Licentiate Degree Examination

In the Licentiates Examinations, both the student's theological knowledge and his didactic and pedagogical abilities will be evaluated. The Departments will organize the appropriate means to facilitate the personal preparation for this oral exam from the beginning of the first year of the Licentiate (personal counseling, seminars, work sessions, etc.).

In order to take the degree examination, it is necessary to have previously passed the research work or thesis of the Licentiate.

The exam will be held in an oral and public session, and the student must demonstrate his theological knowledge and his ability to teach. Specifically, he/she must mention a basic bibliography adequate for the exposition of the topic, and present the topic in a clear and orderly manner following a well-structured script that allows him/her to develop, in the established time, all the points of interest.

In the exposition of dogmatic and moral themes, the student must show an adequate understanding of dogma and the theological questions involved. In the scriptural and historical topics, the student must show his knowledge of the methodology of the exegetical and historiographical sciences and, at the same time, the interweaving of this knowledge with theological and doctrinal problems.

Development of the oral test:

On a date and at a time set by the Directorate of Studies, the Oral Examination will take place, which will be carried out as follows:

1°. The students prepare a topic, after a lottery held on the day of the dissertation defense.

2º. On the scheduled day, the student will present the chosen topic to the examining board for 30 minutes and, at the end of the presentation, will answer any questions that the members of the examining board may wish to ask on that topic or other topics on the syllabus, in order to verify whether the student has the breadth of knowledge and maturity required to obtain the Licentiate.

3°. Finally, the examining board will evaluate the Oral Examination in closed session and will proceed to grade the Licentiate, according to the following scale:

• Academic transcript: 75% of the final grade.
• Oral Examination: 25% of the final grade

Extraordinary Award:

Students who pass this degree may be granted an extraordinary award. At the end of the examination, a panel of judges will consider the awarding of one of two extraordinary awards among the students who have obtained an "A".