The Bachelor of Sacred Theology (abbreviated STB) is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Licentiate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theology) which are conferred by a number of pontifical faculties around the world. As an ecclesiastical degree, it is conferred in the name of and by the authority of the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. It is often granted alongside a civil degree, such as the

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...

. The curriculum varies slightly from faculty to faculty, but generally requires competency in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

as well as the completion of the "first cycle" of theological training, a three to five year course of studies that aims for a comprehensive competence in philosophy and theology. The basic requirements for any of the three ecclesiastical degree are regulated by the Holy See, most recently in the

Apostolic Constitution An apostolic constitution () is the most solemn form of legislation issued by the Pope.New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, pg. 57, footnote 36. By their nature, apostolic constitutions are addressed to the public. Generic constitutions use ...

Veritatis Gaudium.

References

{{reflist
"Apostolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium on Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties"
''vatican.va''. Retrieved 2022-11-21.

''catholic.edu''. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
"Canonical Degrees"
''theo.kuleuven.be''. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
"The Three Cycles"
''angelicum.it''. Retrieved 2022-11-21.

Sacred Theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of an ...

Religious degrees