Saint Joseph's Seminary & College
Statement of Institutional Effectiveness
The Board of Trustees, Administration and Faculty of Saint Joseph’s Seminary and College (SJS) are dedicated to the fulfillment of the SJS Mission Statement and to providing all of its students with all the services and resources needed for them to graduate on time and to achieve the Intended Student Learning Outcomes for their respective degree programs.
The students who attend SJS fall into a number of categories: Major Seminarians who are studying for the Priesthood, candidates for Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate, graduate students in Philosophy (many of whom are preparing for entrance into the Major Seminary), as well as lay men and women, ordained clergy and men and women in consecrated life who wish to study Theology for a wide variety of ministerial, professional and personal reasons.
SJS presently offers three degree programs at its four locations: Master of Divinity (M.Div. – for major seminarians at the main campus in Yonkers), Master of Arts in Theology (MA Theo – for students at the Yonkers, Huntington, Douglaston and Somers locations), and Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophical Studies (MACPS – for students at the Douglaston location).
We also offer two advanced certificates (Dogmatic Theology and Sacred Scripture, both of which can be earned at any of our four locations).
Program Length and Completion Rates
Masters of Divinity – Saint Joseph’s Seminary has been offering the M.Div. program to seminarians in priestly formation since 1961 and seminarians in the program typically complete their degrees in 4 years, although extensions can be granted for various reasons.
Master of Arts in Theology – The MA Theo program has been offered since 1987 and, until 2012, was completed within one year. With the 2012 Inter-diocesan partnership, the expansion of the Seminary’s Mission and subsequent curriculum revisions in 2013, students pursuing the MA Theo degree generally finish within 4 years, although they have up to six years to complete the program.
Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophical Studies – The Seminary began offering the MACPS Program in 2013 and students typically finish the degree within two years, although they are allowed up to six years to complete their studies.
All of the seminarians who completed their Master of Divinity at Saint Joseph’s Seminary between 2009 and 2019 have been ordained as Catholic Priests and serve in their own local Dioceses, Eparchies or Religious Communities. The placement rate for these graduates is 100%.
Students in the MA Theo program pursue the degree for various ministerial, personal and professional reasons.
Class of 2019 Placement Rates:
M.Div.: Placement Rate = 100%
MACPS: Continuing into Seminary: 100%
MA Theo (Data as of Fall 2020, excluding students with unknown status):