This program is offered jointly by the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Philosophy of Saint Paul University. With this double major, the program promotes an in-depth study of these related disciplines, theology and philosophy, and prepares the student for graduate studies in these two disciplines.

Objectives

This B.A. allows the student to:

• Identify the relationship between the major problems of modern society and the Church on the one hand, and theological and philosophical reflection on the other hand;
• Explain and integrate the interconnections between theology, philosophy and other disciplines.

Career opportunities

• Aboriginal affairs officer
• Aboriginal policy officer
• Editor
• Essayist
• Governmental programs officer
• Immigration policies analyst
• Journalist who specializes in this area
• Liaison officer for immigrant settlement

Do not hesitate to contact an Academic Advisor to obtain more information

A student enrolled in this Honours Bachelor's Program with major must add a complementary major or a complementary minor.

Faculty of Human Sciences

• Ramón Martínez De Pisón , Full Professor

Faculty of Philosophy

• Clinton Archibald, Adjunct Professor
• Dale M. Schlitt, o.m.i., Full Professor
• Gregory Walters, Full Professor
• Louis Perron, Assiociate Professor
• Rajesh Shukla, Assistant Professor
• Richard Feist, Associate professor
• Sonia Mansour Robaey, Assistant Professor
• Sophie Cloutier, Assistant Professor

Faculty of Theology

• Achiel Peelman, Full Professor
• Andrea Spatafora M.S.F., Associate Professor
• Andriy Chirovsky, Full Professor
• Carolyn Sharp, Associate Professor
• Catherine Clifford, Full Professor / Director of the Graduate Studies
• Christian Dionne, Associate Professor
• Denise Desrochers, Assistant Professor
• Fabrice Blée, Associate Professor
• James Pambrun, Full professor
• John Alexander Jillions, Associate Professor
• Kenneth Melchin, Full Professor
• Kevin Flynn, Assistant Professor; Director of Anglican Studies
• Mark Slatter, Assistant Professor
• Miriam K Martin pbvm, Associate Professor
• Myrtle Power, Associate Professor
• Normand Bonneau, Full Professor
• Peter Galadza, Full Professor
• Ronald W. Young, Assistant Professor
• Susan Roll, Associate Professor
• Thomas Mooren, Full Professor
• Yvan Mathieu, Associate Professor

Applications: A step-by-step guide

STEP 1: Choose a program of study
STEP 2: Learn about admission requirements
STEP 3: Submit your application
STEP 4: Gather the documents needed for the assessment of your application
STEP 5: Assessment of your application
STEP 6: Accept your offer of admission
STEP 7: Choose your courses

STEP 1: CHOOSE A PROGRAM OF STUDY

Undergraduate programs:

• Certificates
• Bachelors
• Ecclesiastical Programs
• Other Programs
• College Credit Transfer

STEP 2: LEARN ABOUT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Ontario applicants
• Quebec applicants
• Applicants from the Atlantic and Western provinces
• International applicants
• Applicants from other universities
• Mature applicants

Ontario applicants

From secondary school
Have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with at least six 4U or 4M level courses, including one 4U level course in English or français.

From Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT)

• After one year of studies
  You are eligible if you have completed one year of a college program and have obtained the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with one language course (English or français) at the college or 4U level.
• After a two- or three-year program
  If you have completed a two- or three-year college program, you can obtain up to 30 credits of advanced standing (transfer credits).

Our transfer agreements
Saint Paul University has developed a number of transfer agreements with colleges, allowing applicants to receive up to 30 equivalency credits. Find out more by consulting the tab entitled College Credit Transfer.

Quebec applicants

From secondary school
Have a Secondary School Diploma with an average of 84%, including one course in English or français at the Secondary V level.

From Cégep
Have completed 12 courses of general studies (not including physical education and refresher courses), including English (603) or français (601). Applicants who have successfully completed 12 courses of general studies may obtain up to 15 credits of advanced standing, and those who have successfully completed more than 12 courses of general studies may obtain up to 30 credits of advanced standing.

Applicants from the Atlantic and Western provinces

Have a Secondary School Diploma, including one course in English or français at the Grade 12 level.

Applicants from other universities

Applications from other Canadian or international universities will be assessed based on the applicant’s previous secondary and post-secondary studies. University equivalency credits may be granted depending on the studies completed and the program into which the person is admitted.

