Admission Process

An application for admission must be submitted by:

• any candidate who wishes to register at the University for the first time:
  • as a part-time or full-time student in a program leading to a degree or diploma;
  • for any courses with credits, whether credits are to be recognized or not;
• any student who registers for a new degree.

Application Form

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The following items must be sent along with the completed application form:

1. a $45 (Undergraduate) or $70 (Graduate) admission fee; non-refundable;
2. a complete and official transcript forwarded by the Registrar of each institution attended in the past;
3. any other document required by the program.
   

Students are asked to assemble their admission dossier themselves, including, if possible, previous transcripts and letters of recommendation (under sealed envelopes, signed across the flap).

In the case of special students and auditors, the transcripts may not be required if the appropriate admissions committee has in some other way all the information it needs to evaluate the application.
The admissions committee of the Faculty concerned will consider all applications in the order in which they were received.

Admission Requirements

The conditions for admission stated below apply, unless otherwise indicated, to regular students. For special students, and especially auditors, some other kind of preparation may be accepted,
provided, in each case, the applicant is considered, by the appropriate Admissions Committee, to be able to succeed in the courses he or she wants to follow, and provided the candidate accepts to comply with the regulations concerning special students and auditors.

Baccalaureate in Canon Law

Please contact the Faculty: canonlaw@ustpaul.ca

Licentiate in Canon Law

1. Candidates must have a baccalaureate degree and the equivalent of two years of study in philosophy and theology, at either the undergraduate or graduate level, which should include the study of philosophical anthropology, metaphysics, ethics, Sacred Scripture, fundamental theology, Trinitarian theology, Christology, grace, ecclesiology, sacramental theology (general and particular), moral theology (general and particular), and an introduction to canon law.
   They also need to have an adequate knowledge of Latin.
2. Applicants who lack sufficient preparation in philosophy and theology or Latin may be admitted provisionally, but must complete the prerequisites, under the direction of the Dean, before final acceptance into the program.

Because of the limited number of Canadian diplomatic missions, it can take quite some time for visa applications to be processed from countries without Canadian diplomatic missions, because they must be handled by diplomatic missions in another country than the candidate’s. The candidates coming from countries where there is no Canadian diplomatic mission are strongly advised to send their application for admission as early as possible, preferably before the end of January.

Doctorate in Canon Law

Candidates for the degree of doctor in canon law (J.C.D.) must possess a licentiate degree in canon law. A candidate for the Ph.D. degree in canon law must have obtained a Master’s degree in canon law or its equivalent. In either case, they must have had an average mark of A- (80%) or its equivalent.

Furthermore, before being admitted, the candidates will have to fulfill the requirements of the Regulations on Admission to the Doctoral Program of the Faculty.

Applications for admissions must reach the University before March 15. Students requiring visas should begin application procedures as early as possible, preferably before the end of January. (See above: Licentiate in Canon Law, Admission requirements.)

Only students judged truly apt to succeed in graduate studies and to contribute personally to the field of juridical sciences will be accepted as candidates for the doctorate.

Letter of recommendation form. (three referees required)

Master’s in Canon Law

Students holding a baccalaureate degree may be admitted provided they have the theological knowledge necessary for studies in canon law.

Graduate Certificates

Graduate Certificate in Canon Law (GCCL)

1. Prospective students must hold an honours baccalaureate, or complete an equivalent program, with an average grade of at least “B”.
2. The baccalaureate or equivalent program must include, or be supplemented by, at least 18 credits in one of the following disciplines:
   • 18 credits in theology and philosophy (ecclesiastical), which suffice for admission to any of the concentrations;
   • 18 credits in religious sciences or mission sciences, which suffice for admission to the concentrations in church governance or liturgical law;
   • 18 credits in civil law or common law, which suffice for admission to the concentrations in matrimonial law or comparative law.
3. The Faculty of Canon Law reserves the right to assess individual applications and stipulate specific prerequisites for a concentration or a course, or to waive one or more prerequisites in view of the candidate’s proven pastoral or professional experience.

Graduate Certificate in Canonical Practice (GCCP)

1. Prospective students must hold an honours baccalaureate, or provide evidence of an equivalent four-year program of higher studies, with an average grade of at least “B”.
2. The baccalaureate or equivalent program must include, or be supplemented by, at least 18 credits in the theological disciplines, or equivalent studies and pastoral or professional experience as determined by the Executive Committee of the Faculty.
3. Additionally, candidates must have a degree in canon law, or at least 15 credits of course work and seminars in canon law, including a course on the general norms of canon law.
4. Courses that are part of parent programs other than canon law may have other prerequisites.

Graduate Certificate in Ecclesiastical Administration (GCEA)

1. Prospective students must hold an honours baccalaureate, or provide evidence of an equivalent four-year program of higher studies, with an average grade of at least “B”.
2. The baccalaureate or equivalent program must include, or be supplemented by, at least 18 credits in the theological disciplines, or equivalent studies and pastoral or professional experience as determined by the Executive Committee of the Faculty.
3. Additionally, candidates must have a degree in canon law, or at least 15 credits of course work and seminars in canon law, including a course on the general norms of canon law.
4. Courses that are part of parent programs other than canon law may have other prerequisites.