Admission

The Clough School of Theology and Ministry stands as an intellectual and spiritual centerpiece of an esteemed research university grounded in a storied tradition of faith leadership training. We prepare students to transform communities, the Church, and the world through service.

Why Choose CSTM?

Our renowned scholars and students actively engage with the most pressing issues at the intersection of faith and culture, promoting passionate dialogue and academic rigor. Join them.

Financial Aid

100%

of master's students receive financial aid

60+

scholarships, assistantships, & other awards

Belonging at CSTM

Our multicultural community includes students and faculty of all ages, genders, and backgrounds who are committed to a single mission: to develop their academic and ministerial gifts in service to the Church and the world.

Discern Your Program, Pursue Your Passion

In the spirit of the Jesuit, Catholic intellectual tradition’s pursuit of truth, we emphasize the process of discernment in decision making, prayer, and conversations with advisors. Discernment is about gathering as much information as possible to inform intense personal reflection. Choose from master's programs, doctoral programs, certificates, non-degree programs, and the ecclesiastical sequence.

Campus Tours & Virtual Visits

Get to know us on your schedule: Visit our beautiful campus in person, take a virtual tour, or sign up for an admissions webinar. 

Schedule a Visit

Admissions Events

Can theology studies be for me?

The CSTM Admission team asks students and alumni about their journeys to theology studies.

35

majors represented at CSTM

Incoming Class, Fall 2023

Contact the Admission Team

Anthony Russo

Anthony Russo

Associate Dean, Graduate Enrollment Management


617-552-6506
Simboli Hall 224

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Anthony Russo

Anthony Russo

Associate Dean, Graduate Enrollment Management

| 617-552-6506 | Simboli Hall 224

Hometown: Stratford, CT

Undergrad Institution: College of the Holy Cross

Favorite thing to do in Boston: Eat! Boston and its many neighborhoods offer countless options to explore the city through food.

Favorite spot on campus: It's right off campus, but the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. It's beautiful and has a great walking path.

Why STM: The opportunity to be part of a faith-filled community committed to both spiritual formation and rigorous academic inquiry deepens one's sense of self, God, and the world. An STM education is both nourishing and challenging, building students' capacity to be leaders and change-makers in the church and world.

Favorite STM tradition: The Welcome Back BBQ. The food is amazing, and it's a great representation of the many ways our whole community – students, faculty, and staff – comes together.

Denning Aaris

Denning Aaris

Assistant Director, Admissions


617-552-8274
Simboli Hall 224

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Denning Aaris

Denning Aaris

Assistant Director, Admissions

| 617-552-8274 | Simboli Hall 224

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Undergrad Institution: Boston College 

Favorite things to do in Boston: Experiencing all that Boston has to offer in the arts and culture.

Favorite spot on campus: There are too many to count! I am an alum from both undergrad and STM and there are so many special spots around main campus and Brighton campus that mean so much to me that I couldn't just name one. I see BC as my home and love all of its nooks and crannies!

Why STM: This is where the spirit brought me. The School of Theology and Ministry was such a gift and made an incredible impact on me academically, spiritually and professionally.  I owe a great deal to the STM and the genuine community that exists.  I have come back to work professionally here because of the incredible students, staff and faculty.  There is just no other place like it!

Favorite STM tradition: My favorite tradition is welcoming new students and returning students to the community during orientation. There is so much energy and excitement about the new year ahead and it is wonderful getting to see all of the new members join the community after a full year of recruitment.

Donna DeRosa

Donna DeRosa

Assistant Director, Financial Aid


617-552-8441
Simboli Hall 219

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Donna DeRosa

Donna DeRosa

Assistant Director, Financial Aid

| 617-552-8441 | Simboli Hall 219

Hometown: Dedham, MA

Favorite thing to do in Boston: I love walking around the North End in Boston and my favorite restaurant is Limoncello's in the North End.

Favorite spot on campus: BC Memorial Labyrinth

Why STM: The STM's supportive and caring community of faculty, administrators and staff help provide a positive and upbeat work atmosphere. I enjoy working with our diverse population of students both lay, religious and international.

Favorite STM tradition: Commencement

Amanda Schar

Amanda Schar

Admissions Specialist


617-552-6535
Simboli Hall 224

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Amanda Schar

Amanda Schar

Admissions Specialist

| 617-552-6535 | Simboli Hall 224

Hometown: Aurora, IL

Undergraduate Institution: Augustana College

Favorite thing to do in Boston: I love how many restaurants there are in Boston. I'm always visiting new places with my friends and trying things I haven't had before!

Favorite spot on campus: My favorite spot on BC's campus is the adirondack chairs sprinkled on Brighton campus. They're great places to grab a coffee and chat with friends. In the fall I love to sit and look at the leaves and just enjoy a quiet moment.

Why STM: To me, the level of authentic support is what makes STM so special. We are each here for our own reasons, following our own callings, and we are all so supportive of each other's journey. I always know that I have discernment partners and cheerleaders, ready to help me reflect and encourage me whenever I need.

Favorite STM tradition: I love when we have our lay-led prayer service each semester. Worshipping together is so special every week, but there's something so wonderful about hearing my classmates' reflections.