International applicants

Have a diploma attesting to 12 years of education equivalent to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Persons who have completed a secondary diploma attesting to 13 years of education, such as the Baccalauréat de l’enseignement secondaire français, can receive up to 30 credits of advanced standing. 

Mature applicants

When the applicant’s academic record does not meet normal conditions for admission, it is possible to apply as a mature applicant, provided that the person has not been enrolled in full-time studies for at least two consecutive years. In order to be considered for admission, applicants must have experience that can be considered sufficient preparation for pursuing undergraduate studies.

STEP 3: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

You have two options

OPTION 1

If you are applying for admission to an undergraduate program at more than one Ontario university, including Saint Paul University:

• Complete the application form available at the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because Saint Paul University is federated with the University of Ottawa, you will find programs offered by Saint Paul University listed under the University of Ottawa.

OPTION 2

If you are applying for an undergraduate program at Saint Paul University only, or if you are applying for a master’s or doctoral program:

• Complete the following form.

 

STEP 4: GATHER THE DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION

In order for us to assess your application, you must submit official transcripts for all of your previous studies (secondary, college and university). These transcripts must be sent directly from your academic institution to the following address:

Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA

However, to expedite the assessment process for your application, you can scan your documents and e-mail them to the Office of Admissions at admission@ustpaul.ca and then send your official documents through the mail.

STEP 5: ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION

Once the Office of Admissions receives all the required documents, it will begin to assess your application. One of the following decisions will be sent to you at the email address you gave us, as well as to your postal address.

Possible decisions

• Offer of admission
  The Office of Admissions will send you an offer of admission (unconditional).  
• Conditional offer of admission
  The Office of Admissions will make you a conditional offer of admission, with specific conditions that you must meet by a certain deadline. You can still proceed to registration (course selection).
• Deferred decision
  The Office of Admissions can inform you that some information is missing and therefore the University is unable to make a decision regarding your eligibility. If applicable, the Office will tell you which documents to send and by what date.
• Refusal
  The Office of Admissions will inform you of the reasons for the refusal.

 

STEP 6: ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF ADMISSION

To accept an offer of admission and a scholarship offer, if applicable, you must sign the form entitled Admission acceptance form that accompanies your offer of admission and send it to Saint Paul University by email, before the deadline, to the following address admission@ustpaul.ca or mail it to:

Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA

 

STEP 7: CHOOSE YOUR COURSES

With your offer of admission, you will receive all the information you will need to choose your courses. You will also receive the contact information for our academic advisors; you can meet with them one on one or during information sessions for guidance and to help you finalize your course selection.

Foundational Courses (24 credits)

Compulsory Courses: 21 credits

• HTP1101 Trends in Western Thought
• HTP1102 Artistic and Literary Imagination: Expressions of the Human Experience
• HTP1103 People, Politics and the Planet
• HTP1104 Faith, Justice and the Common Good
• ISC2309 English Composition
• ISC2314 Public Speaking
• PHI2181 Human Knowledge

Optional Courses: 3 credits from

• MIS2103 World Religions
• THO1306 Exploring the Sacred
• THO1307 Understanding the Bible (this course is a prerequisite for many THO courses)

Discipline Specific Courses - Philosophy (42 credits)

Compulsory Courses: 42 credits

• PHI1105 Introduction to Philosophical Reasoning
• PHI1106 Philosophy and the Meaning of Life
• PHI1110 Elementary Logic
• PHI2153 Christian Philosophers
• PHI2182 Human Existence
• PHI2184 Philosophy of Religion
• PHI3107 Thomas Aquinas
• PHI3112 Philosophical Theology
• PHI3141 Augustine
• PHI3152 Philosophical Hermeneutics
• PHI3183 Moral Philosophy
• PHI3309 Ethics and Religion
• PHI4130 Aristotle’s Ethical Theory
• PHI4155 Selected Topics in Philosophy

Discipline Specific Courses - Theology (42 credits)

Compulsory Courses: 18 credits

• THO2189 Introduction to Theology
• THO2315 Ethics and the Human Person
• THO3160 Pentateuch and Historical Books
• THO3161 Gospel Interpretation – Mark
• THO3166 Moral Existence
• THO3169 Christian Liturgy

Optional Courses: 24 credits (12 credits from 3000 Level Courses and 12 credits from 4000 Level Courses)

