The Master of Arts (Theological Studies), abbreviated as MATS, is a research-oriented graduate degree in theology.  It offers specific training and preparation for careers in theological research, for positions in theological education and instruction, and for preparation for doctoral studies. It accomplishes these purposes by providing the required academic coursework, which includes research and writing in the theological disciplines of Dogmatic Theology, Sacred Scripture, and Moral Theology.

The MATS program incorporates the Philosophy and Mission of the Graduate School of Theology into its own statement of Philosophy. The program seeks to develop seminarians into mature theological thinkers with the ability to pursue lifelong theological study and professional pursuits related to the various fields of theology and theological scholarship.

The MATS program is based on the principles of authentic appropriation of the Catholic Theological Tradition which is faithful to the magisterium of the Catholic Church. The MATS program is designed to help seminarians understand that theological investigation begins with faith and applies human reason to the truths of God’s self-revelation for the sake of understanding it more fully and adhering to it more deeply. In theological instruction and research, professors and seminarians must exercise their intellectual and academic freedom of inquiry and expression within this context.