An ecclesiastical university is a special type of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

school recognised by the

Canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. It is one of two types of universities recognised, the other type being the

Catholic university Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical un ...

. Every single ecclesiastical university is a pontifical university, while only a few Catholic universities are pontifical. Some independent institutions, schools or university faculties, even at non-pontifical universities, can be ecclesiastical institutes, ecclesiastical schools or ecclesiastical faculties and may also be given charters by the Holy See to grant ecclesiastical degrees, usually in one or two specific fields. Ecclesiastical universities are licensed to grant ecclesiastical degrees in: *

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

, including biblical studies and

Church history __NOTOC__ Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual ...

*Ecclesiastical Philosophy *

Canon Law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

These ecclesiastical degrees are prerequisites to certain offices in the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, especially considering that

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

candidates are selected mainly from

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

s who are doctors of sacred theology (S.T.D.) or canon law (J.C.D.) and that ecclesiastical judges and attorneys must at least be licentiates of canon law (J.C.L.).

Ecclesiastical universities and faculties

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

* Facultades de Filosofía y Teología, San Miguel

Australia

* Catholic Institute of Sydney, Sydney

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

* Faculdade Jesuíta de Filosofia e Teologia, Belo Horizonte

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west- central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; th ...

* Catholic Institute of Yaoundé, Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaoundé

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

* Faculté de Théologie et de Sciences Religieuses,

Université Laval Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Mont ...

, Québec * Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto. It uniquely among all ecclesiastical faculties grants the licentiate in Medieval Studies (L.M.S., a post-doctorate earned degree), and the doctorate (M.S.D.) which is awarded on the basis of a career. It is an independent research institute at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institu ...

. * Regis College, University of Toronto, Toronto

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

Pontifical Catholic University of Chile The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (''PUC or UC Chile'') ( es, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) is one of the six Catholic Universities existing in the Chilean university system and one of the two pontifical universities ...

, Santiago *

Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso ( es, link=no, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso) (PUCV), also known as ''Universidad Católica de Valparaíso'' (UCV), is one of six Catholic university, Catholic universities i ...

, Valparaiso

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...
(
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
)

* Facultés Catholiques de Kinshasa, Kinshasa

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Zagreb Faculty may refer to: * Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States) * Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warrant ...

, Zagreb

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

* Seminario Pontificio Santo Tomás de Aquino, Santo Domingo

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

* Centre Sèvres - Facultés Théologique et Philosophique des Jésuites, Paris * Faculté de Théologie et de Philosophie ( Université Catholique de Lyon), Paris * Faculté de Théologie ( Université Catholique de l'Ouest), Angers * Faculté de Théologie ( Université Catholique de Lille), Lille * Faculté de Théologie Notre-Dame, Paris

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

* Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology, Frankfurt

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

* Holy Spirit Seminary, Wong Chuk Hang

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

Faculty of Theology Faculty may refer to: * Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States) * Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warrant ...

, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

Pontifical Athenaeum of Philosophy and Religion A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy ...

, Pune *

Pontifical Institute of Theology and Philosophy A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Hol ...

, Alwaye, Kerala *

Pontifical Oriental Institute of Religious Studies A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...

, Kottayam *

St. Peter's Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary also known as St. Peter's Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology or simply as St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary/Institute is a Roman Catholic major seminary located in Bangalore, India. After the Suppres ...

, Bangalore * Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram Pontifical Athenaeum of Philosophy and Theology, Bangalore *

Vidyajyoti Faculty of Theology Vidyajyoti College of Theology (literally, ‘Light of Knowledge’) is a Catholic private theological college run by the Jesuits located in Delhi, India. It was started in 1879 in Asansol, West Bengal, as a modest 'Saint Joseph’s Seminary'. ...

, Delhi * Satya Nilayam Institute of Philosophy and Culture, Chennai *

Faculty of Theology of Ranchi Faculty may refer to: * Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States) * Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warran ...

, Ranchi

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

* Wedabhakti Pontifical Faculty of Theology, Yogyakarta

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

* St Patrick's College, Maynooth

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

, Jerusalem *

Pontificium Institutum Biblicum The Pontifical Biblical Institute (also known as Biblicum) is a research and postgraduate teaching institution specialised in biblical and ancient Near Eastern studies. It is an Pontifical universities in Rome#Pontifical Athenae and Institutes, ...

, Jerusalem campus *

Studium Biblicum Franciscanum Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (English: Franciscan Biblical Studies) is a Franciscan academic society based in Jerusalem. It is a center of biblical and archaeological research and studies. Organization Founded in 1924, the Studium Biblicum Fr ...

, Jerusalem * Studium Theologicum Salesianum, Jerusalem campus

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy The San Luigi Papal Theological Seminary of Southern Italy (Italian: ''Pontificia Facoltà Teologica dell'Italia Meridionale, San Luigi'') is an institution of higher learning in Naples, Italy. It is located prominently on via Petrarca in the Posi ...

