University of Notre Dame

“To prepare competent pastors for the Church in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.”

Description of PhD Program

The University of Notre Dame is one of the most important ecumenical centers in North America for advanced study in theology. Although situated within a major Roman Catholic university, the program attracts men and women from all major churches. The doctoral program offers six areas of concentration and two joint areas of concentration. Doctoral students can also develop their expertise in Latina/o and Latin American theologies through course work, a minor area of concentration, or in the choice of topic for their dissertation.

Areas of Concentration:

Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity (CJA)
History of Christianity (HC)
Liturgical Studies (LS)
Moral Theology/Christian Ethics (MT)
Systematic Theology (ST)
World Religions and World Church (WRWC)

Joint Programs/Area of Concentration:

Peace Studies/Theology
Theology/History and Philosophy of Science

Tuition & Housing Costs

All admitted students to doctoral programs at Notre Dame receive full tuition assistance, a student health insurance plan, and a living stipend. Currently, for PhD students the living stipends are a minimum of at least $23,000 annually for five years. Prestigious fellowships available on a competitive basis raise the annual living stipend from $25,000 to $30,000 annually, including the Gaia Fellowship, which “funds doctoral students in any discipline who choose some aspect of Latino Studies as their area of specialization.” Students are responsible for securing their own housing arrangements, with very affordable options in the local area.

Financial Aid-Fellowships

Full-time students in good standing are eligible to receive a 12-month annual stipend (an amount of $23,000 for students starting in 2018-2019) for up to five years and a full-tuition scholarship for up to eight years.

5 + 1 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Students who complete the program in five years are eligible for a one-year teaching postdoctoral fellowship at Notre Dame.

Hispanic/Latine Faculty

Peter Casarella
Associate Professor of Theology, Notre Dame
Director, Latin American/North American Church Concerns
Area Coordinator, World Religions and World Church

Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P.
John Cardinal O’Hara Professor of Theology
Expertise in Systematic Theology and Latin American Liberation Theologies

David Lantigua
Assistant Professor of Theology, Notre Dame
Moral Theology

Non-Hispanic/Latina/o Faculty with expertise in Hispanic/Latina/o Studies:

Rev. Daniel Groody, C.S.C.,
Assistant Professor of Theology
Expertise on Mexican immigration, Latino studies, U.S.-Mexico border, Latino spirituality and culture, Catholic social teaching on migration

Timothy Matovina
Department Chair, Professor of Theology, Notre Dame
Specialization in U.S. Catholic and U.S. Latino Religion and Theology

Hispanic Centers and Programs

The Institute for Latino Studies advances understanding of the fastest-growing and youngest population in the United States and in the U.S. Catholic Church. ILS strengthens Notre Dame’s mission to prepare transformative leaders in education, the professions, the arts, economic and civic participation, faith, and family life among Latinos and all members of our society.

Latin American North American Church Concerns (LANACC) has been in existence at Notre Dame since 1985. It sponsors ecumenical and pastoral research on the interchange between the Christian communities in North and South.

Neighboring Institutions or Programs

Notre Dame is 90 miles from Chicago, where a number of Latino/a theologians and the programs in which they teach are located.

Library Resources-Special Collections

The Julian Samora Library at the Institute for Latino Studies advances scholarship in Latino studies through its collections of primary source research materials. The Samora Library collects, preserves, and provides access to rare books, manuscripts, personal papers, archives, and oral histories related to the Latino experience in the United States with a particular focus on the Midwest. Established in 1999, the library is named in memory of Chicano/a studies pioneer and former Notre Dame professor of sociology Julian Samora (1920–1996).

Yearly Events

The six areas of specialization in Notre Dame’s Department of Theology all have regular colloquia and other events that help form doctoral students as scholars and theologians.

LANACC has sponsored an annual Romero Days Lecture since 1987.