Theology & Ministry Degrees · Old Catholic Tradition
Graduate and undergraduate degrees in theology, ministry, and sacred studies - grounded in the Old Catholic tradition, fully online, accessible to clergy and laypeople alike.
American Old Catholic University offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs in theology and ministry for students who seek serious theological formation outside the constraints of Roman jurisdiction.
The Old Catholic tradition traces its apostolic succession through the Church of Utrecht, which maintained valid orders and sacramental continuity independent of Rome since 1724. Our curriculum takes that heritage seriously, without apology and without pretense.
Courses are delivered entirely online, making genuine theological education available to working clergy, aspiring ministers, laypersons seeking deeper formation, and anyone drawn to the independent Catholic tradition. No relocation. No residency requirement. Study at your own pace.
AOCU is a not-for-profit religious institution operating under Missouri religious education law, offering religiously designated degrees in theology and ministry.
Old Catholics maintain valid apostolic succession and the seven sacraments while rejecting the First Vatican Council's definition of papal infallibility. The tradition is episcopal, catholic, and historically rooted.
All programs are religiously designated degrees in theology and sacred ministry, delivered fully online.
Foundational study in scripture, church history, systematic theology, and Old Catholic ecclesiology. Designed for those entering ministry or seeking serious theological grounding.
A broader survey of Christian theology, comparative religion, and the history of the Catholic tradition. Suitable for laypersons and those pursuing interfaith ministry.
Rigorous classical formation in scripture, patristics, moral theology, liturgy, and sacramental theology. Prepares students for graduate theological study or ordained ministry.
The standard professional degree for ordained ministry. Covers scripture, homiletics, pastoral care, liturgy, church administration, and chaplaincy. The degree most employers in ministry recognize.
Advanced academic theology for those who have completed a bachelor's in theology or ministry. Concentrations available in historical theology, systematic theology, and Old Catholic studies.
Practical formation in pastoral care, counseling, spiritual direction, and congregational leadership. Built for working clergy and lay ministers who need ministry skills more than academic depth.
The classical ecclesiastical graduate degree, grounded in Latin theological sources, patristic literature, and conciliar tradition. Equivalent to the STL in Roman seminaries.
Prepares students for chaplaincy in hospital, hospice, prison, military, and institutional settings. Covers spiritual care across traditions, crisis ministry, and professional ethics.
Formation for those called to the ministry of spiritual accompaniment. Covers Ignatian and non-Ignatian methods, discernment, contemplative prayer, and one-on-one directee formation.
A professional doctorate for experienced clergy and ministers. Focuses on applied ministry leadership, congregational health, and the development of a substantial ministry project.
The highest academic degree in theology, requiring original contribution to theological scholarship. Concentrations in systematic theology, Old Catholic ecclesiology, and church history.
Awarded in recognition of distinguished service to the church, extraordinary contributions to ministry, or exceptional scholarship in theology and sacred studies.
The Old Catholic movement has produced serious scholars and faithful ministers for three centuries. It deserves a serious academic institution.
Old Catholic orders are valid. The Church of Utrecht maintained unbroken apostolic succession when it separated from Rome in 1724 over the Jansenist controversy, decades before the First Vatican Council made that separation inevitable for others. Our theology takes that history seriously.
Old Catholics hold that the episcopate is collegial, not monarchical. No single bishop holds authority over the whole church. That conviction shapes how we teach ecclesiology, canon law, and church governance throughout our curriculum.
Old Catholic theology returns repeatedly to the fathers of the undivided church. Augustine, Irenaeus, Cyprian, Ambrose - these are not historical footnotes but living conversation partners. Students at AOCU learn to read primary sources, not just summaries.
Good theological education has historically required wealth, geography, or institutional gatekeeping. AOCU exists partly to challenge that. Clergy in rural areas, working ministers without time for residency, laypeople seeking genuine formation - all of them deserve access to serious theology.
No other institution in the United States specializes in Old Catholic and independent Catholic theology at the graduate level. That gap is real and consequential. Clergy operating outside Roman and Anglican structures often have no place to go for advanced study. AOCU fills that gap.
All programs are delivered entirely online. There are no residency requirements. Students in Slovenia, Missouri, or Manila can complete the same degree with the same quality of instruction. The Old Catholic church has always been international; our delivery model reflects that.
Old Catholic theology is a branch of Catholic Christianity that maintains apostolic succession and the seven sacraments while rejecting the First Vatican Council's definition of papal infallibility. The movement traces its origins to the Church of Utrecht, which separated from Rome in 1724 and maintained valid episcopal orders ever since.
Old Catholic orders are widely recognized as valid by Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and many independent Catholic scholars. The Church of Utrecht maintained unbroken apostolic succession through its bishops, and that lineage has been passed to Old Catholic churches worldwide.
We offer a full range of religiously designated theology and ministry degrees: Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Religious Studies, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, Master of Pastoral Studies, Master of Arts in Chaplaincy, Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction, Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Theology, and the honorary Doctor of Divinity.
Yes. All programs are delivered entirely online with no residency requirement. Students study at their own pace from anywhere in the world - no relocation, no campus visits required.
AOCU is open to ordained clergy seeking advanced theological formation, laypeople pursuing serious theological study, ministers in independent Catholic or related traditions, and anyone seeking deeper grounding in Old Catholic ecclesiology, scripture, and pastoral theology.
AOCU is a not-for-profit religious institution operating under Missouri religious education law. It is not regionally accredited. Degrees are religious in nature, intended for ministry, ecclesiastical recognition, and theological formation rather than secular employment contexts.
Admission to American Old Catholic University is open to all who seek serious theological formation in the Old Catholic tradition - ordained or lay, regardless of current denomination or affiliation.
There are no entrance examinations. Admission is based on a statement of purpose, prior academic or ministerial experience, and a brief interview with an admissions advisor.
Students may begin courses at any time. All programs are self-paced within a structured curriculum, allowing working clergy and lay ministers to study without interrupting their ministries.
Email admissions with your name, ministry background, and the program you are interested in. We respond within 48 hours.
Write a brief statement describing your theological background, your ministry context, and what you hope to gain from formal theological study.
A short conversation with an admissions advisor - by phone or video - to discuss your goals and confirm your program fit.
Upon acceptance, receive your enrollment agreement, course access, and a welcome from the academic dean. Begin immediately.
American Old Catholic University is a not-for-profit religious institution operating under Missouri religious education law (Section 173.616, RSMo) as a not-for-profit religious institution offering religiously designated degrees and programs. AOCU is not accredited by any accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Degrees awarded by AOCU are religious in nature and are intended for ministry, ecclesiastical recognition, and personal theological formation. Credits earned at AOCU are generally not transferable to accredited institutions. Degrees are not intended for use in secular employment contexts that require regionally accredited credentials.