6 credits from (History of the Church):

• THO3123 Medieval Church History
• THO3124 Modern Church History
• THO3125 Contemporary Church History
• THO3167 History of the Church: The First Five Centuries

6 credits from (Systematics):

• THO3162 Christian Revelation and Faith
• THO3163 The Christian God
• THO3164 Jesus the Christ
• THO3165 The Church
• THO3168 Christian Spirituality

3 credits from (Scripture):

• THO4100 Wisdom Literature
• THO4101 Prophetic Literature
• THO4102 Pauline Literature
• THO4103 Johannine Literature

3 credits from (Ethics):

• THO4104 Sexual Ethics
• THO4105 Social and Political Ethics
• THO4106 Bioethics

3 credits from (Systematics):

• THO4107 Humanity: Creature and Creator
• THO4108 Grace and Christian Existence
• THO4109 Sin and the Question of Evil

3 credits from (Practice of the Church):

• MIS2108 Theory and Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue
• THO4110 The Eucharist
• THO4111 Sacraments of Initiation, Reconciliation, and Anointing. Funeral Rites.

Elective Courses (12 credits)

• Students choose 12 credits to complete their bachelor program.

HTP 1101 - Trends in Western Thought

This course addresses multiple aspects of the evolution of western thought, from Antiquity to current times, and the impact of major events and thinkers, and the influence of other civilizations on the contemporary understanding of human nature, culture and society.

HTP 1102 - Artistic and Literary Imagination: Expressions of the Human Experience

This course addresses the following themes: the notion of aesthetics and its application in art; the study of important works of art and literature with emphasis on the understanding of ‘Self’ in relation to the ‘Other’; the power of symbolic expression in the quest for meaning in a globalized and interconnected world.

HTP 1103 - People, Politics and the Planet

This course addresses personal, social and ecological challenges facing humanity today. We will examine issues at three levels – personal, political and planetary- in terms of community building and efforts towards global transformations for a hopeful future.

HTP 1104 - Faith, Justice and the Common Good

This course investigates faith, justice and the common good from religious, philosophical and human science perspectives. The course draws on classic and contemporary resources, in particular those from the Christian intellectual traditions.

ISC 2309 - English Composition

This course is dedicated to the improvement of writing skills in order to become an effective communicator in several contexts.

ISC 2314 - Public Speaking

Learning the techniques of efficient public speaking. Introduction and training to personal impression making in electronic media. Development of a professional attitude and self-confidence.

MIS 2103 - World Religions

Introduction to the world religions with an emphasis on Christian faith in interaction with other living faiths.

MIS 2108 - Theory and Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue

Dialogue as co-constitution of humans thanks to religious faith. Prerequisites and challenges involved in interreligious dialogue: in-depth dimension of faith; necessity of self-criticism; hermeneutic of religious convictions. Orthodoxy and orthopraxis. Harmony, conflict and end of religions.

PHI 1105 - Introduction to Philosophical Reasoning

This course offers students a general introduction to philosophical reasoning in the western tradition. It seeks to identify what philosophy is through a reading of some classic and representative texts in the discipline. The course is planned along thematic and historical lines, that is, it tries to introduce philosophy through a selection of readings from various branches of philosophy (epistemology, ethics, and metaphysics), and it is historical in that we read philosophers from the ancient through to the modern periods. Readings in Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and others will focus discussion. Attention will be given to the nature of philosophical argument, and the ways in which argumentation is a central concern for all forms of philosophical reasoning

PHI 1106 - Philosophy and the Meaning of Life

This course discusses the role of philosophy in understanding the meaning of life.

PHI 1110 - Elementary Logic

This course is a general introduction to logic. The course introduces students to such basic logical concepts as deduction, induction, validity and invalidity, fallacy, the relation of language to logic, and problems arising from workaday, rhetorical forms of argument.

PHI 2153 - Christian Philosophers

Great Christian philosophers. Relationships between faith and reason. The reciprocal influence of theology and philosophy on one another.

PHI 2181 - Human Knowledge

From Lascaux’s cave paintings to mythology, history, philosophy, and the experimental sciences,  human knowledge is the product of diverse approaches.  The course aims to show the diversity of human knowledge, its evolution and transmission, as well as the central role philosophy plays in the structuring of this knowledge in different types of discourse.

