School.
Career Paths
- Spiritual and pastoral care
- Counseling
- High school or university ministry
- Parish ministry and religious education
- High school teaching
alumni spotlight
Karla Alvarado Keppel, M.A./M.A. '14
Current position: Mission Project Coordinator at The Catholic Health Association of the United States
"This program really spoke to the experiences I had as a volunteer in Ecuador. I learned how to sit with people and hear their stories and I learned the therapeutic skills needed to offer them substantive help. I loved that the program was so versatile, too!"
Dual Program with M.B.A.
Calling all future leaders—prepare to apply management best practices in the Church and ministry. Graduates work in the administration of churches and Church-related organizations such as dioceses, hospital systems, and social service agencies.
Combine an M.A. in theology and ministry with a renowned Boston College M.B.A. This program manifests the University’s mission to educate individuals who serve with excellence in their fields and work for social and economic justice. Students generally begin their studies in CSTM and maintain close contact with advisors both in CTM and the Carroll School. The program must be completed within six years. Students must apply separately and be admitted to both CSTM and the Carroll School.
Career Paths
- Church management
- Finance and administration
- Parish ministry and religious education
- High school or university ministry
- Non-profit work
alumni spotlight
Megan O. Colford, M.A./M.B.A. '17
Current positions: Director of Community Affairs for Limebike and the National Coordinator for ESTEEM
"The dual-degree MA/MBA program was perfect for me to explore how to merge my interests in business and innovation with my compassion and desire to impact change. I would never have landed this dream job without the spiritual grounding and formation I gained at the CSTM, plus the practical business skills I learned at the Carroll School."
Dual Program with M.Ed. (Urban Catholic Teacher Corps)
Develop as a Catholic school educator through strong foundations in both theology and education. This dual degree equips Catholic educators to navigate the relationship between faith and culture.
Combine an M.A. in theology and ministry with an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction through Boston College's Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC). Through this program, students take coursework in both disciplines while serving as a full-time teacher in the Archdiocese of Boston. This dual degree prepares faith-filled teachers to make a strong impact on Catholic education. Students generally begin their studies in UCTC and maintain close contact with advisors both in CSTM and the Lynch School. Students must apply separately and be admitted to both CSTM and UCTC.
Career Paths
- High school teaching
- Religious education
- Campus ministry
- School leadership
Urban Catholic Teacher Corps
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Founded in 1997, the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC) actively engages in the ministry of teaching in the schools of the Archdiocese of Boston. UCTC provides an academically rigorous and experientially rich urban Catholic teacher preparation based on the 500-year-old Jesuit tradition of formative education. UCTC members complete a master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development and commit to a teaching practicum in Boston’s Catholic schools serving urban students.
Dual Program with M.S.W.
Interested in serving both the pastoral and social needs of individuals, families, and communities? Acquire an M.A. in theology and ministry from CSTM in conjunction with an M.S.W.
This program integrates theological understanding with social work theories and practice. Students develop the skills to plan, administer, and provide social services within local churches and faith-based agencies.
Graduates emerge with both an M.A. in theology and ministry and an M.S.W. and can seek licensing as a clinical social worker. Students usually complete the program in three years. You must apply separately and be admitted to both CSTM and the School of Social Work.
Career Paths
- Clinical social worker
- High school or university ministry
- High school teaching
- Hospital chaplaincy
- Non-profit
M.A./M.S.W. Curriculum (36-credit M.A.)
M.A./M.S.W. Curriculum (48-credit M.A.)
alumni spotlight
Annarose Jowenson, M.A./M.S.W. '22
Current position: Campus Minister for Social Justice at Seattle University
"It was really interesting for me to be able to incorporate both my theological studies into my social work and my social work into my ministerial studies. I already knew that faith informs justice, and justice informs faith, but this program was right up my alley because the work that I was doing was very much praxis."
