Prabodhana offers courses required for the Magister Degree in Theology or Diploma in Theology. The Magister Degree is conferred by Vinzenz Pallotti University, Vallendar-Germany, to which the institute is aggregated.

Terms and Conditions for Qualification for Magister Degree in Theology

1. Any student of Prabodhana who qualifies himself/herself at the end of the Third-year of theology (FIRST CYCLE) with 65% points shall enroll in Vinzenz Pallotti University to pursue his/her studies to obtain a Magister Degree (SECOND CYCLE)
2. The grade to qualify for the pursual of the Magister degree is computed as follows: every credit course offered in Prabodhana, when completed by attempting the required examination, has the value of 1 point. So, if a student obtains 75 marks out of hundred for a one credit course he would receive 0.75 points. Likewise, if a student obtains 35 marks out of hundred and fails, he would receive 0.35 points. If he obtains 75% marks out of hundred for a three-credit course he would receive 2.25 points. Any student, obtaining 65% points of the total credits he is required to do, is qualified to enroll for the Magister.

3. The students must also write a dissertation of about 50 pages.

4. A student who does not secure a minimum of 65% points after completing the six semesters of theological studies (FIRST CYCLE) will be awarded a diploma in theology. He/ she will subsequently undertake the pastoral year during the seventh and eighth semesters.

5. Of the total credits required for the Magister’s Degree (300 ECTS), Prabodhana will accumulate and transfer 216 ECTS to VPU.

6. In addition, VPU recognizes 34.5 ECTS from Bachelor’s degree in philosophy each student has completed.

7. The remaining 49.5 ECTS will be accumulated through on- line and offline courses taught by professors from VPU and Prabodhana.

8. Throughout the three years of theology anyone who fails in a subject is expected to repeat the examination within the time stipulated by the Dean of Theology. Likewise, those who fail in the comprehensive examination, whether oral or written, are also required to repeat the examination but only in the subject they fail. However, in assessing the average to enroll for Magister degree only the marks of the first attempt are taken into account.

Comprehensive Examinations

The students of the FIRST CYCLE towards the close of their theological programme in Prabodhana, are required to do a comprehensive examination, which shall consist of:

1. An oral examination which is of 45 minutes’ duration, before a Board of Three Examiners who would examine the students on the basis of the sixty questions provided earlier to the students. Each professor on the panel would be allotted fifteen minutes to examine a candidate.

b. A written examination which is of three hours’ duration and based on the sixty questions provided to the students.

Syllabus for the Comprehensive Examination

1. To guide the students in their preparation for the comprehensive examination, the students would be given sixty questions: thirty from Dogmatic Theology, twenty from Sacred Scripture and ten from Moral Theology and Canon Law.

2. The questions would be given to the students at the beginning of the third year. The comprehensive examination, both oral and written would be based on these sixty questions.

Dissertation

1. The students doing the FIRST CYCLE have to write a dissertation of 50 pages on a relevant topic of their choice, observing the methodology prescribed by Prabodhana. The thesis is to be written under the guidance of a lecturer in the Seminary or one on the seminary staff, chosen by the candidate and approved by the Dean of Theology. As for the choice of the moderator is concerned, the candidates would express their first and second preferences of moderators. The Dean would then assign to each candidate a moderator considering the preferences of the candidates as well as the number of students doing thesis with a moderator.
2. The individual chapters of the thesis must first be submitted to the respective moderator for correction and approval. The final form of the thesis must then be submitted in duplicate to the Dean of Theology on the last Friday of September of each year.

3. The moderator and one other staff member would evaluate the thesis; 70% of the marks are assigned to the evaluation by the moderator and 30% to that of the second reader.

Marks and Grading of the First Cycle

Grades for the First Cycle would be assigned as follows: 65 – 69 points = Probatus (Pass); 70-74 = Bene Probatus (Second Division/ Satisfactory); 75-79 = Cum Laude Probatus (First Division/Good); 80-89 = Magna cum Laude (Distinction/Very Good); and 90-100 = Summa cum Laude (Excellent).

Some Other Points

In the case of students who have done part of their theology course elsewhere, the Dean of Theology would ensure that, they fulfil all the conditions required by Prabodhana to obtain a Degree/Diploma.

Ad Audiendas/Faculty Examination

The faculty examination for those who complete the FIRST CYCLE is held in Prabodhana. The duration of the examination is 30 minutes before a panel of three examiners. Any student who fails in the examination is obliged to repeat it after suitable preparation.