, Naples * Pontifical Theological Faculty of Sardinia, Cagliari * Pontifical Theological Faculty of Sicily «San Giovanni Evangelista», Palermo * Theological Faculty of Apulia, Bari * Theological Faculty of Central Italy, Florence * Theological Faculty of Emilia-Romagna, Bologna * Theological Faculty of Northern Italy, Milan, Turin, Genoa * Theological Faculty of the Triveneto, Padua * Faculty of Canon Law «San Pio X», Venice * «Sophia» University Institute, Loppiano * Academic Theological Study Bressanone, Bressanone (affiliated with the Faculty of Theology of the

University of Innsbruck The University of Innsbruck (german: Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck; la, Universitas Leopoldino Franciscea) is a public research university in Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, founded on October 15, 1669. ...

in Austria)

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

* Faculté de Théologie, Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik, Jounieh

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, Tal-Virtù

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...

Catholic Institute of West Africa , mottoeng =Always busy, Always at rest , type = Ecclesiastical institute , established = , closed = , founder = , parent = , affiliation = , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic , affiliations = UNICAL , endowment ...

, Port Harcourt

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

* Loyola School of Theology,

Ateneo de Manila University , mottoeng = Light in the Lord , type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution , established = December 10, 1859 , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits) , academic_aff ...

, Quezon City

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Warsaw A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...

, Warsaw * Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wrocław, Wrocław * Pontifical University of John Paul II, Kraków

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

* Ateneo Universitario Sant Pacià, Barcelona * Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso, Madrid * Faculty of Canon Law (at Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Martir), Valencia * Faculty of Theology (at Universidad de Deusto), Bilbao * Faculty of Theology (at

Universidad Loyola Andalucía Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to: Places * Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Universidad (Madrid) Football clubs * Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala ...

), Granada * Faculty of Theology "San Esteban," Salamanca * Faculty of Theology "San Isidoro de Sevilla," Sevilla * Faculty of Theology "San Vicente Ferrer," Valencia * Theological Faculty of Northern Spain - Burgos Campus * Theological Faculty of Northern Spain - Vitoria Campus

Switzerland

* Faculty of Theology (at Université de Fribourg), Fribourg * Faculty of Theology (at Università di Lucerna), Lucerne * Faculty of Theology (at Università della Svizzera italiana), Lugano * Theological School of Chur (German: Theologische Hochschule Chur), Chur

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...

* Fu Jen Faculty of Theology of St. Robert Bellarmine, New Taipei City

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

* Mater Ecclesiae College, London; Also formerly Heythrop College, University of London

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Boston College School of Theology and Ministry The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (STM) is a Jesuit school of graduate theology at Boston College. It is an ecclesiastical faculty of theology that trains men and women, both lay and religious, for scholarship and service, especi ...

(at

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifi ...

), Brighton, MA * Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology (at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake), Mundelein, IL * Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (at

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic M ...

), Berkeley, CA * Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception (at the Dominican House of Studies), Washington, DC *

St. Mary's Seminary and University St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Catholic seminary located within the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States after the Revolution and has been run since its founding by the ...

, Baltimore, MD Additionally, numerous other United States institutions have arrangements by which they may grant pontifical degrees, including: * Archdiocese of New York's

St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie after the Yonkers, New York neighborhood it is located in, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York.Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the Uni ...

, Yonkers, NY – offers the S.T.B. through the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy. *

Kenrick–Glennon Seminary } Kenrick–Glennon Seminary (officially Saint Louis Roman Catholic Theological Seminary) is a Roman Catholic seminary in Shrewsbury, Missouri that is operated by the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The seminary was founded in 1818 and is named na ...

, Shrewsbury, MO - offers the S.T.B. through the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school (pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

in Rome, Italy. * Mount Angel Abbey's Seminary, Saint Benedict, OR - offers the S.T.B. through the

Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm The Anselmianum, also known as the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm ( it, Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo; ) is a pontifical university in Rome associated with the Benedictines. It offers courses in philosophy, theology, liturgy, monastic studi ...

in Rome, Italy. *

Mount St. Mary's University Mount St. Mary's University (The Mount) is a private Roman Catholic university in Emmitsburg, Maryland. It includes the largest Catholic seminary in the United States. The undergraduate programs are divided between the College of Liberal Arts, ...

Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD - offers the S.T.B. through the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception. *

Sacred Heart Major Seminary Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a private Roman Catholic seminary in Detroit, Michigan. It is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Detroit. In 2016–2017, 107 seminarians, representing eleven dioceses and two religious orders were enrolled in c ...

, Detroit, MI - offers both the S.T.B. and S.T.L through the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy * Saint Patrick's Seminary and University, Menlo Park, CA - offers the S.T.B. through the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception. * Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, OH - offers the S.T.B. through the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy.Faculty of Theology at Josephinum
/ref>

References

{{reflist * * Catholic universities and colleges Types of university or college