Alumni Reflections:
Interdisciplinary Excellence at BC
BC School of Social Work
#8 Nationally
Lynch School of Education & Human Development
#21 Nationally
#1 Catholic School of Education
Carroll School of Management
#26 Faculty Research, Worldwide
Dual Degree Students and Alumni
Yanil Rojas Yanil Rojas
Yanil Rojas
M.A./M.A. Mental Health Counseling
The dual degree challenged me to learn more about myself in order to be a better mental health counselor and better Christian.
Hometown
Dominican Republic, currently residing in Lawrence, MA
Current Position
Mental Health Clinician at Vinfen
The dual degree program prepared me professionally, emotionally, spiritually and mentally for the work I do. Working in the mental health field requires a gentle heart, but a strong spirit. My faith gives me strength while my studies gave me the tools needed to do the job well and with intention. The dual degree challenged me to learn more about myself in order to be a better mentall health counselor and better Christian.
Stephanie Sanchez Stephanie Sanchez
Stephanie Sanchez
M.A./M.S.W., 2019
My faith is the reason I engage in social work, so the ability to study both at the same time through the CSTM and the School of Social Work is unlike any other graduate program I have seen.
Hometown
Newtown, CT
Current Position
Transformation Social Worker for Boston Public Schools
My faith is the reason I engage in social work, so the ability to study both at the same time through the CSTM and the School of Social Work is unlike any other graduate program I have seen. Throughout my studies, I was able to apply the theological foundation I developed at the CSTM into my practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and it is something I will be forever grateful for!
Adam Krueckeberg Adam Krueckeberg
Adam Krueckeberg
M.A./M.B.A., 2012
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My dual degree has helped to make me a connector and a bridge, someone for whom buzzwords like "interdisciplinary" and "collaborative" are true descriptions of an integrated life and career.
Hometown
Northport, NY
Current position
Vice Dean for Administration and Finance, Boston University School of Law
I came to Boston College for my Masters because, unlike other schools that demanded that I choose between ministry and business, BC understood exactly why it made sense to study them together, and had built a great program for doing so. In my case, an MBA rounded out leadership skills developed in the corporate world, and my ministry degree gave me the context, vocabulary, network of relationships, and personal spiritual development that I needed to fulfill my vocational calling to put my gifts to work for the Church.
After graduation, I was delighted to join BC in a role that perfectly combined my interests--the business guy for the CSTM itself--and have found that I use both sides of my training practically every day. Although I've taken on other responsibilities at BC since that time, I still feel wholly connected to the CSTM community. In an environment filled with demands that require diverse teams of passionate individuals to come together, my dual degree has helped to make me a connector and a bridge, someone for whom buzzwords like "interdisciplinary" and "collaborative" are true descriptions of an integrated life and career.
Justin Hoch Justin Hoch
Justin Hoch
M.A./M.S.W., 2020
At the intersection of theology and social work, I grew in my identity as a minister becoming more confident in my ability to address important issues of social justice, identity formation, and trauma healing.
Hometown
Greenwood, Indiana
Undergraduate Institution and Major
Loyola University Chicago, Theology
Current Position
Chaplain, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Campus
In my year of service accompanying students from low-income backgrounds, I was challenged to acknowledge the ways in which mental health, race, sexuality and other identities play a significant role in one's spiritual development. In seeing the need for holistic ministry, I found my way to the MA/MSW dual degree program. While the CSTM offered the rigorous theological education I needed at the foundation of my ministry, the social work degree provided me with the language around mental health and trauma and the counseling skills to better support, accompany, and minister to people.
At the intersection of theology and social work, I grew in my identity as a minister becoming more confident in my ability to address important issues of social justice, identity formation, and trauma healing. With the MA/MSW dual degree, my ministry has become about creating spaces of radical inclusion and true belonging in which all those I minister to can feel loved, included, and authentically themselves, not in spite of, but because their identity is beloved by God.