PHI 2182 - Human Existence

Essential dimensions of human existence. Its specificity with regard to the world around it. Openness to the religious realm, self awareness, reason, political life, relation to others, relationship to the world of nature.

PHI 2184 - Philosophy of Religion

Philosophers and religion. Questions raised by the scientific study of religion in the contemporary period. Contributions of linguistic analysis to the study of the expressions of religious faith.

PHI 3107 - Thomas Aquinas

Life, intellectual context, and philosophical thought of Thomas Aquinas. Study of selected texts.

PHI 3112 - Philosophical Theology

The philosophical question of God. The problem of the existence of God. The proofs of existence of God. Divine being and divine attributes. God and History. God and Evil. God and Human Freedom.

PHI 3141 - Augustine

Life, intellectual context, and philosophical thought of Augustine. Study of selected texts.

This course was previously PHI2155

PHI 3152 - Philosophical Hermeneutics

Hermeneutics of the Enlightenment and birth of the modern hermeneutical paradigm in relationship with the history of ideas and the theological preoccupations.

PHI 3183 - Moral Philosophy

Survey of the major ethical systems in the Western world. Relationship between philosophical and religious thinking in ethical matters. Fundamental questions facing contemporary moral consciousness.

PHI 3309 - Ethics and Religion

This course examines the philosophical foundations of various ethical and religious traditions and addresses the possibility of their convergence in modern liberal societies.

PHI 4130 - Aristotle's Ethical Theory

Aristotle on: happiness; virtue, acting according to right reason, mediatedness; justice and political life. Examination of contemporary ethical problems from the perspective of Aristotle's ethical theory.

PHI 4155 - Selected Topics in Philosophy II

Study of a particular topic in philosophy.

THO 1306 - Exploring the Sacred

The human effort to express the experience of the sacred and to name our sense of the “Beyond”. The different forms such expressions have taken: cosmic wonder and its symbols, foundations stories, ritual life. The meaning of this effort for understanding the quest of the human spirit and its attempts to build order in society and community.

THO 1307 - Understanding the Bible

The Bible: book or library, history or story? History of the Jewish people and of the culture in which the Bible was written. The Bible and its content. Interpreting the text. The Jesus event. The influence of the Bible on history and on contemporary culture.

THO 2189 - Introduction to Theology

An introduction to basic questions and fields of inquiry in Christian theology.

THO 2315 - Ethics and the Human Person

What is ethics? Introduction to the key ethical ideas that shape our lives. Ethical riches of the Christian tradition to understand ourselves and our responsibilities to other persons.

THO 3123 - Medieval Church History

History of the Church from the 6th to the 14th century.

THO 3124 - Modern Church History

History of the Church from the 14th to the 18th century.

THO 3125 - Contemporary Church History

History of the Church from the 18th century to the present.

THO 3160 - Pentateuch and Historical Books

The Old Testament in its historical and cultural contexts. The Pentateuch: oral traditions; the Yahwistic, Elohistic, Deuteronomistic and Priestly traditions. The Deuteronomistic History.

THO 3161 - Gospel Interpretation - Mark

The cultural and religious context of the New Testament history of the formation of the Gospels. Various methods of interpreting the Gospel texts. Special study of Mark.

THO 3162 - Christian Revelation and Faith

The Revelation of God in the history of Israel and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Revelation and the early Christian communities. Theology of revelation. Inspired Scripture and Tradition. Word of God and the response of faith. Christian revelation and world religions.

THO 3163 - The Christian God

The reception and expression of the mystery of God throughout history. Theological reflection on the mystery of God: the Trinity, the caring God. The question of the suffering God. The human experience of God. The question of God in today’s world.

THO 3164 - Jesus the Christ

Approaches to Jesus of Nazareth. His message and works. Theological interpretation of his death. His resurrection, exaltation, and the eschatological event of salvation. Jesus, Messiah and Saviour. Jesus, son of Mary and Son of God.

THO 3165 - The Church

The Church as institution and event. Its Christological origin and historical development. The Church as sign of salvation among men and women. Unity and diversity in the Church.

THO 3166 - Moral Existence

Introduction to the field of ethics within theology. Historical development of ethical approaches within theology. Constitutive elements of moral existence. Moral existence and Christian faith.

THO 3167 - History of the Church: The First Five Centuries

Relationship between history and theology. Methodology of historical research. Overview of the historical evolution of Christianity from its beginnings to the end of the fifth century.

