Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts in Hispanic Theology and Ministry Coordinated 3+1 Program with Catholic Theological Union
Our coordinated 3+1 program with Catholic Theological Union (CTU allows you to earn—at an accelerated pace—both a B.A. at Dominican and a M.A. in Hispanic Theology and Ministry at CTU. You’ll prepare for professional life as economically and efficiently as possible. The program offers two paths to the combined degree.
Option 1: Advanced Standing with Credit
This option allows you to earn up to 12 credit hours of advanced standing. You’ll earn credit for specific courses that apply toward both your undergraduate degree at Dominican and your master’s degree at Catholic Theological Union.
The courses include:
- Latin@ American Religious Experience and Theology
- Latin@ Spirituality: Origins, Roots, and Contemporary Experience of a People
- Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of a New Creation
- Internship in Latin@ Context
Additional 200- and 300-level courses may be eligible for advanced standing with credit through the following process:
- Confer with your academic advisors at both Dominican and CTU.
- Petition for advanced standing with credit.
- Submit supporting documentation, including a course syllabus, the name and credentials of the faculty member teaching the course, a description of the context of learning, and a transcript or certificate of completion.
- Apply to the instructor of the respective course for assessment
Students pay one-third of CTU’s tuition rate for the credits granted.
If you wish to seek advanced standing with credit for practicum work, please work with your faculty advisor at Dominican and the director of field education at CTU to ensure that you meet the requirements for the CTU practicum.
Option 2: Three Plus One
The accelerated 3+1 option allows you to complete both your B.A. and M.A. in just five years. You may apply to CTU to begin the M.A. in Hispanic Theology and Ministry after you have earned 97 credit hours toward your bachelor’s degree at Dominican, and have completed all of your major and core curriculum requirements (except credits from CTU that may be applied toward your major). You may transfer up to 27 credit hours from CTU to Dominican to fulfill either the major or elective requirements toward your bachelor’s degree.
Program eligibility
The coordinated program with Catholic Theological Union is limited to students who:
- Have a GPA of 3.0 or above.
- Are recommended to CTU by their faculty advisor at Dominican.
- Complete at least 97 semester credit hours toward the B.A. at Dominican.
How to apply
To apply for the coordinated program:
- Submit your online application to Catholic Theological Union.
- Ask a Dominican faculty member to send a letter of recommendation to CTU, including an assessment of your readiness for graduate work.
- Ask a supervisor or mentor at one of your experiential learning sites to send a second recommendation to CTU.
- Send CTU transcripts from Dominican and any other colleges or university where you have earned academic credit.
- A personal statement (see Guidelines and Requirements on CTU’s website for details)
- Submit a $55 application fee to CTU.

Brent Smith
Dominican Graduate
“Dominican gives proper emphasis to the vision of theology as “faith seeking understanding.” I am indebted to my professors at Dominican for fostering in me a sincere appreciation for the joys of scholarship, done for the sake of recognizing God’s presence in our world."
About the Master of Arts in Hispanic Theology and Ministry
This degree equips you for competent pastoral leadership in the many Latinx/Latin@/Hispanic communities in the United States. The curriculum focuses on Hispanic religious heritage, Latino@ biblical hermeneutics, Latin@ theologies, ministry within Latin@ contexts, and the lived experiences and practices of Hispanic communities. The degree can be completed in residential, online or hybrid formats. The course of study will verse you in the theological and biblical scholarship arising from Latin@ contexts and experiences. You will engage theology and ministry as a process that privileges mutual accountability and collaboration; and you will prepare to respond pastorally in particular Latin@ cultural and religious contexts.

Shantal Cole
Dominican Graduate
“My journey at Dominican was just amazing. I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from the university, and it inspired me to achieve a level of academic success that I never thought possible. Now I want to give something back as a pastor.”