A: To apply for the STD program, STL degree is required. Students who earned it from PUST are admitted if they have achieved an 8,5/10 average (1) in their courses, as well as an 8.5/10 both for (2) their dissertation and (3) for the oral examination (lectio coram).
Candidates who earned their STL from a different Institution must meet the criteria specified by that Institution for those who want to apply for the STD program. In case the institution in question does not offer the STD program, the rules stated above apply. The Dean’s office establishes rules concerning correspondence of grades in case the institution that granted the STL degree uses a different scale of grades.
A: Candidates with a master degree in theology will be required to obtain an STL. They may be exempt from parts of the STL program depending on their former studies. Each case is evaluated individually.
A: As part of the process of admission, the prospective STD student must present his/her suggestion concerning the field of research and a tentative topic of the doctoral dissertation to the Head of the Section to ensure that the Faculty has a professor who can serve as Moderator of the project. The lack of an appropriate expert in a given field of theology or a lack of the professor who can direct a dissertation in a proposed language (other than English and Italian) may lead to the rejection of the application. The STL and STD program has 6 sections: biblical, Thomistic, dogmatic and fundamental, moral, and spirituality.
A: The candidate must meet the general language requirements specified for all PUST student applicants (the rules can be found in The Handbook of Studies). In addition, the candidate should prove his/her skills in all languages that will be necessary for his/her doctoral research.
A: The student may write his/her dissertation proposal and the dissertation in Italian or in English. Other languages are allowed only with the permission of the Vice Dean responsible for the STD program who must ensure that there are Professors on the Faculty who could serve as Censors. A formal letter of request is required.
A: The STD program requires minimum of 2 years of regular enrolment. It allows for up to 5 years of fuori corso status for continuing students. After this time the program is terminated.
A: Candidates who completed their STL at PUST and completed the Theological Writing Seminar (STL) are required to register only for the doctoral seminar.
Those who did not complete the licentiate program in the Faculty of Theology at PUST are required to register for two “obligatory” courses from the STL program (in their section) and two additional courses of their choice from the area of their specialization. They are also required to participate in the Theological Writing Seminar (STD), and the Seminar for Doctoral Students. These requirements should be completed during the first year of the program.
A: The STD program requires in presence participation in seminars and courses specified in the Doctoral Guidelines.
A: Yes. After the STD student has had their dissertation proposal approved, the student is obliged to accomplish at least one of the following tasks: (1) write one research paper and have it accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in their field of study; (2) participate in the doctoral “Laboratory” for at least one year and make at least one presentation in it; (3) fulfill an equivalent of (1), or (2), approved by their advisor (in communication with the Vice Dean responsible for the STD program).
A: Doctoral Students are required to work with a Moderator from their specialization (i.e., their section—Morals, Spirituality, etc.) who is a professor at PUST (the professor must have the rank of Incaricato or higher). Exceptions from this rule must be approved by the Vice Dean responsible for the STD program. The procedure is described in the Doctoral Guidelines.
A: The application might be rejected in the following situations: (1) Candidate’s (average) grade for courses, for the STL thesis, or for lectio coram is lower than 8,5 (in case of those who earned it from PUST); (2) Candidate’s grade for STL is lower than it is required by the Institution that granted the degree to enter the STD program (in case of those who did not earn their STL from PUST); (2) The Faculty does not have an appropriate expert in a given field of theology specified by the candidate; (3) The Faculty does not have a professor who can direct a dissertation in a proposed language (other than English and Italian); (4) The candidate does not meet the general language requirements specified for all PUST student applicants (the rules can be found in The Handbook of Studies).
A: The STD program is terminated in the following situations: (1) The doctoral proposal has not been approved within the first two semesters (in case of students who have earned their STL at PUST) or the first three semesters (in case of students who have not earned their STL at PUST); (2) The doctoral dissertation has not been submitted, reviewed and accepted for the defense within the 7 years from the beginning of the program; (3) The Dean’s office has serious doubts about the real capacity of a student to bring doctoral studies to a successful conclusion – in such case the Commission for the Doctorate is convoked to make a decision.