THO 3168 - Christian Spirituality

Nature of Christian spirituality, its definition and its foundations. Major periods and movements of Christian spirituality. Importance of spirituality for theological reflection.

THO 3169 - Christian Liturgy

Introductory course on liturgy and worship. Basic ideas of time, space, symbol, language and music. Jewish public prayer. The history of the Western liturgy. The structure and dynamics of the eucharistic liturgy, the liturgy of the hours, Sunday worship without a priest, the liturgical year, inculturation, and trends for the future.

THO 4100 - Wisdom Literature

General introduction to Wisdom Literature: its origin and evolution. Exegesis of selected passages.

Prerequisite: THO 3160

THO 4101 - Prophetic Literature

General introduction to the prophets. Chronological study of prophets in their cultural and religious contexts. Evolution of prophetic literature towards the apocalyptic form.

Prerequisite: THO 3160

THO 4102 - Pauline Literature

Overview of the life of Paul and his work. Special study of some of his letters.

Prerequisite: THO 3161

THO 4103 - Johannine Literature

Study of Johannine writings, their structure, theology, and setting. Exegesis of selected passages in the Gospel and Letters.

Prerequisite: THO 3161

THO 4104 - Sexual Ethics

Meaning of human sexuality. Sexuality understood in terms of personal growth. Discernment of moral values in sexual behaviour.

Prerequisite: THO 3166

THO 4105 - Social and Political Ethics

Human being as personal and social being. Respect for human rights. Freedom in the socio-political context. Society as the milieu of personal growth.

Prerequisite: THO 3166

THO 4106 - Bioethics

Respect for human life. Right to physical integrity. Genetics. Abortion. Euthanasia.

Prerequisite: THO 3166

THO 4107 - Humanity: Creature and Creator

Christian anthropology. Responsibility and freedom of the human person as co-creator. Relationship between creation and redemption. Creation and a scientific world view. Ecology and theology.

Prerequisite: THO 3162

THO 4108 - Grace and Christian Existence

Divine grace and human freedom. Historical development of the theology of grace. Christian existence as faith, hope, and love. God’s presence in the world and in the human person. Contemporary challenges.

Prerequisite: THO 3162

THO 4109 - Sin and the Question of Evil

Sin: personal, social, and original. Conversion. Finitude, culpability. The anthropological and Christian significance of suffering, death, and evil.

Prerequisite: THO 3166

THO 4110 - The Eucharist

Overview of the eucharistic liturgy. The history and theology of the eucharist from New Testament times through the Middle Ages to today. Basic concepts of meal, sacrifice and memorial. Contemporary issues in the eucharist.

Prerequisite: THO 3169

THO 4111 - Sacraments of Initiation, Reconciliation, and Anointing. Funeral Rites

Baptism as the foundation of Christian identity. The Rite for the Christian Initiation of Adults and its history. Infant baptism. Issues in Confirmation. The (Roman Catholic) Sacraments of Healing: Reconciliation/Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum. Funeral rites and pastoral concerns.

Prerequisite: THO 3169

Print the Course Sequence

	Bachelor Components (120 credits)
	Foundational 8 courses (24 credits)	Main Program 28 courses (84 credits)	Elective Courses 4 courses (12 credits)
1st Year	HTP1101 HTP1102 ISC2309 ISC2314	PHI1105 PHI1106 PHI1110 PHI2153 THO2189 THO2315
2nd Year	HTP1103 HTP1104 PHI2181 MIS2103 OR THO1306 OR THO1307	PHI2182 PHI2184 PHI3107 THO3160 THO3161 THO3166
3rd Year		PHI3112 PHI3141 PHI3152 PHI3183 TH3169 3 THO 3000 courses	2 courses
4th Year		PHI3309 PHI4130 PHI4155 1 THO 3000 course 4 THO 4000 courses	2 courses
*This recommended course sequence can be modified depending on Saint Paul University's annual course offering or a student's choices.

Contact Us

Office of Admissions and Student Services
Room 154
Saint Paul University
223 Main Street
Ottawa, ON
K1S 1C4
CANADA

Telephone: 613-236-1393
Fax: 613-782-3014
admission@ustpaul.ca

Hours of Operation

August 15 to May 31

Monday to Thursday	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday	8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

June 1 to August 14

Monday to Friday	8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.