 

Emily Mayernik

Emily Mayernik

Content Development Specialist


617-552-6510
Simboli Hall 120

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Emily Mayernik

Emily Mayernik

Content Development Specialist

| 617-552-6510 | Simboli Hall 120

Hometown: Huntersville, North Carolina

Undergraduate Institution: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston: So far, my favorite thing to do in Boston has been walking through the different areas in search of the best coffee shop.

Favorite spot on campus: St. Ignatius Church is so beautiful. 

Why STM: The community and shared joy that is present throughout the building is so special. 

Favorite STM tradition: Thursday lunch! It is a great way to spend time and break bread with the STM community. 

Keighlee Arp

Keighlee Arp

Graduate Assistant


617-552-6506
Simboli Hall 224

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Keighlee Arp

Keighlee Arp

Graduate Assistant

| 617-552-6506 | Simboli Hall 224

Hometown: Boiling Springs, PA

Undergraduate Institution: Loyola University Maryland

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston: My favorite thing to do in any city is explore by way of coffee shops! I love to meet up with friends for a latte and croissant or camp out all day doing homework for the week ahead. 

Favorite spot on campus: I love the statue of St. Ignatius! Here we see Iggy as both a teacher and a priest which is the perfect representation of the integrative approach the STM takes to not only being a school of academic theology but also of practical ministry. Even though it’s on BC’s Chestnut Hill campus, I like to think of it as a special nod to our STM community.

Why STM: Anchored by faith and cultivated in community, the STM offers a unique opportunity to study theology in its most authentic form. STM faculty, staff, and students alike all uphold a culture of understanding that to study theology well, you must practice its fruits, and to do good ministry it’s important to immerse oneself in the rigor of the academic tradition that informs it. With an academic calendar constructed around things like community liturgies and weekly Repast, it’s easy to remember why we’re in the classroom at all. The STM isn’t just a graduate school (and a great one at that!), it’s also an intentionally formative container where each person is uniquely seen and celebrated in the context of a shared truth in Christ.

Favorite STM tradition: I am HYPE for all the Advent festivities. Lessons and Carols, Christmas Cookie Bake-Off, the Admissions team dominating the Office Decorating Competition, and just the general cozy vibes of lights and garland decorating Simboli Hall. Catch me in the student lounge with a cup of hot chocolate all season long!

Diana Hadjiyane

Diana Hadjiyane

Graduate Assistant


617-552-6506
Simboli Hall 224

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Diana Hadjiyane

Diana Hadjiyane

Graduate Assistant

| 617-552-6506 | Simboli Hall 224

Hometown: Wantagh, NY

Undergraduate Institution: Boston College

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston: Take the T into Boston and go to the Farmer's Market, and then grab a bite to eat in the North End!

Favorite spot on campus: Any bench, but definitely benches all along BC's campus. I love to spend my free time outside, and sitting on a bench during a sunny afternoon watching friends and strangers pass by brings me feelings of great peace.

Why STM: Each facet of STM life expands upon, enlivens, and enriches all other facets, making the STM a place for profound growth within academia, praxis, and community. I first was drawn to the STM because of my academic drive to consider the big questions. Why are we here? What makes us happy? How can we be good? My intellectual ponderings made manifest my love for ministerial work, as I saw the beauty of being a person for others. The STM community then provided space for me to entertain both those passions through conversation and connection. The richness of the community is unlike any other, and it provides fertile soil for the growth and development of the minister.

Favorite STM tradition: The STM Annual Super Bowl Party! There's nothing I love more than sharing a meal with my fellow STM students, but being able to rejoice over a football game and delicious super bowl snacks is absolutely amazing. Within the classroom at the STM, you begin to cultivate friendships with your fellow classmates – but when you take a step back and enter into a casual yet intentional space of community, it becomes so much more apparent how animating these faith-filled friendships truly are.

Chris McCormick

Chris McCormick

Graduate Assistant


617-552-6506
Simboli Hall 224

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Chris McCormick

Chris McCormick

Graduate Assistant

| 617-552-6506 | Simboli Hall 224

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Undergraduate Institution: College of the Holy Cross 

Favorite Thing to Do in Boston: Although my undergraduate institution is less than an hour away from Boston, I have not spent significant time in Boston for about 7 years. I’m excited to explore different parts of the city and rediscover some old favorite places and activities along the way!

Favorite Spot on Campus: Simboli Hall

Why STM: I love the STM because of how much the STM strives to live up to its name. Although the STM takes its academic life very seriously, it refuses to be just an academic institution. Everytime we start class or a work meeting with prayer, everytime we cross the street to go to Thursday Mass at St. Ignatius, we show that we are more than just a group of people with similar intellectual interests; we are a community.

Favorite STM Tradition: The Liturgy and Repast that the community shares each Thursday. This weekly tradition was one of the things that most attracted me to the STM. It struck me so deeply when I visited for my Accepted Students’ Day, and it is one of the things I most look forward to experiencing during my time here.

Student & Alumni Voices

Lay and religious students from around the world form our diverse community—one that represents a range of ages, interests, and experiences. Explore some of their stories.

Encounter

A community blog from the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry

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