The Department of Theology at Prabodhana offers courses required for the Degree of Bachelor of Theology as well as for Diploma in Theology. The B.Th. Degree is conferred by the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Vallendar, Germany, to which the institute is affiliated. All students who successfully complete the four year theology course can obtain the B.Th. Degree provided they make the grade as described below. Those who do not make the grade are given a diploma by Prabodhana.

Terms and Conditions for Qualification

a) During the four years in the institute a candidate is required to successfully complete 140 credits, of which 112 credits are to be basic courses of theology, 18 credits may be languages, electives and seminars offered by the institute and 10 credits are assigned to comprehensive exams and dissertation. In the fourth year of theology the students are also required to do a comprehensive examination consisting of a written examination as well as an oral examination.

b) The comprehensive written and the comprehensive oral examination would have the value of 3 credits each. The fourth year students must also write a dissertation of about 30 to 35 pages which would have the value of 4 credits.

c) The grade to obtain the B.Th. 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 granted the B.Th. degree. So a student requiring to complete 140 credits must obtain 91 points (65 percent of 140) in order to qualify for B.Th. And those who obtain below 65% points would receive a diploma. Throughout the four 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 for the B.Th. degree only the marks of the first attempt are taken into account. By this method of computing the grade for B.Th. the students are given the opportunity to qualify for the B.Th. degree till they do the last examination.

Comprehensive Examination
Towards the close of their course in Prabodhana those students who do the four year theology course are required to do a comprehensive examination, which shall consist of:

a) 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

a) 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.

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

Dissertation

a) The students doing the four year theology course have also to write a short thesis of 35-40 pages on a relevant topic of their choice, observing the methodology prescribed by the institute. 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.

b) 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, not later than 31 October of each year.

c) The moderator and one other staff member would evaluate the thesis; 65% of the marks are assigned to the evaluation by the moderator and 35% to that of the second reader.

4.4.5 Marks and Grading
Grades for the B.Th. degree would be assigned as follows: 65 - 69 points = Probatus (Pass); 70 - 75 = Bene Probatus (Second Division/ Satisfactory); 76 - 80 = Cum Laude Probatus (First Division/Good); 81 - 89 = Magna cum Laude (Distinction/Very Good); and 90 - 100 = Summa cum Laude (Excellent).

4.4.6 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 for granting the B.Th. degree.