Danielle Goddard Danielle Goddard
Danielle Goddard
M.A./M.A. Mental Health Counseling, 2020
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The combination of rigorous theological education and clinical experience has prepared me to integrate spirituality into my therapeutic work and accompany others in the midst of big questions and the sacred Mystery present within and all around us.
Hometown
Canfield, Ohio
Current Position
Intake Coordinator at Cornerstone of Hope
I strongly believe that spirituality and meaning-making are critical components of mental health and well-being. After serving as an international volunteer at a domestic violence center in Ecuador, I felt convicted to pursue further education to become a licensed mental health counselor. When I discovered the dual-master's program at BC, I knew this opportunity would allow me to deepen my own faith and spirituality, as well as incorporate a holistic and informed understanding of meaning-making into my future work as a therapist.
At a Glance
Applicants must apply separately to both schools. Full dual degree status is granted when accepted to both.
Each student is supported by a faculty advisor from both schools throughout their time in the program.
Design your own personal formation plan in the first year and complete it during your time in the program.
Complete a thesis on a topic that spans both fields, creating a pastoral program of your own design.
Develop the skills to integrate life experience and service with theology, theory, and knowledge of scripture.
We offer funding for all students to pursue spiritual direction and attend the guided retreat of their choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dual degree students receive separate financial aid packages from both schools as part of their admission decisions. Each term, dual degree students will have a "home school" in which they are enrolled. During that term, the student will pay tuition to the school in which they are enrolled and the financial aid package that they receive from that school will apply to all credits being taken during that term, regardless of if you are taking classes at both schools during that term. For example, if a M.A./M.S.W. student is enrolled at the CSTM and taking classes at both schools, their CSTM financial aid package would apply to credits from both schools for that term.
For the M.A./M.S.W. and M.A./M.A. programs, the CSTM's financial aid package will apply to Academic Year I and both summers of the dual degree program, while the other school's financial aid package will apply to Academic Year II and Academic Year III of the dual degree program.
For the M.A./M.B.A. program, the CSTM's financial aid package will apply to Academic Year I, Summer I, and the Fall semester of Academic Year III. The Carroll School of Management's financial aid package will apply to Academic Year II, Summer II, and the Spring semester of Academic Year III.
For students in the MA/M.Ed. program in partnership with BC's Urban Catholic Teacher Corps, the CSTM's financial aid package will apply to Academic Year II and onwards, and the Lynch School's financial aid package will apply to Summer I, Academic Year I, and Summer II.
If a student starts at Boston College in one graduate program and then later adds the second, the funding schedule may need to be altered. The admissions office will discuss specific details with each applicant. Never hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
Dual degree students do not complete a supervised ministry placement through the CSTM, but instead complete a field placement through their partner school. Students can speak with their field advisors to identify field placement sites that are a good fit for their unique hopes and goals as dual degree students.
- M.A./M.S.W. students complete two social work field placements in Academic Year II and Academic Year III.
- M.A./M.A. students complete a full-year counseling practicum in the final year of their program.
- M.A./M.Ed. complete three years of teaching through their Urban Catholic Teacher Corps placement.
- M.A./M.B.A. students complete an intership through the M.B.A. program.
The dual degree program is a great fit for students with a wide variety of interests who hope to incorporate faith and spirituality into their professional and personal lives, and who also view their current and future work in related fields as their call to ministry. On a personal level, the dual degree has been valuable to students by providing them with academic and faith communities, classes, and practical experiences that are rooted in their values and align with their professional, personal, spiritual, and social interests. On a professional level, dual degree students are equipped with a unique interdisciplinary skill set that opens up professional possibilities, with graduates living out their call to ministry through a wide variety of fields, or applying the lens of the partner field to more explicitly ministerial settings.
Contact
Clough School of Theology and Ministry
cstmapply@bc.edu
617–552–6506
Carroll School of Management
bcmba@bc.edu
617–552–3920
School of Social Work
swadmit@bc.edu
617–552–4024
Lynch School of Education and Human Development
gsoe@bc.edu
617–552–4214