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Philosophy Requirements for Seminarians
I. General Description
II. Course Requirements for Seminary Students Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in Philosophy
III. Academic Admission Requirements for Seminary Students pursuing a BA in Philosophy or the Qualifying Year Courses
I. General Description
The Second Vatican Council directed that seminarians should receive humanistic and scientific training which enables other students in their own society to undertake higher studies. At the beginning of their training in the Seminary, therefore, seminarians usually receive introductory courses which initiate them into the mystery of salvation, provide a firm grounding in arts and social sciences. (See the Decree on the Training of Priests, nn. 13-15, and the Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, n. 62.)
St. Peter’s Seminary, by virtue of its affiliation with The University of Western Ontario (UWO) and King’s University College, can provide a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Philosophy for candidates for the ministerial priesthood who are preparing for the study of theology. Students who enter the Seminary without an undergraduate degree, or with a degree partially completed, enrol in this program of study by registering and receiving their degree from UWO.
Those students who possess an undergraduate degree from a recognized university, but who lack the necessary core courses in philosophy, register in a qualifying year as special students of the University and complete these requirements in one academic year. Students lacking only one or two of the core courses in philosophy may take them concurrently while registered in the program of theology.
II. Course Requirements for Seminary Students Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in Philosophy
Seminarians who register at King’s University College to pursue the Bachelor of Arts degree are required to follow the general regulations and graduation requirements for undergraduate degrees at UWO and the specific requirements for the major module offered through the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at King’s University College. These regulations and requirements are found in the respective academic calendars of these institutions and at their respective websites, http://www.uwo.ca and http://www.uwo.ca/kings.
The requirements for the Major Module in Philosophy are listed below:
MAJOR IN PHILOSOPHY
Admission Requirements
Completion of first-year requirements including Philosophy 020E.
Module
6.0 courses:
1.0 course in Philosophy from: Philosophy 200F/G, 201F/G, 210F/G, 211F/G
3.0 additional courses in Philosophy at the 200 level
2.0 additional courses in Philosophy at the 300 level
Toward meeting the requirements of the Major module in Philosophy, seminarians must include the following courses for the Major module and formational requirements for priestly training:
• English 020E – General Literature and Composition (or) English 024E – Forms of Fiction
• Philosophy 020E – Introduction to Philosophy
• Philosophy 205E – Aristotelian Logic
• Philosophy 210F/G – Ancient Philosophy
• Philosophy 211F/G – Early Modern Philosophy
• Philosophy 219E – Contemporary Philosophy
• Philosophy 220 – Thomistic Philosophy I
• Philosophy 227E – History of Scientific Thought
• Philosophy 203E – Moral Problems and Issues (or) Philosophy 333E – Thomistic Philosophy II
• Religious Studies 027E – Introduction to Catholic Theology
• Religious Studies 250E – History of the Catholic Church
• Speech 143 – The Major Forms of Oral Discourse (strongly recommended)
Courses for the major module are offered at St. Peter’s Seminary as well as at King’s University College, Brescia University College, Huron University College, and the main campus of UWO.
III. Academic Admission Requirements for Seminary Students pursuing a BA in Philosophy or the Qualifying Year Courses
Undergraduate students applying to St. Peter’s Seminary for the BA program in philosophy, or for the qualifying year, register through King’s University College and follow the requirements for students at the College, as indicated in their academic calendar or on their website, http://www.uwo.ca/kings. As such, academic admission requirements for the program of Arts at the Seminary are the same as those at King’s, as published each year in the UWO calendar. They include:
• applicants from Ontario require a high school diploma with a minimum average as determined by UWO;
• applicants from outside Ontario must meet the requirements for university studies as determined in their own province and by UWO;
• applicants seeking admission from an Ontario Secondary School must complete the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) form 101, provided by secondary school guidance offices and submitted by the school principal or guidance counsellor – on this form, it is necessary to specify the choice of university as UWO/King’s University College/Arts;
• out-of-province secondary school graduates, those who have completed a two- or three-year program at a college of applied arts and technology, mature candidates (those 21 years of age or older who have not been in school for a minimum of two years), and university transfer students must complete the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) form 105 – contact the Registrar of Arts for specific details;
• applicants who have attained a Bachelor’s degree, and who are seeking admission as a pre-theology student should use the OUAC form 105 to register as a “special student”.
Notes:
(i) When an seminarian applicant for the BA program in philosophy does not qualify for admission under the requirements of the University, he is normally asked to complete the requirements at a continuing education centre before applying to the Seminary.
(ii) When a mature seminarian candidate does not qualify for admission under the normal University guidelines, he may be admitted for exceptional reasons as a “special student” in preparation for theological studies. Such an applicant must qualify as a mature student (i.e., be at least 21 years of age or older and have not been in school for a minimum of two years), have experience in the field of work, and shows an aptitude for post-secondary studies. He would have to have the recommendation of his Bishop and his Vocations Director as one suited for priestly ministry. He would be expected to complete the qualifying year of philosophy before embarking on theological studies.
(iii) Students of St. Peter’s Seminary are not eligible for entrance scholarships normally offered to King’s University College students. Though seminarians are students of King’s University College and UWO, these scholarships are reserved to students in residence at King’s.
